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Hawaii Supreme Court declares Council Chair Tommy Waters ineligible for election

Hawaii News Now • August 28, 2026 • nation

Key Points:

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled 3-2 that Council Chair Tommy Waters is ineligible to run for another term due to serving nearly eight years, upholding a lower court decision.
The legal battle began after Waters' candidacy was approved despite a two-term limit in the county charter; Waters argued his first term started late and did not count as a full term.
The majority justices disagreed, affirming that Waters served a full term regardless of the delayed start, while two dissenting justices would have allowed him to stay in the race.
Waters was disqualified after votes were already cast, but still finished second in the primary; the court ordered the top two eligible candidates, Trevor Ozawa and Tara Gregory, to proceed to the general election runoff.
A group of 40 voters challenged Waters' disqualification, claiming disenfranchisement, and Waters has a separate formal appeal pending based on similar facts.

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