Why It Matters
Hawaii’s push to establish full public financing for state and county elections has stalled again, marking the fourth consecutive legislative session in which comprehensive campaign finance reform has failed to advance. The outcome leaves Hawaii’s campaign finance system largely intact, continuing a structure that advocacy groups argue favors well-funded candidates and special interests over ordinary voters. With the state’s primary election approaching in roughly five months, reformers warn that the window for meaningful change before the next election cycle is narrowing rapidly.
What Happened
Senate Bill 2313, which would have established a comprehensive public financing system for all qualifying candidates seeking state and county office in Hawaii, died in the House after failing to receive a committee hearing before an internal legislative deadline. The bill had cleared the Senate with unanimous approval earlier in the 2026 session, signaling broad upper-chamber support for the concept.
Rep. David Tarnas, chair of the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, declined to schedule a hearing for the measure. Tarnas told Civil Beat that there simply was not enough support in the House to advance the bill, a position he and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Karl Rhoads had signaled even before the legislative session began.
Tarnas also cited mounting pressure on the state budget as a factor in the bill’s failure. Among the competing fiscal demands is disaster recovery from the Kona low storms, as well as uncertainty surrounding whether the Trump administration will approve Gov. Josh Green’s request for federal disaster assistance funding.
By the Numbers
- 4 — The number of consecutive legislative sessions in which comprehensive public campaign finance legislation has failed to pass in Hawaii.
- 1 — Number of chambers, the Senate, that passed SB 2313 this session, with a unanimous vote.
- $35,000 — The amount allegedly provided to an influential Hawaii lawmaker at the center of an ongoing bribery scandal that has shadowed the current legislative session.
- 5 months — Approximate time remaining before Hawaii’s primary election, according to reform advocates who note the urgency of passing any campaign finance changes before voters head to the polls.
- 5 weeks — The amount of time remaining in the legislative session when the bill’s failure was confirmed, according to the Clean Elections Hawaii Coalition.
Zoom Out
Hawaii is not alone in struggling to advance full public campaign financing at the state level. Similar systems, often called “clean elections” programs, have been enacted in a small number of states, including Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut, but efforts to expand such frameworks elsewhere have repeatedly run into opposition rooted in both fiscal concerns and political resistance from incumbents who benefit from the existing fundraising environment.
At the national level, the influence of large donors and political action committees in elections has prompted recurring legislative efforts, including versions of the For the People Act, though federal public financing reform has also stalled repeatedly in Congress. Hawaii’s situation reflects a broader pattern in which the political will to restructure campaign finance systems is frequently outpaced by budgetary constraints and incumbent self-interest.
The ongoing 2022 bribery scandal in Hawaii, which continues to cast a shadow over the legislature, has added urgency to the calls for reform. Advocacy groups argue that public financing would reduce the financial leverage that special interests hold over elected officials, making corruption of the type alleged in the scandal less likely to take hold.
What’s Next
Despite the death of SB 2313, advocates from the Clean Elections Hawaii Coalition say that other campaign finance reform bills remain alive in the current session. Evan Weber of Our Hawaii, a coalition member, indicated that some meaningful reform could still be achieved before the session closes, including what the coalition describes as significant upgrades to the state’s existing campaign finance disclosure and enforcement framework.
The coalition is continuing to press legislators to act on remaining bills before the session ends. With Hawaii’s primary approximately five months out, advocates argue that even incremental reforms passed now could have a direct effect on transparency in the upcoming election cycle. Lawmakers and reform groups are expected to continue negotiations over the remaining weeks of the session.