2020 Honolulu mayoral election explained

The 2020 Honolulu mayoral election determined the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu for the term commencing in January 2021. Incumbent mayor Kirk Caldwell was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits.

The position of Mayor of Honolulu is non-partisan. A nonpartisan blanket primary was held on Saturday, August 8, 2020. With no candidate receiving an outright majority of the vote in the primary, the top two finishers, Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya, advanced to a November general election runoff on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Rick Blangiardi won the general election, defeating Amemiya with 58.2% of all votes. The city and county also had a record turnout, with 385,442 total votes in the election being cast. Blangiardi was inaugurated as mayor on January 2, 2021.

Candidates

Advanced to runoff

• Keith Amemiya, insurance executive and former executive director of Hawaii High School Athletic Association^{[2] [3] [4]}
• Rick Blangiardi, former University of Hawaii football coach, businessman, and television executive for Hawaii News Now^{[5] [6]}

Eliminated during primary

• John Carroll, former state senator, nominee for U.S. Senate in 2000 and 2016, and candidate for Governor of Hawaii in 2018^[7]
• Colleen Hanabusa, former U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district (2011–2015; 2016–2019)^[8] (endorsed Blangiardi)
• Mufi Hannemann, former mayor of Honolulu, 2005–2010^[9]
• Choon James, real estate broker, candidate for Honolulu City Council, district 2 in 2018^[10]
• Audrey Keesing, Hawaii State President of the National Organization for Women, 1994–1999,^[11] participant U.N. 4th World Conference on Women. 1995^[11] candidate for State House of Representatives, 1996,^{[12] [13]} participant in The Native Hawaiian Federal Recognition: Joint Hearing^[14]
• Kymberly Pine, Honolulu City councilmember, district 1^[15]
• William "Bud" Stonebraker, pastor of South Shore Christian Fellowship, kalo farmer, former Hawaiʻi state representative (2000–2006)^{[16] [17]}
• Ho Yin (Jason) Wong, former Chief Governance & Information Officer of an IaaS cloud computing technology company.

Withdrew

• Ikaika Anderson, Honolulu City councilmember, district 3; council chair and presiding officer^[18]
• Marissa Kerns, 2018 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of Hawaii^{[19] [20]}
• Ron Menor, Honolulu City councilmember, district 9^[21]

Declined

• Charles Djou, former U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district (2010–2011); candidate for Mayor of Honolulu in 2016^[22]

Primary

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Keith Amemiya	Rick Blangiardi	Colleen Hanabusa	Mufi Hannemann	Kym Pine	Choon James	Another candidate	None of these/unsure
Honolulu Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now[23]	May 18–20, 2020	1038	± 3.0%	10%	align=center	21%	15%	N/A	9%	3%	N/A	align=center	42%
Honolulu Star-Advertiser[24]	July 20–22, 2020	400	± 5.0%	13%	align=center	21%	align=center	20%	10%	9%	N/A	7%	align=center	20%
Honolulu Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now[25]	July 27–30, 2020	660	± 3.8%	15%	align=center	27%	15%	8%	12%	N/A	N/A	align=center	21%

Results

General election

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Rick Blangiardi	Keith Amemiya	Other or undecided
Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now[26]	October 2–7, 2020	699 (RV)	± 3.7%	align=center	48%	28%	24%
Solutions Pacific/Keith Amemiya[27]	September 28 – October 9, 2020	1,212 (RV)	–	align=center	37%	36%	–
Mason-Dixon/Honolulu Star-Advertiser[28]	October 12–14, 2020	625 (LV)	± 4%	align=center	49%	36%	15%

Results

See also

• 2020 Hawaii elections

External links

Official campaign websites for mayoral candidates

• Keith Amemiya for Mayor
• Rick Blangiardi for Mayor

Notes and References

1. Web site: GENERAL ELECTION 2020 – State of Hawaii – Statewide November 3, 2020 **FINAL SUMMARY REPORT**. 2020-11-19. 2020-11-22. Hawaii Office of Elections.
2. News: Bernardo . Rosemarie . Keith Amemiya announces run for Honolulu mayor . September 14, 2019 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . August 27, 2019.
3. News: Bernardo . Rosemarie . Amemiya announces run for Honolulu mayor . September 14, 2019 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . August 28, 2019.
4. News: HNN Staff . Business executive throws his name in the race for Honolulu mayor . September 14, 2019 . Hawaii News Now . August 27, 2019.
5. News: Pang . Gordon Y.K. . TV executive Blangiardi plans mayoral run . January 4, 2020 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . January 3, 2020.
6. News: Pang . Gordon . Former Hawaii TV executive Rick Blangiardi announces run for Honolulu mayor . February 13, 2020 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . February 13, 2020.
7. News: Miyashima . Mike . John Carroll jumps into 2020 race for Honolulu mayor . September 14, 2019 . KITV . June 15, 2019 . June 15, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190615202013/https://www.kitv.com/story/40654303/john-carroll-jumps-into-2020-race-for-honolulu-mayor . dead .
8. Web site: Yep, Hanabusa Is Running For Mayor Of Honolulu. Honolulu Civil Beat. en. November 19, 2019.
9. News: Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is filing to get his old job back . May 31, 2020 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . May 31, 2020.
10. News: Ordonio . Cassie . Real estate broker Choon James joins race for Honolulu mayor . January 15, 2020 . January 15, 2020.
11. Web site: Archived copy . June 7, 2020 . January 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140119003338/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ . dead .
12. https://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/1996/09/19
13. https://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/1996/09/18
14. Book: Affairs (1993–), United States Congress Senate Committee on Indian. Native Hawaiian Federal Recognition: Joint Hearing Before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, and the Committee on Resources, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Second Session, on S. 2899 ... and H.R. 4904 ..... July 2, 2001. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9780160649424 . Google Books.
15. News: Kymberly Pine announces run for Honolulu mayor . October 28, 2019 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . October 28, 2019.
16. Web site: Bud Stonebreaker for Mayor 2020. August 21, 2020. budstonebraker.com. September 13, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200913045623/https://www.budstonebraker.com/. dead.
17. Web site: 2004. House of Representatives, Amended Notice of Joint Hearing. August 21, 2020. capitol.hawaii.gov. Hawaii State Legislature.
18. News: Lee . Diane S. W. . Pang . Gordon Y. K. . Former state Sen. John Carroll announces run for Honolulu mayor, while Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson drops out . October 30, 2019 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . June 15, 2019.
19. News: Jedra. Christina. Amemiya Raises Most Campaign Cash In Honolulu Mayor's Race. February 1, 2020. Honolulu Civil Beat. February 9, 2020.
20. Web site: ELECTMARISSA.COM. electmarissa.com. March 24, 2020. August 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200806165207/http://electmarissa.com/. dead.
21. News: Gordan Y.K. . Pang . Councilman Ron Menor opts out of mayoral race . January 31, 2020. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. February 2020.
22. News: Djou. Charles. Charles Djou: Why I'm Not Running For Honolulu Mayor. March 9, 2020. Honolulu Civil Beat. March 23, 2020. Honolulu Civil Beat.
23. News: Civil Beat/HNN Poll: Honolulu Mayor's Race Is Up For Grabs . Chad . Blair . Honolulu Civil Beat . June 21, 2020 .
24. News: Pang . Gordon Y.K. . Rick Blangiardi, Colleen Hanabusa lead Honolulu mayoral field, poll finds . July 27, 2020 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . July 26, 2020.
25. News: Blair . Chad . Civil Beat/HNN Poll: Blangiardi Holds Double-Digit Lead In Honolulu Mayor's Race . August 4, 2020 . Honolulu Civil Beat . August 4, 2020.
26. https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/10/civil-beat-hnn-poll-blangiardi-holds-commanding-lead-in-mayors-race/ Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now
27. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/10/18/hawaii-news/hawaii-poll-shows-commanding-lead-for-blangiardi-in-mayors-race/ Solutions Pacific/Keith Amemiya
28. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/10/18/hawaii-news/hawaii-poll-shows-commanding-lead-for-blangiardi-in-mayors-race/ Mason-Dixon/Honolulu Star-Advertiser