Honolulu, Hawaii: Josh Green Wins Second Term as Governor, Defeats Gary Cordery

Josh Green will serve a second term as governor of Hawaii. The Associated Press called the race for the Democratic incumbent at 12:00 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and NBC News also projected Green as the winner at midnight Eastern, over Republican businessman Gary Cordery.

The state's first printout set the scale of the win. It was printed at 7:02 p.m. Hawaii time and released at 8:05 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, and it covered about 260,000 votes out of 853,000 registered voters, for a preliminary turnout of about 30.5 percent. In that printout, Green and his running mate Derek Kawakami had 196,939 votes, or 75.7 percent, and Cordery and his running mate Daniel Anthony had 58,498 votes, or 22.5 percent. A second printout was due at 10:30 p.m. Hawaii time. Ballots had to be received by 7 p.m. Hawaii time on Election Day to count. The calls are media projections, and results stay unofficial until they are certified.

A hold Democrats expected

Hawaii has been hard ground for Republicans in governor races. Republicans have not won a race for governor in Hawaii since 2006. Forecasters treated this contest as settled early: the Cook Political Report rated it Solid Democrat on October 29, and Decision Desk HQ rated it Safe Democrat on November 2.

The August 8 primaries pointed the same way. Green won the Democratic nomination with 88.5 percent of the vote against three other candidates. Cordery won the Republican nomination with 75.9 percent, beating Ken Fujiyama.

Green, the doctor who stayed

Green, a physician and emergency room doctor, entered politics in 2004. He served four years in the state House and ten years in the state Senate, was elected lieutenant governor in 2018, and was then elected governor in 2022. He took office on December 5, 2022, as Hawaii's ninth governor.

His second term plans, as set out in his candidate profile, center on expanding access to affordable housing, addressing chronic homelessness, lowering the cost of health care, and investing in clean energy. His housing work includes the kauhale initiative, which he plans to expand to 30 villages by the end of 2026, providing more than 1,500 units for people who are homeless.

His running mate, Derek Kawakami, has been mayor of Kauai since 2018. The lieutenant governor is elected on the same ticket as the governor in Hawaii, so Kawakami will take that office with Green.

Cordery's second run

Cordery is a contractor and business owner. He first ran for governor in 2022, when he placed third in a crowded Republican primary field of ten candidates with about 11 percent of the vote, and he won the nomination this year. His running mate is Daniel Anthony.

The result keeps Hawaii's governor's office in Democratic hands for four more years, in a state where Democrats also hold the legislature by wide margins. Green begins his second term with the same core promises that won the first: housing, homelessness, health care costs, and clean energy.