Longest-Serving OHA Trustee Ousted in General Election

Nov 06, 2026

A major shakeup hit the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board as voters removed the longest-serving trustee and brought in a former Honolulu city councilman.

  • Current vice chair Keoni Souza led the crowded six-candidate at-large race for three seats, with former city councilman Ikaika Anderson and trustee Brickwood Kalaeloa also winning seats.
  • John Waihe'e IV, son of a former governor who had held his seat for 26 years, lost after a late printout from Oahu shifted the race against him.
  • On Maui, incumbent and former chair Carmen Hulu Lindsey won reelection, while on Oahu's single-member seat, Kalei Akina held off a challenger.
  • Observers expect Anderson to be a key swing vote between the board's current chair and a former chair's faction, though he says he isn't picking sides yet.
  • The newly reshaped board will soon pick new leadership roles and a new chief executive.

Outlook: Expect a leadership shakeup and possible shift in board direction once the new trustees are sworn in.

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