Native Hawaiians ‘Take The Torch’ Of Big Island Council Majority

Native Hawaiians will hold a majority of the Hawaiʻi County Council seats when newly elected members take office next month — the first time in at least three decades. Maile David, who became the first Native Hawaiian woman to chair the Hawaiʻi County Council in 2020, called the incoming representation remarkable. “It took a long time,” she told Civil Beat through tears. “I’m glad I’m still alive to see this happen.” Between one and three Native Hawaiians have occupied seats on the council at the same time since at least 1992, the earliest publicly available election data online. But in that time, they have never held a majority on the nine-member lawmaking body. Maui is the only other county where Hawaiians hold a majority of council seats. All four of the newly elected Big Island council members — Manu Powers, Ikaika Rodenhurst, Lloyd Enriquez and Zed Kaʻapana Aki — are Native Hawaiian, along with two incumbents, Holeka Inaba and James Hustace.

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