The Governor’s Choice: Hawai‘i’s Undemocratic Cycle of Influence and Power - Hawaii Business Magazine

The Governor’s Choice: Hawai‘i’s Undemocratic Cycle of Influence and Power - Hawaii Business Magazine

In the last three years, eight members of the state Legislature have been appointed by Gov. Josh Green. One representative, Mattias Kusch of Hawai‘i Island, has been appointed twice to his Hawai‘i Island seat without an election. State law gives the governor the power of appointment and it has been used at least 82 times since 1964. Fifty-two people have been appointed to the House and 30 to the Senate. In 2025, one in eight members of the Hawai…