Lei Ahu Isa

Lei Ahu Isa

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Hawaii House of Representatives

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Hawaii State Board of Education At Large

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Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Graduate

University of Hawaii, 1992

Ph.D

University of Hawaii, 1992

Personal

Profession

Professor/Broker

Contact

Personal Facebook

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Lei Ahu Isa was an at-large member of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She assumed office in 2014. She left office on November 8, 2022.

Ahu Isa ran for election for an at-large seat of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Isa's professional experience includes working as a professor of management at Hawaii Pacific University and as a principal broker for Hilton Grand Vacations. She previously served on the state Board of Education from 2004 to 2012 and in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1996 to 2002.

Education

• Graceland College Pre-Med
• University of Hawaii Ph D. Educational Psychology, 1992
• University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Affiliations

Isa is affiliated with the following organizations:

• Pi Lambda Theta International Honor Society
• National Organization for Women Leaders - Wash DC
• American Resort and Development Association
• Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce
• Organization of Chinese American Women
• Ahahui Kaahumanu
• Chinese Chamber of Commerce
• United Chinese Society

Elections

2024

See also: Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees election, 2024

General election

General election for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee

Incumbent Keli'i Akina defeated Lei Ahu Isa in the general election for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Keli'i Akina (Nonpartisan)	61.5	200,554
		Lei Ahu Isa (Nonpartisan)	38.5	125,304

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 325,858
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee

The following candidates ran in the primary for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee on August 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Keli'i Akina (Nonpartisan)	26.8	40,836
✔		Lei Ahu Isa (Nonpartisan)	20.2	30,860
		Peter Apo (Nonpartisan)	18.0	27,487
		Brendon Kalei'aina Lee (Nonpartisan)	12.3	18,744
		Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya (Nonpartisan)	11.6	17,670
	Submit photo	Leona M. Kalima (Nonpartisan)	7.5	11,424
	Submit photo	Larry Kawaauhau (Nonpartisan)	3.6	5,529

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 152,550
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Palikapu Dedman (Nonpartisan)
• Derek Kirkpatrick (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ahu Isa in this election.

2022

See also: Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees election, 2022

General election

General election for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brickwood Galuteria (Nonpartisan)	18.7	139,611
✔		Keoni Souza (Nonpartisan)	18.1	135,124
✔	Submit photo	John Waihee IV (Nonpartisan)	17.5	131,033
		Lei Ahu Isa (Nonpartisan)	16.1	120,088
	Submit photo	Chad Owens (Nonpartisan)	15.9	118,561
		Sam King (Nonpartisan)	13.8	103,299

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 747,716
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the primary for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee on August 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brickwood Galuteria (Nonpartisan)	16.7	92,393
✔	Submit photo	John Waihee IV (Nonpartisan)	14.6	80,808
✔		Lei Ahu Isa (Nonpartisan)	12.6	69,958
✔	Submit photo	Chad Owens (Nonpartisan)	12.2	67,378
✔		Keoni Souza (Nonpartisan)	11.4	63,362
✔		Sam King (Nonpartisan)	10.1	55,789
	Submit photo	Julian Ako (Nonpartisan)	6.4	35,405
	Submit photo	Kealii Makekau (Nonpartisan)	5.4	29,836
	Submit photo	Z. Ka'apana Aki (Nonpartisan)	5.2	28,983
	Submit photo	U'i Kahue-Cabanting (Nonpartisan)	3.6	19,785
	Submit photo	William Paik (Nonpartisan)	1.8	9,720

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 553,417
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2018

See also: Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees election, 2018

General election

General election for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	John Waihee IV (Nonpartisan)	22.1	147,025
✔		Lei Ahu Isa (Nonpartisan)	17.5	116,354
✔		Brendon Kalei'aina Lee (Nonpartisan)	15.9	106,131
		William Aila (Nonpartisan)	15.6	103,611
	Submit photo	Rowena Akana (Nonpartisan)	15.2	101,196
		Faye Hanohano (Nonpartisan)	13.7	91,508

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 665,825
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the primary for Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee on August 11, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	John Waihee IV (Nonpartisan)	17.2	74,203
✔		Lei Ahu Isa (Nonpartisan)	12.3	53,063
✔	Submit photo	Rowena Akana (Nonpartisan)	11.7	50,607
✔		William Aila (Nonpartisan)	10.2	44,168
✔		Faye Hanohano (Nonpartisan)	8.2	35,488
✔		Brendon Kalei'aina Lee (Nonpartisan)	7.9	33,964
	Submit photo	Makana Paris (Nonpartisan)	5.9	25,439
		Pohai Ryan (Nonpartisan)	5.5	23,866
	Submit photo	Keali'I Makekau (Nonpartisan)	5.4	23,377
	Submit photo	Alvin Akina (Nonpartisan)	4.5	19,561
	Submit photo	Landen Paikai (Nonpartisan)	4.0	17,100
	Submit photo	Marc Kalai Pa'aluhi (Nonpartisan)	2.3	9,821
		Lei Sharsh-Davis (Nonpartisan)	1.8	7,750
	Submit photo	C. Kaui Jochanan Amsterdam (Nonpartisan)	1.7	7,376
	Submit photo	Kali Puuohau (Nonpartisan)	1.4	6,141

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 431,924
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Hawaii's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Mark Takai (D) did not seek re-election in 2016. The seat was vacant following Takai's death from pancreatic cancer on July 20, 2016. Colleen Hanabusa (D) defeated Shirlene Ostrov (R), Alan Yim (L), and Calvin Griffin (I) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hanabusa defeated six other Democratic candidates in the primary on August 13, 2016.

U.S. House, Hawaii District 1 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Colleen Hanabusa	71.9%	145,417
	Republican	Shirlene Ostrov	22.7%	45,958
	Libertarian	Alan Yim	3.3%	6,601
	Independent	Calvin Griffin	2.2%	4,381
Total Votes				202,357
Source: Hawaii Secretary of State

U.S. House, Hawaii District 1 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Colleen Hanabusa	80.4%	74,022
Lei Ahu Isa	12.5%	11,518
Howard Kim	3%	2,750
Javier Ocasio	1.2%	1,117
Sam Puletas	1.1%	1,036
Lei Sharsh-Davis	1%	915
Steve Tataii	0.8%	737
Total Votes		92,095
Source: Hawaii Secretary of State

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lei Ahu Isa did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Interview with Honolulu Civil Beat

Isa highlighted the following themes in an interview with Honolulu Civil Beat on XDATEX. The questions from Honolulu Civil Beat are bolded and Isa's responses follow below.

“

1. What do you see as the most pressing problem facing Native Hawaiians, and what will you do about it? Aloha mai kakou! Definitely Housing, then health, economic sustainability and education. See/read OHA’s Strategic Plan: Mana i Mauli Ola. 2. What would you do to bridge the gaps within the Native Hawaiian community over issues like construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope or development of energy projects? A possible solution passed this legislative session with a task force for better management of the Mauna Kea. 3. Do you support the construction of the TMT atop Mauna Kea? Why or why not? Could a new management structure help to resolve long-standing disputes? A’ole, not atop Mauna Kea with an aquifer beneath. Wai is precious! Wai is life! Pele’s sister, Poli’ahu, goddess of snow, lives on Mauna Kea. Although they were bitter enemies, Poli’ahu is still respected on Mauna a Wakea, the sacred mountain. Do you want another “Red Hill” disaster on our Big Island? 4. What role should the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands play in reducing homelessness? OHA ‘s mission is separate from that of DHHL, but we could collaborate. They could do a lot without having to abide by zoning, permits, etc. 5. Why do you think Hawaiians are disproportionately represented in our prisons and jails? What can be done about it? The answer is obvious … 6. What are your views regarding Hawaiian self-determination? As OHA approaches a culmination in 2022 of 43 years of effort and accomplishments, it is very important to review just what we have been trying to achieve and how we have been going about it. For kupuna, this is one of the most important times in our lives. It is almost as if you have been climbing a mountain for many years, and now the peak is in sight. As stated in the Constitution, this will be a pathway to economic sustainability. 7. Is OHA getting its fair share of ceded-land revenues from the state? A’ole, no, but hopefully the amount of funding it is now receiving has not come too late to help Native Hawaiians navigate this post Covid 19-era. 8. Is OHA fulfilling its mandate to serve the Hawaiian people? Again, it is very important to review what OHA has been trying to achieve and how it has been going about it. But if we have broken the rules, done what is not pono, and have taken shortcuts, then we have only ourselves to blame. The areas where OHA has prepared carefully will now become tremendously productive. If OHA tries to avoid its increased responsibilities, we might run the risk of losing everything. Completing our Financial Sustainability Plan gives us the ability to work on particularly exacting and detailed creative projects, including education, health and culture. The degree of stability achieved at this time will greatly help our beneficiaries have a solid core of assets into perpetuity. OHA will survive only if we are able to satisfy the real needs of our people. The more real our objectives, the more OHA can help our beneficiaries by making benevolent choices. We need to share with everyone the new insights we are working on, and become a proselytizer for new ideas as we try to break others out of their rigid patterns of thinking. OHA should be striving to improve conditions of all Native Hawaiians around us, to use our influence to help everyone concerned to grow with us. The Strategic Plan, Mana i Mauli Ola, should help. 9. Is Hawaii managing its tourism industry properly? What should be handled differently? The Hawaii Tourism Authority has awarded the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement over $34 million, which can definitely help our island state. Hawaii’s marketing as malama aina is sorely needed. Leaving Hawaii in a better place than when you arrived — tourists can appreciate this. Take care of her. Malama her! 10. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed numerous flaws in Hawaii’s structure and systems, from outdated technology to economic disparity. If you could take this moment to reinvent Hawaii, to build on what we’ve learned and create a better state, a better way of doing things, what would you do? Please share One Big Idea you have for Hawaii. Be innovative, but be specific. Patience and perseverance carried us through. The Legislature finally approved the $64 million. We can now accomplish a great deal by transferring our energies to productive areas, mainly housing with plans for kupuna housing and revenue-generating properties. So please ask yourself this question when voting for a trustee of a trust fund: Would you choose this person to be the fiduciary for your money? Will ethical, moral values play a part in your choice?

”

2022

Lei Ahu Isa did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2012

In information submitted to Ballotpedia, Isa stated:

“

The main issue is protecting our seniors taking care of our elderly from paying more taxes. Making sure they have health care, long term care, making sure caregivers are trained. Other issue is the protecting our environment. Hawaii is an island state and the environment is very fragile. Protecting the eco-system so our main export, Tourism, can thrive. Being elected to the State Board of Education also opened my eyes to the education our children are receiving in our public schools. Will they be able to keep up in this 21st century. Teaching is my passion, but I feel I have an obligation to be a lawmaker so I can help contribute solutions.

”

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Lei Ahu Isa campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee	Lost general	$0	$0
2022	Office of Hawaiian Affairs At-large Trustee	Lost general	$250	$250
Grand total			$250	$250
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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