HILO — State Sen. Kai Kahele, a Hilo Democrat, won his bid for re-election to District 1 Tuesday against Hilo Libertarian Kimberly Arianoff.
Kahele earned victory by a wide margin, with 12,316 votes compared to Arianoff’s 1,771.
“I’m just very grateful and thankful for the voters of Hilo for their trust and confidence to allow me to continue to represent Hilo in the state Senate,” he said. “For me, it’s a little bittersweet, because I was with my dad in 2014 when he won the four-year term to represent Hilo.”
After his father Gil Kahele’s death, Kai Kahele, 44, was appointed to the seat for about six months in 2016 and had to run for election to complete the remaining two years of his dad’s term.
While it’s bittersweet, Kahele said at the same time, “it’s a very special moment” to continue to serve Hilo in the Senate and sit in his father’s seat.
“For me, having been in the Senate for three sessions now, but returning in the 2019 (session) for what will be a full four-year term, I’m really looking forward to it, and looking forward to continuing to work hard and do great things for Hilo, East Hawaii and Hawaii Island.”
District 1 represents Hilo, from south of Honolii Stream to the Puna district boundary in the south.
County Councilman Dru Kanuha beat Libertarian Michael Last in the race for the District 3 state Senate seat.
In the final Big Island state Senate race, incumbent and political veteran state Sen. Lorraine Inouye, 74, of Paukaa, was unopposed Tuesday for her District 4 seat.
Senate District 4 covers much of the north end of Hawaii Island from Honolii Stream in the east to Kona International Airport in the west.
More of the same old Democrat Plantation politics!