VoteHawaiʻi

Neurodivergent-friendly voter information for Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DIST 17

About House District 17 — Lāwaʻi to Kekaha & Niʻihau

House District 17 stretches across the west side of Kauaʻi — from Lāwaʻi and Kalāheo through the Hanapēpē and Port Allen corridor, west through ʻEleʻele and Waimea, all the way to Kekaha and the island's northwestern tip, and across the channel to the neighboring island of Niʻihau. The seat is held by incumbent Rep. Daynette (Dee) Morikawa, who has represented West Kauaʻi since 2009 and is seeking another term in 2026. She faces two challengers confirmed on the August primary ballot: Republican Misty Cluett (mistycluett.com) and Democrat Chad K. Schimmelfennig. Morikawa's tenure has been anchored in the House Finance and Agriculture committees, where she has worked to secure neighbor-island infrastructure appropriations and back agricultural land protection — longstanding priorities for a district where former plantation lands, diversified farming operations, and rural communities define the landscape. Key issues for the district include water rights and irrigation infrastructure serving remaining agricultural lands; support for small farms and diversified agriculture on former plantation acreage; workforce housing access for families in west-side communities; and the economic future of the Hanapēpē and Port Allen area.

Primary date: 2026-08-08

MORIKAWA, Daynette (Dee)

Party: Democratic · Backing: Establishment

Platform: Incumbent State Representative for Kauaʻi's House District 17 (Lāwaʻi to Kekaha & Niʻihau); long-serving Democrat.

  • Hawaiʻi State Representative for House District 17, covering West Kauaʻi from Lāwaʻi and Kalāheo through Hanapēpē, Waimea, Kekaha, and the neighboring island of Niʻihau; has served in the State House since 2009.
  • Longtime member of the House Committee on Finance and the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems; has used these assignments to secure neighbor-island infrastructure appropriations and support agricultural land protection.
  • Insurance and financial-services professional background informs her focus on consumer protection, small-business stability, and responsible fiscal policy.
  • Faces Republican challenger Chad K. Schimmelfennig in the 2026 general election — her first contested general-election race in several cycles.
  • Supported the Agribusiness Development Corporation's work to preserve agricultural lands on Kauaʻi and backed bills improving rural broadband and water infrastructure.

Editorial summary: Dee Morikawa is one of the most senior Kauaʻi representatives in the State House and has been the institutional voice for West Kauaʻi for more than fifteen years. Her Finance and Agriculture committee record, documented on the Hawaiʻi State Legislature member page and Ballotpedia profile, reflects a focus on county-state infrastructure coordination, agricultural land stewardship, small-business stability, and neighbor-island funding equity.

Key issues: Agricultural land protection, Neighbor-island infrastructure, Small business & consumer protection, Rural broadband & water

Profile last reviewed: 2026-06-03

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