Ikaika Anderson prevails as trustee

Former Honolulu City Council member Ikaika Anderson captured the largest share of votes Tuesday for an at-large seat on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees.

Anderson rose to the top of the list as a newcomer after the second printout of results, followed by Brickwood Galuteria, a veteran radio and television personality who has served on the board since 2022. John Waihe‘e IV, a longtime incumbent and son of the former Hawaii governor, was closely behind Galuteria.

At stake this year were three at-large seats and the seats for Maui and Oahu — five out of the nine seats on the OHA Board of Trustees.

Other candidates on the ballot this year included incumbent and award-winning musician Keoni Souza, who was very close behind Waihe‘e, followed by educator Adrian Keali‘i Akina and fisherman Kanekoa “Koa” Crabbe.

In the race for OHA’s Oahu seat, incumbent Kalei Akaka fended off challenger Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong, with more than half of the votes. Akaka, the granddaughter of the late U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka, has served on the board since 2018.

Akaka highlighted her family legacy in her “Shaka and vote Akaka” campaign. She handily won reelection in 2022, with more than 57% of the vote that year.

She has served as chair and vice chair of the OHA Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment, which advocated for the increase of OHA’s annual public land trust funding from $15.1 million to $21.5 million.

Wong, known to most as Kumu Hina, had won the endorsements of major unions such as the AFL-CIO, Hawaii State Teachers Association, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers and United Public Workers, among others.

Wong, a teacher, filmmaker and former chair of the Oahu Island Burial Council, launched a campaign prioritizing accountable stewardship, beneficiary support, economic self-determination and cultural perpetuation.

For the Maui seat, incumbent Carmen Hulu Lindsey also received more than half of the votes, defeating her opponent, Ke‘eaumoku Kapu.

The selection comes at a pivotal time, as OHA grapples with a lawsuit by its former CEO, Stacy Ferreira, which has sowed division within the board — and now, faces the task of selecting a new CEO.

OHA is also contending with long-delayed plans for 30 acres in Kakaako Makai, questions over its role in military lease negotiations and a potential bid to purchase KITV.

The results of the race can shift the dynamics of the board, according to political analyst Jacob Aki, which in turn can determine OHA’s decision on the next CEO.

“I think it’s one of the most pivotal OHA elections in recent history, because it’s going to dictate where we see the alignment on the CEO search,” said Aki, also a board member of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs. “The faction lines are drawn.”

For OHA elections, where many voters tend to leave ballots blank due to unfamiliarity with the issues, name recognition is key to helping candidates pull ahead.

Aki said he was not surprised that Anderson tossed his hat into the ring for OHA trustee, given his family’s legacy and their active involvement in Hawaiian Civic Clubs. But he was surprised that Anderson rose to the top after coming in third during the primary election.

Anderson served as a Council member, representing Waimainalo, Kailua and Kaneohe from 2009 to 2021. He was elected the City Council’s chair in 2019.

“I think name recognition is the name of the game,” he said. “In the OHA races, to unseat somebody who has a strong name, is going to be a very daunting task.”

OHA is now faced with the task of selecting its next CEO, which had been narrowed down to three finalists: former Honolulu City Council member Todd Apo, who has a background in real estate and resort development; Kaulana Park, former director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; and interim CEO Summer Sylva.

The board initially voted to select Apo as the CEO, but decided to defer a decision after testimony in opposition to his appointment. OHA Chair Kai Kahele on Monday decided to postpone the final decision until after the general election.

On Monday, OHA publicly posted copies of Ferreira’s formal complaints online, along with the findings of an independent investigation, as a commitment to transparency, trustees said.

OHA, a semi-autonomous state agency created in 1978, manages nearly $1 billion in trust assets with the mission of improving the well-being of Native Hawaiians.

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