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STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DIST 17

About House District 17 — North & East Kauaʻi (Anahola / Kīlauea / Hanalei)

House District 17 is the most geographically sprawling of Kauaʻi's state house seats, sweeping from the agricultural flatlands of Anahola and Kīlauea up through the Hanalei valley and the north shore all the way to the Nāpali coast. The seat is held by incumbent Rep. Daynette (Dee) Morikawa, who has represented north and east 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 — both perennial priorities for a district where farming families, rural homesteaders, and north-shore residents coexist with one of the most visited coastlines in the state. Key issues for the district include short-term rental regulation and its effect on long-term housing availability in communities like Hanalei and Princeville; state investment in rural roads and flood-resilience infrastructure following recurring weather damage along the northern coastline; and the future of agricultural lands in the Hanalei watershed.

Primary date: 2026-08-08

MORIKAWA, Daynette (Dee)

Party: Democratic · Backing: Establishment

Platform: Incumbent State Representative for Kauaʻi's House District 17 (North & East Kauaʻi); long-serving Democrat.

  • Hawaiʻi State Representative for House District 17, covering North and East Kauaʻi (Kapaa, Wailua, Anahola, Kilauea, and the Hanalei corridor); 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 North and East 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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