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If supporters of reforming state government were looking for a signature victory, they certainly got it when Kim Coco Iwamoto ousted House Speaker Scott Saiki in Saturday’s primary.

Iwamoto has long been an outspoken advocate of bringing more transparency to the Legislature while Saiki represented the status quo, much as he tried to make it appear otherwise.

In such a powerful position, there was just no way for him to escape partial ownership of the Legislature’s failure to pass any of the major reform proposals it has considered over the last two sessions following two former legislators’ bribery convictions.

Still, within hours of Saiki’s defeat, there were the Democratic leaders at the party’s Unity Breakfast speculating about which current legislative powerbroker would be elevated to his job.

Only insiders need apply.

Which raises the question: How did other reform-minded candidates fare in the primary and what are their prospects for the general election?

Besides Iwamoto’s breakthrough, there were some other big wins Saturday, such as Democratic Rep. Amy Perruso fending off a primary challenge from a nonreformer in Wahiawa’s District 46. And there were setbacks, like incumbent reformer Natalia Hussey-Burdick losing in Kailua’s District 50 Democratic primary.

Reformers can be Democrats or Republicans. We figure they qualify for the label if they support  most of the following Big 5:

• Full public financing of the campaigns of candidates who qualify and agree to spending limits. Proposals to accomplish that gained a lot of traction the last two sessions before being shot down by legislative leaders.
• Legislative term limits. This proposal never got out of committees in 2023 and this year.
• Establishing a statewide citizens initiative process, already available to voters in all other Western states. So far legislators are unwilling to even ask voters if they want that right.
• Applying the Sunshine Law to the Legislature. This might involve lengthening legislative sessions, but it would also mean no longer conducting so much of the public’s business behind closed doors.
• Prohibiting elected officials from accepting campaign contributions during legislative sessions. Legislators took the partial step of prohibiting fundraising events, but so far have rejected the Campaign Spending Commission’s advice to stop in-session contributions altogether.

Achieving real reform at the Legislature will also mean changing its rules of operation so that a handful of leaders can’t control everything. This can be accomplished with a simple majority vote, which is also what it takes, by the way, to elect a new House speaker or Senate president.

Where The Reformers Are

We checked candidates’ to identify the reformers. Here’s a look at where they stand post-primary (anyone not identified as a reformer is either a nonreformer or they just won’t tell us one way or the other):

Senate District 1 (Big Island): One of the most outspoken reformers, former Sen. Laura Acasio, lost to incumbent Sen. Lorraine Inouye. But Inouye is a sort-of reformer herself because she said she supports most of the Big 5, except for citizens initiatives. She’s unopposed in November.

Senate District 12 (Waikiki): Republican reformer Shotaro Dabbs challenges Sen. Sharon Moriwaki. The incumbent is a sort-of reformer, but at least she responded to our Q&A survey. Nine of 12 incumbent senators on the ballot did not.

Senate District 16 (central Oahu): Republican reformer Pat Beekman challenges incumbent Brandon Elefante, a nonreformer who nevertheless responded to our survey.

Senate District 22 (Oahu Leeward Shore): Samantha DeCorte, who sounded very reformist in her 2022 Q&A but hasn’t submitted one this year, won the Republican primary for the open seat. She’ll face Democrat Cedric Gates, a sort-of reformer who narrowly defeated primary opponent Stacelynn Eli.

Senate District 23 (Kaneohe west to Haleiwa): Reformer Ben Shafer beat Clayton Hee in the Democratic primary and now challenges Republican Brenton Awa, who is a Q&A no-show for the second straight election but has said in the past he supports legislative term limits.

House District 2 (Hilo): Reformer Susan Lee Loy won the Democratic primary and is unopposed for the open seat in November.

House District 3 (Big Island): It’s reformer vs. reformer here as incumbent Chris Todd emerges from a tough Democratic primary to take on Republican Kanoa Wilson.

House District 4 (Big Island): Republican reformer Keikilani Ho challenges incumbent Greggor Ilagan.

House District 5 (Big Island): This is a three-reformer contest including incumbent Jeanne Kapela, who won the Democratic primary, Republican Ashley Oyama and Libertarian Fred Fogel.

Overall in the 51-member House, we estimate there are 17 sure or likely wins for reformers on the November ballot, and 23 sure or likely wins for nonreformers. That leaves 11 more positions that could tip the balance of power.

House District 6 (Big Island): A couple of sort-of reformers here. Incumbent Kirstin Kahaloa, who easily won the Demcratic primary, against Republican Sylvie Madison.

House District 7 (Big Island): Republican reformer Timothy Dalhouse challenges incumbent Democrat Nicole Lowen.

House District 8 (Big Island): Republican reformer Monique Cobb-Adams Perreira challenges incumbent Democrat David Tarnas, who claims to be a reformer but in his role as Judiciary chair derailed term limits in 2023 and full public campaign financing this year.

House District 10 (Maui): Reformer Jeremiah Savage lost in the Democratic primary to incumbent Tyson Miyake, who is unopposed in November.

House District 13 (Maui): Incumbent reformer Mahina Poepoe won the Democratic primary and now faces Republican Scott Adam.

House District 14 (Maui): In Lahaina, incumbent reformer Elle Cochran won the Democratic primary and now faces Republican Kelly Armstrong.

House District 18 (Hawaii Kai): Republican reformer Gene Ward is unopposed.

House District 20 (Kaimuki): Emerging from a five-candidate Democratic primary, reformer Tina Grandinetti takes on Republican sort-of reformer Corinne Solomon for an open seat.

House District 24 (Waikiki): Reformer Adrian Tam, an incumbent Democrat, faces Republican Jillian Anderson.

House District 25 (Downtown Honolulu): As previously mentioned, super-reformer Kim Coco Iwamoto defeated House Speaker Scott Saiki in the Democratic primary and is unopposed in November.

House District 27 (South-Central Oahu): Reformer Margaret Lim won the Republican primary and challenges incumbent Democrat Jenna Takenouchi.

House District 29 (Kalihi Valley): Reformer Ikaika Hussey ousted incumbent May Mizuno in the Democratic primary and faces Republican Carole Kaapu, a sort-of reformer.

House District 30 (Kalihi): In an all-reformer Democratic primary, Shirley Templo narrowly defeated incumbent Sonny Ganaden. Republican P.M. Azinga challenges in November.

House District 32 (Central Oahu): Republican reformer Garner Shimizu challenges incumbent Democrat Micah Aiu.

House District 35 (Central Oahu): Reformers Ikeda Rahman Perreira and Dominique Bonifacio lost in the Democratic primary to incumbent Cory Chun, who is unopposed in November.

House District 38 (Mililani Mauka): Democratic reformer Alexander Ozawa challenges Republican incumbent Lauren Cheape Matsumoto, who sounded like a reformer in her 2022 Q&A but hasn’t returned a survey this year.

House District 39 (Hoopili): Sort-of reformer Corey Rosenlee defeated reformer Reginald Garcia in the Democratic primary and now faces Republican incumbent Elijah Pierick, who also sounded like a reformer in his 2022 Q&A but hasn’t returned a survey this year.

House District 40 (Ewa Beach): Democrat Rose Martinez is yet another incumbent who sounded like a reformer in her 2022 Q&A but hasn’t returned a survey this year. The same goes for her November opponent, Julie Reyes Oda, who won a three-person Republican primary.

House District 43 (Kapolei): A Republican reformer was bound to emerge in this district because two of them faced off in the primary. Incumbent Kanani Souza defeated Sheila Medeiros, and has no opposition in November.

House District 45 (Waianae): There were six, count ‘em, six reform candidates on the primary ballot for an open seat, and the winners advancing to the general election are Democrat Desire DeSoto and Republican Chris Muroaka.

House District 46 (Wahiawa): In a Democratic primary battle that was crucial for the cause of reform, incumbent Amy Perruso defeated Mark Clemente. Perruso is one of the most well-spoken reformers. In November she faces Republican Daniel Gabriel, a reformer himself.

House District 48 (Kahaluu): In the longest of long shots for the cause, Green Party reformer Asheemo Daily faces Democratic incumbent Lisa Kitagawa.

House District 50 (Kailua): Incumbent Natalia Hussey-Burdick, a strong supporter of reform, lost in the Democratic primary to Mike Lee. He will take on Republican reformer Timothy Connelly in the general election.

House District 51 (Waimanalo): In another reformer vs. reformer Democratic primary, incumbent Lisa Marten defeated Hope Pokipala and has no opposition in November.

Overall in the 51-member House, we estimate there are 17 sure or likely wins for reformers on the November ballot, and 23 sure or likely wins for nonreformers. That leaves 11 more positions that could tip the balance of power.

Elections matter, folks.