Hawaii voters re-elected Governor Josh Green and chose Derek Kawakami, the former Kauai mayor, as his new lieutenant governor, a result both men frame as good news for the state's disaster response going forward.

• Green and Kawakami already had a working relationship from Kawakami's time as Kauai mayor, including handling storms and a major hurricane there.
• Green says he plans to give Kawakami a broad portfolio, similar to how he used the lieutenant governor role himself during the Covid response.
• Kawakami says he'll bring a neighbor-island, small-town mayor's perspective to state leadership.
• Both leaders point to past joint work on natural disasters, including the Maui wildfire recovery, as proof they can handle crises together.

Outlook: The new term begins with the two promising continuity on emergency response and a focus on helping residents in need across the islands.