Scott Nishimoto
Scott Nishimoto is a member of the Honolulu City Council in Hawaii, representing District 5. He assumed office on January 2, 2025. His current term ends on January 2, 2029.
Nishimoto won election to the Honolulu City Council to represent District 5 in Hawaii outright in the primary on August 10, 2024, after the general election was canceled.
Biography
Scott Nishimoto was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Nishimoto graduated from the Mid-Pacific Institute. He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a juris doctor from the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law in 2002. Nishimoto's career experience includes working as a staff member in the office of former U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye. He has served on the Moiliili Community Center Board of Directors, the University of Hawaii College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association Board, and the Diamond Head Theatre Community Advisory Board.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: City elections in Honolulu, Hawaii (2024)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Honolulu City Council District 5
Scott Nishimoto won election outright against Brendan Schultz and William Muneno in the primary for Honolulu City Council District 5 on August 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Scott Nishimoto (Nonpartisan) | 71.1 | 13,399 |
 | Brendan Schultz (Nonpartisan)  | 18.6 | 3,506 | |
| William Muneno (Nonpartisan) | 10.3 | 1,934 | ||
| Total votes: 18,839 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dale Kobayashi (Nonpartisan)
- Nanea Lo (Nonpartisan)
- Mark Tamosiunas (Nonpartisan)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Nishimoto in this election.
2022
See also: Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2022
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Hawaii House of Representatives District 23
Incumbent Scott Nishimoto won election outright in the Democratic primary for Hawaii House of Representatives District 23 on August 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Nishimoto | 100.0 | 3,254 |
| Total votes: 3,254 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2020
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Hawaii House of Representatives District 21
Incumbent Scott Nishimoto won election outright in the Democratic primary for Hawaii House of Representatives District 21 on August 8, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Nishimoto | 100.0 | 3,906 |
| Total votes: 3,906 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
See also: Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2018
General election
The general election was canceled. Incumbent Scott Nishimoto won election in the general election for Hawaii House of Representatives District 21.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Hawaii House of Representatives District 21
Incumbent Scott Nishimoto advanced from the Democratic primary for Hawaii House of Representatives District 21 on August 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Nishimoto | 100.0 | 3,124 |
| Total votes: 3,124 | |||
| = 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
Elections for the Hawaii House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 7, 2016.
Incumbent Scott Nishimoto ran unopposed in the Hawaii House of Representatives District 21 general election.[2]
| Hawaii House of Representatives, District 21 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic |  Scott Nishimoto Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: State of Hawaii - Office of Elections | ||
Incumbent Scott Nishimoto ran unopposed in the Hawaii House of Representatives District 21 Democratic primary.[3][4]
| Hawaii House of Representatives, District 21 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Scott Nishimoto Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Hawaii House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014. Incumbent Scott Y. Nishimoto was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Larie Kuulei Langi Manutai was unopposed in the Republican primary. Nishimoto defeated Manutai in the general election.[5][6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Scott Y. Nishimoto Incumbent |
77.7% | 4,128 | |
| Republican | Larie Kuulei Langi Manutai | 22.3% | 1,183 | |
| Total Votes | 5,311 | |||
2012
Nishimoto won re-election in the 2012 election for Hawaii House of Representatives District 21. Nishimoto defeated Clifton Takamura in the August 11 Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[8][9]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Scott Nishimoto Incumbent |
90.1% | 3,031 |
| Clifton Takamura | 9.9% | 333 |
| Total Votes | 3,364 | |
2010
Nishimoto won re-election to the 21st District seat in 2010. He had no primary opposition on September 18, 2010. The general election took place on November 2, 2010. Jay Lembeck ran on the Republican ticket for this seat.[10]
| Hawaii House of Representatives, District 21 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Scott Nishimoto (D)
|
5,441 | 72.5% | ||
| Jay Lembeck (R) | 1,555 | 20.7% | ||
2008
In 2008, Nishimoto won re-election to the Hawaii House of Representatives from Hawaii's 21st District. Nishimoto ran unopposed in the election. He raised $37,164 for his campaign.[11]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Scott Nishimoto did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Scott Nishimoto did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Scott Nishimoto did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
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.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Nishimoto is a member of the Hawaii Bar Association, School Community Based Management Council at Ala Wai Elementary School, Diamond Head Lion's Club, Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation Board of Directors, Kaimuki Adult School Community Council and the School Community Based Management Council at Liholiho Elementary School.[12]
State legislative tenure
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2025.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
In 2024, the Hawaii State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.
In 2023, the Hawaii State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.
In 2022, the Hawaii State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2021.
- Koho Pono — Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to Hawaiian interests.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2020.
- Koho Pono — Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to Hawaiian interests.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2019.
- Koho Pono — Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to Hawaiian interests.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2018.
- Koho Pono — Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to Hawaiian interests.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2017.
- Koho Pono — Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to Hawaiian interests.
- Sierra Club of Hawai'i — Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2016.
- Hawaii Family Advocates — Legislators' votes on bills related to social issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2015.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Hawaii State Legislature in 2014.
- Paychecks Hawaii — Legislators are scored by Paychecks Hawaii on their "support and advocacy for small business and an improved business climate."
- Republican Party of Hawaii — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills highlighted by the organization.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
In 2013, the Hawaii State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.
In 2012, the Hawaii State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.
In 2011, the Hawaii State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Nishimoto was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Nishimoto was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Nishimoto was assigned to the following committees:
- Finance Committee
- Corrections, Military, & Veterans Committee (decommissioned)
- Intrastate Commerce Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Hawaii committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Judiciary, Chair |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Nishimoto served on the following committees:
| Hawaii committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Energy & Environmental Protection |
| • Finance, Vice chair |
| • Legislative Management, Chair |
| • Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs |
| • Water & Land |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Nishimoto served on the following committees:
| Hawaii committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Finance, Vice Chair |
| • Legislative Management, Chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Nishimoto served on these committees:
| Hawaii committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Agriculture |
| • Economic Revitalization & Business |
| • Education |
| • Higher Education, Chair |
| • International Affairs |
| • Tourism |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Nishimoto served on these committees:
| Hawaii committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Finance |
| • Hawaiian Affairs |
| • Health, Vice Chair |
| • Human Services |
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Honolulu City Council District 5 |
Officeholder Honolulu City Council District 5 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Facebook, "Scott Nishimoto," accessed September 5, 2022
- ↑ State of Hawaii, "General Election 2016 - State of Hawaii – Statewide November 8, 2016," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ State of Hawaii, "2016 Candidate Report," accessed June 10, 2016
- ↑ Hawaii.gov, "Primary Election results," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed November 12, 2014
- ↑ civilbeat.com, " Unofficial 2012 Primary election candidate list," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary election results," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed December 13, 2013
- ↑ Follow The Money, "Campaign funds," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed March 24, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Calvin Say |
Honolulu City Council District 5 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Dale Kobayashi (D) |
Hawaii House of Representatives District 23 2022-2024 |
Succeeded by Ikaika Olds (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Hawaii House of Representatives District 21 2002-2022 |
Succeeded by Jackson Sayama (D) |
| |||||||||
