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Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Craig Washofsky at Kailua Beach. "

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<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Sunrise to start the day</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Craig Washofsky at Kailua Beach.

Hawai‘i Skies: Sunrise to start the day

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Craig Washofsky at Kailua Beach. &quot;What a great way to start the day!&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Government & Politics

Columnists

Since 1959, 16 people have served as Hawai‘i’s lieutenant governor. 

It’s a position without power that provides a path to power.

Where it often requires a great degree of name recognition to gain election and serves as a natural stepping stone to higher office, the position functions as a political incubator.

Per state law, candidates for both offices run separately in their respective party primaries. Once a candidate triumphs in each primary race, a party’s nominees for lieutenant governor and governor join forces on a single ticket for the general election.

When candidates have different priorities, philosophies, or personalities, it can create some politically tricky headaches. 

It’s a high-profile position with lots of paid staff and a big office on the fifth floor of the State Capitol. The lieutenant governor is effectively Hawai‘i’s equivalent of the U.S. vice presidency.

It’s also an office where political patience is a necessity. Once elected, successful candidates are often frustrated by the lack of actual authority. As a result, a discontented lieutenant governor can also serve as a source of conflict in the executive branch.

Those who become lieutenant governor are often from politically-influential roles in state politics. In a Faustian fashion, they may bargain away political power in order to gain a more prestigious office. 

It’s a huge gamble for any politician, but many still clamber to take the bet. 

Governors and lieutenant governors have a history of not getting along. When this happens, governors are left in a politically compromised position, while lieutenant governors stand to lose their political careers. 

For the first three decades of the State of Hawai‘i’s history, lieutenant governors frequently clashed with their governors. In fact, these clashes politically weakened governors, sewing chaos across the executive branch.

Political divisions between the governor and lieutenant governor destroyed the administration of Governor William Quinn. His lieutenant governor, James Kealoha, felt slighted by the lack of control over political appointments. The relationship soured, with Kealoha challenging Quinn in the 1962 primaries. Despite Keahola's defeat, the fractured GOP lacked the energy to defeat the Democratic Party's candidate, John A. Burns.

Burns was elected in 1962 alongside party ally William S. Richardson. Richardson, as his first lieutenant governor, was seen as a potential successor. However, the sudden resignation of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court Chief Justice Wilfred Tsukiyama created a unique opportunity for Burns. Richardson, instead of continuing as lieutenant governor, was elevated as chief justice. A technocrat, Andrew Ing, temporarily served as lieutenant governor for a year. 

Even so, Burns had trouble finding a loyal lieutenant governor to succeed him. He tried to get Kenneth Brown elected to the position in 1966, but voters didn’t warm to this hand-picked successor. Instead, Burns was saddled with former U.S. Congressman Tom Gill. Gill and Burns were of different political temperaments. Their inability to get along led to another politically brutal fight at the ballot box in 1970, where Lieutenant Governor Gill nearly ousted Burns. 

Luckily for Burns, he triumphed. A new candidate for lieutenant governor, George Ariyoshi, was tapped to succeed Burns. Unlike Gill, Ariyoshi was neither outspoken nor abrasive. When Burns became incapacitated in 1973 by an accelerating cancer, the silent Ariyoshi rose to power as governor.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Case for Abolition"}]

Like Quinn and Burns, Ariyoshi struggled to settle on a stable lieutenant governor in his administration. His first lieutenant governor, Nelson Doi, was part of Tom Gill’s political faction and refused to serve more than a single term.

Ironically, Doi also became an outspoken critic of the lieutenant governor’s office. He called for its outright abolition at the 1978 Constitutional Convention. 

Doi was burnt out from the position, so he ditched the boredom and political stability of the position after one term to return to the Big Island. It’s a bit odd, as he could have stayed in office, bided his time, and eventually run for governor in 1986. 

That never happened. Instead, Doi was succeeded by another political upstart, Jean King. Like Doi, King did not care for the Ariyoshi administration and directly challenged Ariyoshi in the 1982 primaries, narrowly losing to the two-term governor. It was a fight akin to the duel between Burns and Gill in 1970.

At this point, the next lieutenant governor appeared to be hesitant about opposing Ariyoshi. John Waihe‘e, a former delegate to the 1978 Constitutional Convention (which had limited governors to serving no more than two full terms) and legislator, set out to wait four years before running for governor. 

Waihe‘e won in his race for governor in 1986. From this point onwards, lieutenant governors no longer ran against incumbent governors in an election. 

Throughout Waihe‘e’s tenure, Benjamin Cayetano sat quietly as lieutenant governor. Arguably, his tenure set the stage for the contemporary, two-term lieutenant governor who had (until recently) dominated Hawai‘i’s political landscape.

Cayetano, like his eventual successors Mazie Hirono and James ‘Duke’ Aiona, played a largely quiet, supporting role to his governor. In Cayetano’s case, the reward was his own two-term tenure as governor. Neither Hirono nor Aiona got the same opportunity.

The Return of Temporary Lieutenant Governors

Since 2010, no lieutenant governor has served in office for a full two terms. If voters re-elect incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke in 2026, she could break that trend. 

Governor Abercrombie had two lieutenant governors. Shan Tsutsui, the former Senate President who also served as lieutenant governor under Governor David Ige, quit midway through his term. Ige also had three lieutenant governors, with then-state senator Josh Green serving throughout Ige’s final term.

As was the case with Waihe‘e’s single term as lieutenant governor, Green’s tenure positioned him to run for governor in 2022. It’s a situation whose calculus parallels Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek Kawakami’s own situation in 2026. If he manages to win the 2022 primary for lieutenant governor, he’ll be set to run for governor in four years. 

One out of every four of those lieutenant governors used the office as a stepping stone to the governor's seat. Hawai‘i’s two U.S. Senators, Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, also served time in the position. 

Keeping a lieutenant governor happy often benefits the governor. Governors Quinn, Burns, and Ariyoshi faced challenges from their lieutenant governors. Ige could have arguably faced a challenge in 2018 from then-Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui, but no such challenge ever came. In an unprecedented move, Tsutsui instead resigned to enter the private sector.

In turn, working with the governor as a lieutenant governor is politically advantageous. George Ariyoshi, John Waihe‘e, and Josh Green served as lieutenant governor for only a single term without serious squabbles with their governors.

Through their own initiatives, lieutenant governors can stay busy without bothering the governor. Lieutenant Governor Luke, for instance, has focused on 

. Other lieutenant governors took the same approach, finding policy priorities often ignored by the governor. Cayetano focused on afterschool programs for students, while Green focused on ending homelessness. 

Luke’s peaceful tenure as lieutenant governor has been shaken in 2026 as a result of her 

 that she might be the target of federal—and now state—investigations into her campaign contributions. The admission followed an 

 in late January by Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez that her office would share evidence with federal authorities. 

It’s all to say that a lieutenant governor occupies a precarious place in Hawai‘i’s political landscape. It’s a position of little political power that positions the politically ambitious for office as a governor. 

If mismanaged, however, lieutenant governors may find themselves forgotten. That’s simply part of the political bet.

Nelson Doi Tom Gill 16x9

<title>What’s in a Lieutenant Governor? </title>

Some of Hawai‘i's Lieutenant Governors have launched bigger political careers from the position, some faded in obscurity, and a number them clashed with their governors. One even quit halfway through his term to go back to private industry. Here are the names that made history in the statehood era.

What’s in a Lieutenant Governor? 

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

The Merrie Monarch Festival named the overall winner of its hula competition as Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, led by Ke Kumu Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV, on Saturday, April 11. The hālau also won first place kāne overall, kāne ʻauana, kāne kahiko, and wahine kahiko.

The Merrie Monarch Festival returned for its 63rd annual event from Sunday, April 5, through Saturday, April 11. The invite-only hula competition took place at the Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo from Thursday, April 9, through Saturday, April 11. 

Hālau Mōhala ʻIlima, led by Kumu Hula Māpuana de Silva won first place wahine overall. Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, led by Nā Kumu Tracie & Keawe Lopes, won wahine ʻauana. 

Activities and events for the week-long festival also include an invitational Hawaiian arts fair, along with hula shows and a grand parade.

Tickets to see the festival in person were sold out, but competitions were live streamed and broadcast in ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi and English by Hawaiʻi News Now.

Here are video clips of the overall winners:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"2026 Overall winner"}]

Hālau Hi‘iakaināmakalehua, led by Ke Kumu Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"2026 Wahine overall winner"}]

Hālau Mōhala ʻIlima, led by Kumu Hula Māpuana de Silva

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"2026 Kāne overall winner"}]

of the Maui-based Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi, led by Nā Kumu Haunani & ʻIliahi Paredes.

Watch more video clips of the winners on Merrie Monarch Festival’s 

Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium

<title>Merrie Monarch Festival names 2026 winners</title>

The 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival named the winners of its hula competition on Saturday, April 11. The overall winner also won first place kāne overall, kāne ʻauana, kāne kahiko, and wahine kahiko.

Merrie Monarch Festival names 2026 winners

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gary Tavis on Maui. "I've taken many great photos in Maui over the years. As you know the sunsets are magnificent. These photos were taken in different spots in Whalers Village. All photos are with my cell phone. And crazy as it sounds my photos seem to come out brighter and more vibrant then most others. Wish I knew why that is. Any way I love sharing my pictures, thanks for giving me the opportunity to do that."

3c8109af 757c 4f67 a9db 8fef0b44a884

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Magnificent sunsets</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gary Tavis on Maui.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Magnificent sunsets

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

On a Monday morning earlier this month, Mayor Rick Blangiardi sent his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year to the Honolulu City Council. The total came in $133 million less than the year before. The operating side grew by less than one percent. There were no ribbon cuttings. The 

 lasted about 40 minutes and drew a few paragraphs in the morning papers.

Had the number gone up — a record spend on city services, a bold new chapter — there would have been more headlines. The budget that doesn’t grow is not a story.

What matters is whether government grows faster or slower than the income of the people paying for it. The University of Hawaiʻi’s economic research arm, UHERO, 

 personal income in Honolulu will grow about 3.7% this year. That 3.7% is the speed limit. A government budgeting above it is spending money its people haven’t earned yet.

Blangiardi’s operating increase of less than 1% means city government is shrinking against the economy. That’s harder than it sounds. Union contracts alone required wage raises above 1%. He covered that and still cut the total.

The pattern elsewhere is mixed — and mostly worse. On Kaua‘i, Mayor Derek Kawakami’s current budget 

, more than twice the county’s projected income growth.

Maui’s Richard Bissen is a different story. UHERO projects Maui’s income to grow about 4% this year. Bissen’s proposed budget for next fiscal year 

. That’s nearly flat in real terms — a return to earth after the fire-driven spending surge.

The outlier nobody talks about is Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda. His proposed operating budget 

 against projected income growth of 3.4%. Nearly as disciplined as Honolulu, with almost no press. Alameda governs quietly, and Hawai‘i County draws less notice than Maui or Honolulu.

Blangiardi didn’t cut services. He cut the budget lines for vacant jobs. With roughly one in five city jobs vacant, that pay was already sitting idle. The mayor pulled about $50 million in vacancy funding back across departments. The police chief called it tight but workable. AI tools are rolling out across city offices — not to cut jobs, but to get more done.

Blangiardi is not always easy. Councilmembers, reporters, and slow-moving department heads have all felt the friction. But for five years, he’s been the strongest check on government growth in Hawai‘i. And in his 2026 State of the City address, he 

 not to raise property taxes while in office.

Government that lives within its means doesn’t produce ribbon cuttings. It fills the potholes, keeps the lights on. In the oldest sense, it’s a good neighbor. It doesn’t always make the news.

0000 0000 Mayor Blagiardi Square Wide 16x9

<title>The budget that doesn't grow</title>

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi did something remarkable early this month in releasing a city budget that came in $133 million under the previous year's budget. ASD columnist Sterling Higa looks at all four county budgets to see which counties are living within the means of their citizens.

The budget that doesn't grow

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — If hugs were a form of currency, Milan Zarkovic would've been the richest man in Hawai‘i on Thursday. 

The revered former University of Hawai‘i men's volleyball associate head coach, now in the same role with UCLA, returned to the Islands with his new team for the first time as part of the OUTRIGGER Invitational. 

Prior to the beginning of the tournament's first match, a 4 p.m. contest between the No. 1 Bruins and No. 14 Lewis, Zarkovic was the most active individual on the floor. Multiple fans walked down to say hi. There didn't seem to be a person in sight Zarkovic didn't recognize and vice versa, from Stan Sheriff Center employees to officials at the scorers table. 

"Hawai‘i is a big part of my heart," Zarkovic told Aloha State Daily following the match, a UCLA sweep as the Bruins improved to 17-0. "That's why I stayed so many years. These nice, wonderful players, the players that they have before, the friends. That is something that makes me feel special here."

Despite trading his aloha shirt for a UCLA polo, there was no love lost between Zarkovic and the place he had called home for a dozen years. 

"All I knew since I've been here was a volleyball program with Milan as the assistant coach," said Spectrum Sports analyst and local club volleyball coach James Anastassiades, who played for the 'Bows from 2016 to 2020, then served as a graduate assistant in 2021. "My favorite memory is just his personality. He's so unique in a coach's aspect that he really cares, and the chemistry he builds with everyone on the roster is huge. Just coming into practice every day, he's always cracking jokes, always making you feel good, and then obviously, the volleyball aspect, he's just so knowledgeable.

 has done a terrific job. I've got a lot of really good feedback from the guys. They say it's been terrific. But Milan, I'm happy for him. I think he's doing a great job at UCLA. Obviously, their record's really good, and I think he adds a lot of value to them. And he seems happy. So, it's a bittersweet feeling."

's staff in the fall of 2013, following his son, Sinisa, to the Islands. Sinisa Zarkovic was a standout outside hitter from 2013 to 2016, earning second team All-AVCA honors as a senior. 

Milan Zarkovic, a native of Serbia, also obtained American citizenship in August 2023. He was named the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year that same year, which followed consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022. Throughout his time in Mānoa, he endeared himself to the team, adding to the program's international flavor. He still doesn't understate how difficult it was to leave. 

"That was the one of the hardest moment in my life, because my family is here, my best friends are here. My son is married here," Zarkovic said. "It was a really hard decision."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"No. 3 Hawai‘i 3, Mount Olive 0"}]

In Thursday's nightcap, host No. 3 Hawai‘i swept Mount Olive 25-18, 25-19, 25-17 behind a match-high 10 kills from 

. The Bulgaria native missed the previous 11 matches. 

"It feels nice to be back there in front of the fans," said Titriyski, who entered to a loud ovation in the beginning of the second set. "It makes me really happy and i'm thankful for that."

, UH Mānoa's campus will be closed. That also led to all athletic events scheduled to take place on Friday being called off on Thursday, which includes the second day of the OUTRIGGER Invitational. Hawai‘i will no longer play Lewis, while UCLA will not take on Mount Olive. 

Saturday's 7 p.m. showdown between No. 1 UCLA and No. 3 Hawai‘i, which was already determined a sellout over a week in advance, is still on, weather permitting. 

While UCLA and Mount Olive are set to leave following Saturday's action, there remains a possibility Lewis extends its trip in the Islands in order to play against Hawai‘i on Sunday. 

With campus closed, the Rainbow Warriors have been told they are not allowed to practice or receive treatment in the training room on Friday. The plan, as of Thursday night, is for the 'Bows to reconvene on Saturday ahead of their biggest match of the season thus far. 

"We don't get (Friday) to prepare," Wade said. "We show up on Saturday and do serve and pass to play the game like it was a regular kind of game day. It's kind of a forced complete day off."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday showdown"}]

UCLA will put its perfect season on the line when it enters a packed and spirited Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday night. It'll certainly be a familiar atmosphere to Zarkovic, who believes the matchup features the best the country has to offer. 

"That will be the two best teams in America by my criterions. That will be the battle here in front of these wonderful people," said Zarkovic, who acknowledged that playing in front of 10,000 fans will be new to most of UCLA's players. "They will have that opportunity, and I think that we will be also inspired. The spectators will not inspire only Hawai‘i. They will inspire both teams."

Milan Zarkovic 031226

<title>Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball assistant coach Milan Zarkovic returns to Islands with…</title>

After 12 seasons on UH's staff, Zarkovic is in his first season as UCLA's associate head coach.

Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball assistant coach Milan Zarkovic returns to Islands with UCLA

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Last October, The Kāhala Hotel & Resort announced that 

Alan Wong’s would be replacing Hoku’s as its signature restaurant

The resort announced today that, after 30 years of service, Hoku’s at The Kāhala will conclude its last dinner service on Feb. 20. The restaurant’s closure will lead to the opening of Alan Wong’s Kāhala Hotel & Resort, scheduled to debut on March 25.

Hoku’s last Sunday brunch service will be Feb. 15. On Feb. 23, restaurant reservations for Alan Wong’s Kāhala Hotel & Resort will be available via OpenTable for dining on and after April 8.

The Veranda — known for its afternoon tea — will temporarily close during the transition and reopen with regular service upon the opening of Alan Wong’s. Customers can also look forward to the return of the resort’s popular Sunday brunch on March 29 with no changes to the current menu selection.

Guests who want an earlier dining experience at Alan Wong’s can book The Kāhala Hotel & Resort’s 

. The package includes a dining credit, exclusive restaurant reservations during its first two weeks of operation, daily breakfast buffet at Plumeria Beach House and spa credit. The eatery will open to the general public on April 8.

These milestones are part of The Kāhala’s “Legacy of Aloha” celebration, which honors the resort’s rich history. As part of the celebration, the resort has undergone an extensive refresh of its suites and guest rooms; upgrades include new flooring and local collaborations.

“The Legacy of Aloha represents everything The Kāhala stands for — genuine hospitality, deep respect for place, and meaningful guest experiences,” states Joe Ibarra, general manager of The Kāhala Hotel & Resort. “As we bid farewell to Hoku’s and prepare to welcome Alan Wong’s, we are entering an exciting new chapter that further elevates The Kāhala as a destination for exceptional dining and refined luxury.”

For more information, visit The Kāhala Hotel & Resort’s 

Alan Wongs at The Kahala staff photo 020526

<title>Alan Wong’s Kāhala restaurant is opening March 25</title>

Hoku’s at The Kāhala’s last dinner service is Feb. 20. Alan Wong’s Kāhala Hotel & Resort will open to the general public on April 8; guests who book The Kāhala Hotel & Resort’s Legacy of Aloha package can secure early access to experience the new restaurant.

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Authors

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