Trump Defeats Harris
Maui County Council remains intact
Alfredo G. Evangelista | Assistant Editor
Despite the unacceptable long lines at Voter Service Centers delaying Hawai‘i’s election results past most normal people’s bedtimes, the presidential results were clear way before the late news aired locally. Former President Donald Trump reached the magic 270 electoral voters when the networks projected Pennsylvania in his column after also awarding him North Carolina. When Arizona was finally marked red, Trump had swept the seven battleground states and easily beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the electoral college tally (312 to 226). While California had not completed counting at press time, the former President appeared likely to also win the popular vote.
When Hawai‘i’s electors meet in December, they will cast their four votes for Harris. In fact, Harris won in all four counties. The County of Maui voters favored Harris to Trump, 38,905 votes (61.2%) to 22,621 votes (35.6%) to Trump. In 2020, Trump received 21,126 votes (30.9%) against Biden’s 47,305 votes (66.0%). In 2016, Trump received 13,446 votes (25.4%) against Clinton’s 33,490 votes (63.2%).
This election was historical for a number of reasons including:
The Democratic nominee did not receive a single vote through the Democratic primaries or caucuses, and raised a billion-dollar war chest but had just a hundred and seven days to campaign, following incumbent President Joe Biden’s tardy withdrawal from the Presidential race.
The Republican nominee survived two assassination attempts and was a convicted (but not yet sentenced) felon and will become the oldest person to hold the office (and only the second President to win a second term after losing a re-election bid—the first was Grover Cleveland).
Throughout the campaign, supporters of both candidates expressed dueling viewpoints on social media platforms and podcasts. Harris’ supporters primarily campaigned on history, preserving democracy, and issues such as abortion. Trump’s supporters complained about the inflationary economy, immigration, and the politicization of the Justice Department. In the end, pocketbook issues (“It’s the Economy, stupid”) appeared to sway the majority of voters.
In his victory speech, Trump promised he would be fighting every day “for you, and with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”
Trump promised to reduce taxes, pay down the debt, and protect the borders but also requested unity: It’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us. It’s time to unite and we’re going to try, we’re going to try, we have to try. And it’s going to happen. Success will bring us together, I’ve seen that, I’ve seen that. I saw that in the first term when we became more and more successful. People started coming together, success is going to bring us together and we are going to start by all putting America first. We have to put our country first for at least a period of time. We have to fix it because together we can truly make America great again for all Americans. So I want to just tell you what a great honor this is. I want to thank you. I will not let you down. America’s future will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer, and stronger than it has ever been before.
Harris conceded the election but not her values and issues: A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks public trust must honor it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, that while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.
Throughout her 107-day campaign, Harris sought to distinguish (and introduce) herself–a former prosecutor and California Attorney General–from Trump, who was twice impeached (but never convicted) and indicted in both federal court and state court (New York and Georgia). (Those indictments appear on their way to be dismissed.) Although Harris was able to gather her Hollywood associates (Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, etc.) to join her on stage, in the end, Hollywood star power was not enough to capture the votes of America’s heartland.
Harris, whose political future remains unknown, attempted to invoke hope and joy in her supporters: There’s an adage a historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages. The adage is, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service.
President Joseph Biden also issued a post-election statement in which he emphasized the importance of a smooth transition. Biden also noted that although campaigns were about winning and losing, it was important to come together as a country: You know, the struggle for the soul of America since our very founding has always been an ongoing debate and still vital today. I know, for some people, it’s a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made. I’ve said many times you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree. Something I hope we can do no matter who you voted for is see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans, and bring down the temperature. I also hope we can lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electoral system. It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent. And it can be trusted, win or lose.
Trump also began naming members of his Cabinet and his senior staff. One of the most notable appointments is Tom Homan as “Border Czar.” Homan was Trump’s acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first term. Another key appointment was Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy. Miller is expected to also play a role in enforcing Trump’s mass deportation of undocumented aliens. South Dakota Governor Kristi Nome will head the Homeland Security Department. (Trump also appointed former Hawai‘i Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence.)
Trump’s expected plans to deport undocumented aliens have Philippine officials concerned. Senator Imee Marcos issued a statement after Trump’s election to prepare to assist Filipinos: I call on my colleagues in both the Senate and the House to give the Department of Foreign Affairs all of the necessary funds to respond promptly and adequately to the impending deportation of more than 200,000 undocumented Filipinos in the United States. The DFA must be adequately prepared to provide timely and effective assistance to our kababayans facing this crisis.
Philippine Senate President Francis Escudero was also concerned. His estimate of undocumented Filipinos in the United States (300,000) was significantly more than Imee’s estimate. Escudero was also concerned about Trump’s plan to impose tariffs. “How will his plan to erect high tariff walls affect our economy given the fact that almost $1 in every $7 of our export earnings come from our trade with the United States?” Escudero questioned.
As of press time, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has not issued any statements of concern regarding Trump’s plans to deport undocumented aliens. Marcos congratulated Trump on his victory even before Trump was projected to win enough electoral college votes. “We look forward to working with President Trump on a wide range of issues that will yield mutual benefits to two nations with deep ties, shared beliefs, common vision, and a long history of working together.”
The ongoing dispute with China over the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (also known as the South China Sea) may also become a future issue and will test the alliance between the United States and the Philippines.
All politics are local
In the County of Maui, none of the incumbents lost any of their re-election bids. As reported earlier, State Senator Troy Hashimoto, State Representatives Justin Woodson, and Tyson Miyake were unopposed (the three Central Maui legislators did not even appear on the General Election Ballot after winning their primary election contests). Also unopposed were Councilmembers Shane Sinenci and Gabe Johnson. “Congratulations to all the Candidates for their hardworking campaigns and to all the winners!” said Sinenci, who is of part-Filipino ancestry. “I am looking forward to working with all of you as we strive to house our local residents, approve important infrastructure projects, and prioritize public healthcare and safety. Salamat po.”
Incumbents State Senator Angus McKelvey, State Senator Lynn DeCoite, State Representative Elle Cochran (the only member of Maui’s state delegation of Filipino ancestry), State Representative Kyle Yamashita (who will retain his role as House Finance Chair), State Representative Terez Amato and State Representative Mahina Poepoe all easily won re-election. “Salamat Po! I am honored to be your chosen voice for our Filipino community!” said Cochran. “Looking forward to working for you another two years.”
At the Council level, Council Chair Alice Lee beat back her opponent James (Nahele) Forrest with 28,246 votes compared to Forrest’s 22,341 votes. Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Kashiwa Sugimura easily outpaced Jocelyn N. Cruz, 31,765 to 18,386. Presiding Officer Pro Tempore Tasha Kama comfortably defeated Carol Lee Kamekona again with 27,497 votes to 22,137.
Makawao-Haiku-Paia Councilmember Nohelani U‘u-Hodgins overcame Nara Boone again with 27,730 votes to 21,767. West Maui Councilmember Tamara Akiko Maile Paltin swamped Lorien (Lolo) Acquintas with the highest percentage of votes for the contested races (54.1%), garnering 34,373 votes to 14,700. Molokai Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez (27,172 votes) won the rematch with John Pele (21,006 votes).
The closest race was for the South Maui district. The third printout on November 6 had incumbent Tom Cook besting former Councilmember Kelly King (26,315 to 26,198) by only 117 votes.
But some 1,029 votes were not counted because there were signature problems. Voters were provided the opportunity to “cure” their ballot by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13.
The final report on November 13, 2024, at 5:50 p.m. had Cook prevailing over King (26,423 to 26,326) by a margin of 97 votes.
“The ballot curing process has concluded and the final results are in. I’m humbled and honored to be re-elected as your South Maui Residency Area Representative on the Maui County Council!” said Cook. “Big Mahalo to my family, my incredible team, and to all of you who showed up and supported this journey. Your trust and confidence mean the world to me, and together we’re going to continue moving Maui County forward. We’ve got big things ahead—more affordable housing, stronger infrastructure, protecting our aina, and creating opportunities for everyone. The work continues! Let’s do this!”
Aside from who won and lost, the biggest story was the delay in receiving the results due to long lines. The first printout was not expected until 11 p.m. but actually was received shortly after midnight.
On Maui, voting at the only walk-in site did not conclude until after 10 p.m. The County Clerk’s office noted Maui County was the first of the four counties to submit their results to the State.
“The County Clerk should do a review and look at adding additional walk-in sites, especially during Presidential elections,” said Hashimoto. “They must have a better plan to accommodate the peaks and valleys of in-person voting.”
Turnout for the County of Maui continued to be a problem. With a total registration of 115,009, a total of 63,275 voted (55.0%). Of those who voted, 57,415 (90.7%) voted by mail while 5,860 (.09%) voted in person. (In 2020, the total registered was 107,930, with a total of 71,653 voting (66.4%). Those who voted by mail totaled 67,096 while in-person voting totaled 4,557. In 2016, the total registered was 93,912, with a total of 52,972 voting (56.4%). Those who voted in person were 26,496 while 26,476 voted by mail.)
“We would like to thank all of our voters for taking the time to exercise their right to vote on November 5th,” said Lee. “A vibrant democratic government such as ours is reliant on its good citizens participating in this important political process in order to ensure that the people’s voices are truly heard and represented.”
Hashimoto was a little disappointed at the turnout. “Although Maui’s races were relatively quiet this year, I would have hoped the Presidential election would have fueled more turnout,” he said. “Maui lagged behind the statewide turnout of 60 percent versus Maui’s 55 percent. I am hoping that somehow we can generate more interest in our elections, especially in two years with our Mayoral and Gubernatorial elections.”
That’s right, more elections in two years.
Assistant Editor Alfredo G. Evangelista is a graduate of Maui High School (1976), the University of Southern California (1980), and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law (1983). He is a sole practitioner at Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company, concentrating in estate planning, business start-up and consultation and nonprofit corporations. He has been practicing law for 41 years (since 1983) and returned home in 2010 to be with his family and to marry his high school sweetheart, the former Basilia Tumacder Idica.