A Lahaina wildfire survivor who became a community organizer is now on the edge of a historic win for Hawaii's state legislature, which would be good news for third-party politics and West Maui residents who feel ignored by the two major parties.

• A Green Party candidate holds a thin lead in the West Maui House race, though uncured ballots still need to be resolved before the result is final.
• A win would make him Hawaii's first-ever Green Party state lawmaker, and only the fifth Green Party legislator in U.S. history.
• Democrats control Hawaii's legislature, so his actual influence will depend on which party he chooses to caucus with, most likely the Democrats.
• Lahaina residents say the race is less about party labels and more about wanting a representative who lived through the fire and the recovery alongside them.
• Affordability is the core issue: rebuilding Lahaina won't matter to residents if they get priced out and can't afford to stay.

Outlook: The race remains too close to call until disputed ballots are fixed and counted by the November 10 deadline.