Kauai Mayor Kawakami Enters Race for Hawaii Lieutenant Governor

Surrounded by roughly 80 supporters at Kilohana Plantation in Līhuʻe, term-limited Kauaʻi Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami formally announced Tuesday that he is running for Hawaii lieutenant governor, setting up a Democratic primary challenge against incumbent Sylvia Luke on August 8.

"This morning I woke up and I was just a ball of nerves," the 49-year-old told supporters at the March 17 event. The emotional announcement opened with Kawakami honoring his late parents, telling the crowd he could feel them "looking down on us." He then pivoted to the argument that would anchor his campaign: "When I ran for mayor, it wasn't because I had all the answers. It was because I believed in something very simple: the government should work for the people that live here, not the other way around."

Kawakami has served as Kauaʻi's 11th mayor since December 3, 2018, but is barred by term limits from seeking another term. His second and final term ends in December 2026. Before the mayoralty, he spent roughly a decade on the Kauaʻi County Council and is the third Kawakami to represent Kauaʻi in the state House. Born in Hilo, he is a graduate of Kauaʻi High School, Kauaʻi Community College, and Chaminade University. His family founded and operated the Big Save grocery chain on Kauaʻi until selling it to the parent company of Times Supermarket in 2011.

He framed the race around affordable housing and crisis leadership, pointing to Lima Ola homes sold for under $500,000 as an example of housing partnerships his administration pursued. He was direct about the political difficulty of siting new housing: "If you don't have the political courage to disappoint people where that housing is gonna be, we'll never get anywhere." He also cited road repairs, investments in Vidinha Stadium, inclusive playgrounds, a veterans cemetery, and county administrative changes including DMV online appointments and a dedicated kupuna hour.

On bipartisanship, he told supporters: "There is no Republican or Democrat way to recover from a storm or fix a pothole, and I think that's what people want. They want to see people coming together."

The announcement came roughly a month after Luke publicly acknowledged an ongoing investigation into an unknown lawmaker who allegedly accepted $35,000 in a paper bag in 2022. "I'm not saying I am the 'influential lawmaker' in question," Luke previously said. No charges have been reported. Gov. Josh Green said he believes Kawakami would be a strong candidate but stopped short of an endorsement.

The money gap is significant. Campaign spending reports through December 2025 show Kawakami with about $236,000 on hand compared to Luke's roughly $641,000.

With Kawakami vacating the mayor's office in December, three candidates have already filed to replace him: Kauaʻi County Council chairman Mel Rapozo, Councilmember Felicia Cowden, and former mayor and current councilmember Bernard Carvalho Jr. Other candidates for both races can still enter before the June filing deadline.

Speaking to Kauaʻi Community Radio after the announcement, Kawakami made clear he intends to run as a product of this island: "I'll never forget where I come from. I plan to bring Kauaʻi with me and share what we're all about across the state.