Big Island Redistricting Forces 2 State Senators To Run Against Each Other 0 In the Aug. 13 primary, Sen. Lorraine Inouye will challenge Sen. Laura Acasio and former HSTA President Wil Okabe to represent the greater Hilo area.
New Senate district boundaries on the Big Island have created a competitive Democratic primary race featuring longtime state Sen. Lorraine Inouye, first-term Sen. Laura Acasio and Wil Okabe, former head of the Hawaii teachers union.
Since 2014, Inouye has represented District 4 on Hawaii island, a large area that includes Hilo, Hawi, Waikoloa and Waimea. But the new legislative district maps drawn by the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission last January have shifted Inouye into District 1, which encompasses the greater Hilo area.
Gov. David Ige appointed Acasio to fill the District 1 seat in January 2021 after U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele vacated it to run for Congress, making her a relative newcomer but also the incumbent in the Aug. 13 primary.
