Hawaii held its general election on November 5, 2024, deciding 63 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Even in one of the country's bluest legislatures, the night moved rightward at the margins, and the Senate's Republican caucus grew to its largest since the early 2000s. Democrats' commanding majorities in both chambers were never in question. The bigger change had been decided in August, when Speaker Scott Saiki lost his primary; Majority Leader Nadine Nakamura was in line to replace him as Speaker.
- One of the four seats that changed hands sits beside Pearl Harbor; the other three lie along the Ewa and Waianae coasts:
- House District 32 (Moanalua-Aiea): Garner Shimizu (R) defeated Rep. Micah Pookela Kim Aiu (D).
- House District 40 (Ewa Beach): Julie Reyes Oda (R) defeated Rep. Rose Martinez (D).
- House District 45 (Waianae): Chris Muraoka (R) won the open seat over Desire DeSoto (D).
- Senate District 22 (Waianae Coast): Samantha DeCorte (R) won the open seat over Cedric Asuega Gates (D).
- Hawaii also has a rule found almost nowhere else: under Article III, Section 4 of the state constitution, a nominee with no general-election opponent is deemed elected at the primary and never appears on the November ballot. That covered 20 of the 21 legislative seats (out of 63) that drew a single candidate this cycle. Those 20 races are listed here alongside the rest of the general election.
- Both constitutional amendments passed comfortably. The judicial appointments amendment (71 percent yes) aligned the appointment and confirmation process for district court judges with the one used for higher courts, and the marriage amendment (56 percent yes) removed the constitutional language that let the Legislature limit marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Legislature
- House (51 seats): 45 D, 6 R before the election, 42 D, 9 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (25 seats): 23 D, 2 R before the election, 22 D, 3 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Appointments and Confirmations Amendment | Change the process for appointing and confirming district court judges to be the same as that used for supreme court justices and other higher court judges. This legislatively referred constitutional amendment was placed on the Hawaii 2024 ballot. Voters approved it with 71.0% voting yes. | Passed (71% yes) |
| Remove Legislature Authority to Limit Marriage to Opposite-Sex Couples Amendment | Remove provision of the constitution saying that "the legislature shall have the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples". This legislatively referred constitutional amendment was placed on the Hawaii 2024 ballot. Voters approved it with 56.0% voting yes. | Passed (56% yes) |