House GOP Caucus Wants Voters To Pick Chief Election Officer
Hawaiʻi GOP lawmakers rolled out their priorities for the legislative session on Thursday in an announcement that was critical of their Democratic counterparts for focusing too much on the Trump administration and its potential impact on the state budget.
“What a waste of time. Not one issue about Hawaiʻi was mentioned,” Rep. Diamond Garcia, one of the House’s most outspoken members, said about the Democrats’ opening day speeches and press conferences. “It was about Trump, it was about ICE, it was about ski masks, it was about Greenland, it was about whatever else but the issues facing Hawaiʻi.”
On Thursday, Garcia and seven of his GOP colleagues (sans Rep. Kanani Souza, who charts an independent course) held a press conference at the Capitol Rotunda to introduce their package of 2026 bills.
A top piece of legislation targets corruption and government reform in Hawaiʻi by having voters choose a chief election officer rather than have the position appointed. Scott Nago, the current chief election officer, has been the target of harsh criticism over his job performance, though a majority of the Hawaiʻi Elections Commission supports him.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/01/house-gop-caucus-wants-voters-to-pick-chief-election-officer/