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Hawaii state legislative special elections, 2020

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In 2020, one special election was called for a seat in the Hawaii State Senate.

Click here to read more about the special election.

Senate special elections called:

How vacancies are filled in Hawaii


If there is a vacancy in the Hawaii State Legislature for a term that ends at the next general election, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement. The governor must appoint a replacement within 60 days after the vacancy happens. The candidate is selected from a list of three prospective candidates submitted by the political party that last held the vacant seat. The party has thirty days after the vacancy to submit a list of prospective candidates. If the person leaving the seat is an independent (no party affiliation), the governor must select a resident from the vacant district that is not a member of any political party.[1][2]

In the event of a vacancy for a term that does not end at the next general election, the vacancy shall be filled by a special election at the next general election or by appointment. If the vacancy occurs no later than the 10th day before the close of filing for the next succeeding primary election, the unexpired term will be filled during the subsequent general election. If the vacancy occurs after the 60th day before the next succeeding primary but no later than the 50th day before the next succeeding general election, the unexpired term will be filled during the subsequent general election. The chief election officer shall issue a proclamation of the special election. If the vacancy occurs after the fiftieth day before the next succeeding general election, the governor is required to make an appointment to fill the unexpired term. The appointee will be selected from a list of three prospective candidates submitted by the political party that last held the vacant seat.[1]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Hawaii Const. Art. 3, Sec. 5, Hawaii Rev. Stat., §17-3, and Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 17-4


About the legislature

The Hawaii State Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of Hawaii. It is a bicameral institution, consisting of the lower Hawaii House of Representatives, with 51 members, and the upper house Hawaii State Senate, with 25 members.

The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2020. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

Hawaii State Senate
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 25 24
     Republican Party 0 1
Total 25 25


Hawaii House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 46 46
     Republican Party 5 5
Total 51 51

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

November 3, 2020


Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2020

In 2020, 55 state legislative special elections were held in 26 states. Four special elections were canceled in New York due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2020 special elections

In 2020, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

  • 23 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
  • 5 due to a resignation related to criminal charges[6]
  • 18 due to retirement
  • 13 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2020. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2019, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country. Between 2018 and 2019, Democrats had a net gain of six seats.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2020)
Party As of Special Election After Special Election
     Democratic Party 21 27
     Republican Party 38 32
     Independent 0 0
Total 59 59

Flipped seats

In 2020, eight seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats flipped from D to R

Seats flipped from R to D


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hawaii Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes," accessed May 22, 2014 (Statute 17-3(a) (1)-(2))
  2. ↑ Hawaii Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes," accessed May 22, 2014 (Statute 17-4(a)-(b))
  3. ↑ Hawaii.gov, "State Senate District 16 Proclamation," accessed September 29, 2020
  4. ↑ Honolulu Star-Advertiser, "State Sen. Breene Harimoto dies after bout with cancer," June 19, 2020
  5. ↑ State of Hawaii Governor's Office, "Governor's office - news release - Gov. Ige appoints Bennette Misalucha to state senate seat," July 9, 2020
  6. ↑ Arkansas State Rep. Mickey Gates (R) was expelled by a vote of the House membership.
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