Kauai Democrats elect Merryman as chair at Lihue convention

Margie Merryman was elected chair of the Kauai Democratic Party on Saturday at the party’s biennial convention in Lihue, marking an orderly handoff as the island’s Democrats looked ahead to the next round of county and state races. The hybrid gathering brought together party members, district council members and county delegates, with Merryman succeeding Joell Edwards after Edwards completed a two-year term.

The rest of the unopposed slate was also installed by delegates in attendance: Hermina Morita as vice chair, Bevin Parker-Evans as secretary, Edwards as treasurer, Lori Kizer as information technician, Desiree Pia as youth representative and Gary Venet as the State Central Committee representative. Edwards said the party was in “excellent hands” and said she looked forward to continuing as treasurer.

The convention carried added weight because it came with Kauai lawmakers still wrapping up the 2026 legislative session in Honolulu. State Rep. Dee Morikawa, state Rep. Luke Evslin and Senate President Ron Kouchi were in the room after the session’s final stretch, while House Speaker Nadine Nakamura sent a message from the Capitol. The Legislature’s 2026 calendar shows adjournment sine die on May 8, underscoring how late in the process the convention fell.

The meeting also doubled as a launch point for the party’s next statewide organizing push. Recorded messages from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and Democratic Party of Hawaii chair Derek Turbin praised Edwards and urged delegates to register for the state party’s convention, set for May 29-30 in Honolulu. The state convention will be held under the theme “E Kūkulu Kākou! Let’s Organize!” with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz scheduled as a special guest.

For Kauai Democrats, the leadership change is more than a personnel shuffle. The party’s local website links directly to Kauai’s elected state officials and county resources, reflecting its role as a political organizing hub on the island. That matters as Democrats try to recruit candidates, line up volunteers and shape the debate around housing, pre-K classrooms and hospital improvements.

Those policy pressures were already visible at the Capitol. Nakamura said lawmakers were still passing bills in the final week of session to address the high cost of living, including more than $250 million for affordable housing, funding for new pre-K classrooms and improvements to Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital and Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. House Finance Chair Chris Todd has estimated that changes to Medicaid and SNAP could cost the state about $100 million a year, a reminder that the next elections on Kauai will unfold under the same fiscal strain shaping Honolulu’s agenda.