Three incumbents running for re-election to the聽Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees fared well in Tuesday’s election.

According to results from the state Office of Elections, Trustee Rowena Akana 聽and Trustee John D. Waihee IV were among the frontrunners for three at-large seats.

Waihee had 12 percent and Akana had 11 percent.

Lei Ahu Isa was聽in third with 10 percent.

The closest runners-up were for the three at-large seats were Mililani Trask (9 percent), Kelii Akina (8 percent) and聽Harvey聽McInerny (7 percent).

Meanwhile, for the Maui seat, Trustee聽Carmen Hulu Lindsey defeated challenger Mahealani Wendt 35 percent to 24 percent.

OHA trustees and staff after a board meeting earlier this year.

Chad Blair/Civil Beat

A Board Opening

OHA seats are voted on聽by all qualified聽residents聽statewide, not just Native Hawaiians. Name recognition and campaign fundraising can聽make the difference in getting elected 鈥� and re-elected.

This year marked the first time there was a primary contest for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The move was intended to obtain a larger pool of candidates聽instead of the same trustees who seem to win election after election.

On Aug. 9, voters聽sent one trustee back to office: Incumbent Peter Apo won聽the Oahu seat by taking more than 50 percent of the vote.

But, with the聽retirement of Trustee Oswald Stender, there will聽be at least one new board member.

OHA Trustee Rowena Akana at May board meeting speaking against a proposed delay in the nation-building process.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

OHA’s Mission

OHA is a quasi-governmental state agency tasked with protecting the islands’ indigenous population and resources.聽Its broad聽mandate is to provide for a better life and future for all Hawaiians.

This year, OHA lobbied unsuccessfully to build residential units on part of its land in Kakaako Makai. It also聽weathered聽a personnel and political crisis when its chief executive officer聽sought a federal legal opinion on whether the聽Hawaiian Kingdom still exists.

Meanwhile, OHA鈥檚 work with the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission聽in signing up for a future government has drawn fire, with some questioning whether the process was conducted appropriately.聽OHA also testified in support of federal recognition of Native Hawaiians at a series of public hearings this summer conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The meetings were often rowdy, with vocal opponents of recognition insisting that Hawaii is still an independent nation that was illegally annexed by America and therefore federal recognition is not necessary. Supporters, however, argued that recognition is an essential step in self-governance and protecting Hawaiian assets and programs.

New and Old Blood

In spite of trustees聽often being in the media spotlight, OHA races this year attracted many candidates from a variety of backgrounds.

Of those still in the running as of Tuesday, Lindsey of Maui is a聽Realtor and entertainer while Wendt is a former executive director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

In the at-large race,听Waihee is the son of the former governor while聽Akana has served as a trustee for聽nearly a quarter century. Ahu Isa is a former legislator and Board of Education member and Trask is a former OHA trustee currently active聽in the geothermal industry.

Akina leads the Libertarian-leaning Grassroot Institute and McInerny is a聽licensed securities broker and former OHA employee.