Republican Candidate Gary Cordery to Challenge Hawaii’s Democratic Incumbent for Governor

Businessman Gary Cordery, owner of a contracting company, secured the Republican nomination for Hawaii governor by defeating Ken Fujiyama in Saturday’s primary. Cordery will face Democratic Governor Josh Green in the upcoming November election. This contest heavily favors the incumbent, as rated by the Cook Political Report, with a Partisan Voting Index of D+13. Hawaii has not had a Republican governor since Linda Lingle’s term ended in 2010.

Beyond the challenge of running against an incumbent with a 56% approval rating, Cordery faces Hawaii’s longstanding Democratic control and a significant financial disadvantage. Governor Green has raised approximately $3.5 million, significantly more than Cordery’s $313,000, as reported by Honolulu Civil Beat.

Despite these hurdles, Cordery’s platform centers on reducing Hawaii’s high cost of living, improving education, and addressing corruption. In an interview with Honolulu Civil Beat, he stated, “As a husband, father and grandfather, businessman and community servant, I love Hawai’i. These islands of unique beauty have endured mismanagement for decades. Her people live under tremendous stress and anxiety. I am running to open opportunity, create abundance and ensure stewardship of her resources, bringing accountability and hope for the people.”

Part of Cordery’s vision includes constructing 15,000 homes for working families with prices ranging from $400,000 to $600,000. He plans to utilize state-owned land for fee-simple housing while expediting permitting and opening more land for development.

His proposals also aim to relieve financial stress by eliminating the state’s General Excise Tax on food and medicine and freezing property taxes for retirees. Cordery criticizes the current management of taxpayer funds and plans to conduct audits to identify and eliminate waste. “Hawai’i’s $20.5 billion budget for 1.4 million people is a staggering number compared to New Hampshire’s $7.75 billion budget with the same population,” he noted. “Our tax burden needs addressing through proper management.”

Elaine Mallon, a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, covers national politics.