The GOP nominee for lieutenant governor has backed away from his primary campaign rhetoric and is aligning with his gubernatorial running mate.

The candidates, one a current Republican and the other a former Republican, want to prioritize agriculture and cost of living in Oahu’s largest Senate district.

The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission is also proposing a sweeping package of campaign finance reforms for the upcoming legislative session in 2023.

The top candidates for governor say they are likely to follow through with Ige’s new plans.

Both men admitted in court that they conspired to funnel lucrative contracts to one of Choy’s companies.

The contracts that were the target of an FBI investigation were awarded under former Mayor Alan Arakawa’s administration.

The county’s former environmental management director was also indicted for accepting more than $2 million in bribes to steer contracts to Choy’s company.

The Aug. 13 primary saw Republican turnout rise significantly, especially in rural areas.

The Republican candidate for governor focused on building programs that could lead to more affordable homeownership than adding more housing units.