Firebreaks And Landfills: State Senate District 20 Candidate Q&As
Three GOP candidates are running in the primary for a Senate seat in West Oʻahu.
Incumbent senator for State Senate District 20, Kurt Fevella, is facing two other Republicans in the Aug. 8 primary election: Bob McDermott and Rida Cabanilla Arakawa. Fevella has represented the district since 2018.
The district includes the communities of ʻEwa Beach, Ocean Pointe, ʻEwa by Gentry, Iroquois Point and a portion of ʻEwa Villages.
All of the candidates were sent a survey by Civil Beat asking for their positions on a range of topics including member term limits, climate resilience and how they would support improving public education.
Their responses, if provided, are linked in alphabetical order under their official ballot name, which you can also compare all in one spot on Civil Beat’s 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot. If others submit before the primary, they will be added, so check back.
Rida Cabanilla Arakawa
Bob McDermott
Hawaiʻi’s 2026 elections are right around the corner and Civil Beat’s elections guide is here to help with essential information, candidate positions, news stories and more.
