Former Hawaii Governor John Waihee says Democrats' sweeping election wins nationally show voters rejecting the last two years, while in Hawaii the bigger worry is still low voter turnout.

• Democrats winning the House and Senate nationally is being read as a backlash against the current administration's heavy use of executive power.
• In Hawaii, most races were already decided in the primary, so November's results held few surprises.
• Waihee is watching what happens with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which he says has been trending in a positive direction.
• He welcomed news that Hawaiian Homes and OHA are now cooperating on development at Kakaako Makai, saying it should have happened years ago, but stressed any building there must also preserve open space and honor the principle of caring for the land.
• He blames chronic low voter turnout partly on single-member legislative districts and a Democratic Party so dominant that Republicans are discouraged from even running, leaving races uncompetitive.

Outlook: Waihee argues both parties need to put Hawaii's interests ahead of national politics to draw more competitive races and higher turnout going forward.