Hawaii Supreme Court orders special election for House District 43

Sep 05, 2026

Hawaii's highest court has thrown out the result of a tied Republican primary and ordered voters in House District 43 to decide the race again — a win for the incumbent who lost on a coin-flip-style draw.

  • The Republican primary between incumbent Souza and challenger Sheila Medeiros ended in an exact tie.
  • Medeiros was declared the winner through a random drawing, which sparked a court challenge.
  • The court then learned that some voters got the wrong ballots, undermining the result.
  • Justices ruled the district gets a do-over, with the special election held alongside the general election.

Outlook: District 43 voters will settle the race at the general election, and the ballot mix-up is likely to draw scrutiny of how the state runs its elections.

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