Will anything change in Hawai‘i after this election?
Few races are competitive. Republicans have no shot at taking the state’s legislature. They may be able to force floor votes in the State House after the election, but that’s a bargaining chip, not the whole pot. The State Senate may shuffle its leaders, but that does not mean a shift in policy.
At the top of the state, our congressional delegation and governor will stay the same. Derek Kawakami should slide into the lieutenant governor’s office. But he is a moderate. He offers continuity for his party rather than change.
The counties present little drama.
Honolulu’s most exciting race ended in court, as a judge barred City Council Chair Tommy Waters from seeking reelection. Trevor Ozawa should fill his seat. The council will select a new chair, but one can be forgiven for yawning.
Maui has the state’s most exciting race. Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura is challenging incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen. A Sugimura win would be a real change. She has signaled more support for housing and short-term rentals than Bissen has shown in his first term. The Maui council might also swing back from moderate to radical.
So what will change in Hawai‘i after the election?
Outside of Maui, not much.
All the intrigue is in Washington, where control of Congress may change hands. If Democrats flip the House and the Senate, President Donald Trump becomes a lame duck for his last two years.
That would matter here. Budget decisions in DC affect funding for the states. Trade policy affects prices at the grocery store. Foreign wars affect the prices of gas at the pump. Our state’s defense economy is subject to decisions made 5,000 miles away. And tourism rises and falls with the Mmainland economy.
A certain type of person gets dramatic about elections. This is the most important election ever, he says. Democracy itself is at stake.
That person takes a fair point too far. Elections matter, but the American empire lurches on from one to the next. Our national debt balloons while our roads and bridges crumble. Yet our military is still the world’s most powerful, and the dollar is still accepted around the world. Our country is deeply divided, but it is not at war with itself. Our decline is more like erosion than shattering.
The hopeful take on elections is also misguided. Righting the ship of state is like turning an aircraft carrier. It takes a long time. We won’t save the republic with our ballots today. One election can bend history only so far.
We may sigh as we vote. But we should give thanks for a country where, despite occasional irregularities, elections are free and fair.
After we vote, we can rest. The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord, and He turns it wherever He will.
Author Sterling Higa can be reached at hello@sterlinghiga.com.
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