In nonpartisan Honolulu City Council District 7 (a sprawling and diverse area of Honolulu with Kalihi at its core), Councilmember Joey Manahan is seeking a second four-year term. His opponent, former state legislative aide Chace Shigemasa, has never held public office and strongly believes incumbents need to be challenged.

INSIGHTS brings together two election opponents in a rematch to represent State House District 36, the Central O‘ahu communities of Mililani, Mililani Mauka and Waipi‘o. Incumbent Republican Beth Fukumoto is being challenged by Democrat Marilyn Lee, who held the seat for 16 years.

Two attorneys are vying to represent the people of O‘ahu in criminal prosecutions. In this nonpartisan race, incumbent Honolulu City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro faces challenger Anosh Yaqoob, who says he’s proud that he’s not an “insider” and doesn’t want to see another incumbent run unopposed.   Meanwhile, Honolulu Democrat Rep.

In State House District 22 (Waikiki-Ala Moana-Kaka‘ako), Democratic incumbent Rep. Tom Brower is seeking his sixth term and faces a challenge from Republican Kathryn Henski, a retired businesswoman. Brower is the lawmaker who suffered injuries in an assault last year at a Kaka‘ako homeless camp where he was videotaping.

Former City Councilman Stanley Chang is challenging the State Senate’s only Republican incumbent, Sam Slom, in the race to represent East Honolulu, which includes Kahala, Diamond Head, ‘Aina Haina and Hawai‘i Kai. Chang and Slom are scheduled to answer your questions and concerns.

Harry Kim, who previously served two terms as Hawai‘i County’s Mayor, will be returning to the seat, with a 51.6% outright win during last weekend’s Primary Election. Hawai‘i County’s Mayoral race was a crowded one, with 13 candidates vying for the office. Kim is scheduled to appear for this discussion.

INSIGHTS hosts live candidate discussions for two hotly contested neighbor island races:   –Kaua‘i State House District 14 incumbent Derek Kawakami has opted out of running for re-election, choosing instead to run for Kaua‘i County Council. Kaua‘i County managing director Nadine Nakamura and activist Fern Rosenstiel are vying for this seat.

State Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, who has represented District 13 for 26 years, is retiring at the end of this term, leaving this local race without an incumbent. District 13 includes a portion of Downtown Honolulu and the outlying neighborhoods of Nu‘uanu and Liliha.

This special edition of Insights on PBS Hawai‘i goes beyond the usual prepared talking points and sound bites to bring voters a live, loosely structured conversation with incumbent Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and his leading challengers – Peter Carlisle and Charles Djou.

In this election year, the next topic is Politics and Small Business. Hawai‘i’s small businesses are a mainstay of our local economy. Yet our state is consistently ranked among the lowest in the country for friendliness to small business.