Hawaii Gov. Josh Green cruises to Democratic primary win, sets up fall matchup with GOP nominee
Hawaii Governor Josh Green has won the Democratic primary for re-election, easily beating three little-known challengers and setting up a contest against a Republican nominee in the autumn. The result was widely expected given Green's 56% approval rating, and it cements his status as the clear favourite heading into the general election, with analysts rating the race strongly in the Democratic Party's favour.
Green, who was first elected governor in 2022, faced a Saturday primary against David "Duke" Bourgoin, George "Teva" Lucas-Tadeo (a Democratic socialist) and another minor candidate. The Cook Political Report rates the general election as favouring Democrats by 13 points, indicating Green is well placed to secure a second term in the Aloha State.
- Josh Green wins Hawaii's Democratic gubernatorial primary easily
- He beat three little-known challengers, holds 56% approval rating
- Race rated 13 points in Democrats' favour for the general election
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Hawaii's governor race is heading into its next stage, with the state's system meaning voters first choose their party's candidate before a final vote in November. Josh Green, a Democrat and former emergency room doctor who became governor in 2022, has now secured his party's backing to run again, meaning the contest ahead will pit him against whoever the Republicans put forward.
Hawaii has long been a reliably Democratic state, and Green has maintained strong approval ratings during his time in office, which is why he was widely expected to win his party's nomination comfortably. His challengers in the primary were largely unknown figures with limited public profiles, so the real test of his popularity will come in the general election against Republican opposition.
The outcome matters because it will determine who leads Hawaii for the next four years, with issues such as housing costs, tourism and the islands' recovery from past natural disasters likely to feature in the campaign. Political analysts currently see Green as the clear favourite to win a second term, though the formal contest between him and his Republican opponent has yet to play out.