Maui senators secure leadership and committee assignments ahead of 33rd Legislature

The Hawaiʻi State Senate announced its new leadership and committee assignments ahead of the 33rd Legislature that opens on Jan. 21, 2026.

Maui Sens. Lynn DeCoite, Troy Hashimoto and Angus McKelvey have secured various leadership positions.

• Sen. Lynn DeCoite will serve as Majority Assistant Leader, chair of the Economic Development and Tourism (EDT) committee, and member of the following committees: Agriculture and Environment (AEN), Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs (EIG), and Ways and Means (WAM).
• Sen. Troy Hashimoto will serve as Assistant Majority Whip, vice chair of the Housing (HOU) committee, and member of the following committees: Education (EDU), Government Operations (GVO), Public Safety and Military Affairs (PSM) and Ways and Means (WAM).
• Sen. Angus McKelvey will serve as chair of the Government Operations (GVO) committee, and as a member of the following committees: Commerce and Consumer Protection (CPN), and Water, Land, Culture and the Arts (WLA).

McKelvey told Maui Now that, except for a few positions, “nothing has really changed, . . . so I think things will pretty much stay the same.”

In releasing the Senate Leadership and Committee Assignments for the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session, Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (District 8 – Kauaʻi, Niʻihau) stated, “Due to Senator Aquino’s retirement, the Senate has realigned chairs and committee assignments for Senate members for the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session.  Additionally, with current and impending federal budgetary cuts to the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii, the Senate has returned to combining the higher education and education committees to allow the Senate to address educational shortfalls across the educational spectrum, in the same manner that the Senate has done with its health and human services committees.”

Leadership and committee assignments of the 15 standing committees are as follows:

Leadership: 

• President: Ronald D. Kouchi 
• Vice President: Michelle N. Kidani 
• Majority Leader: Dru Mamo Kanuha 
• Majority Floor Leader: Glenn Wakai 
• Majority Assistant Leader: Lynn DeCoite 
• Majority Policy Leader: Les Ihara, Jr. 
• Majority Whip: Lorraine R. Inouye 
• Assistant Majority Whip: Troy N. Hashimoto
• Assistant Majority Whip: Jarrett Keohokalole
• Assistant Majority Whip: Chris Lee 
• Assistant Majority Whip: Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III
• Minority Leader: Brenton Awa
• Minority Floor Leader: Samantha DeCorte 
• Assistant Minority Floor Leader: Kurt Fevella

Committee Assignments: 

Agriculture and Environment (AEN) 

• Gabbard, Mike (Chair)
• Richards, III, Herbert M. “Tim” (Vice Chair)
• DeCoite, Lynn
• Rhoads, Karl
• Awa, Brenton

Commerce and Consumer Protection (CPN) 

• Keohokalole, Jarrett (Chair)
• Fukunaga, Carol (Vice Chair)
• Lamosao, Rachele
• McKelvey, Angus L.K. 
• Awa, Brenton

Economic Development and Tourism (EDT) 

• DeCoite, Lynn (Chair) 
• Wakai, Glenn (Vice Chair) 
• Fukunaga, Carol
• Kim, Donna Mercado
• Fevella, Kurt

Education (EDU) 

• Kim, Donna Mercado (Chair)
• Kidani, Michelle N. (Vice Chair)
• Fukunaga, Carol
• Hashimoto, Troy N.
• DeCorte, Samantha

Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs (EIG) 

• Wakai, Glenn (Chair)
• Chang, Stanley (Vice Chair)
• DeCoite, Lynn
• Richards, III, Herbert M. “Tim”
• Fevella, Kurt

Government Operations (GVO) 

• McKelvey, Angus L.K. (Chair)
• Gabbard, Mike (Vice Chair)
• Hashimoto, Troy N.
• Moriwaki, Sharon Y.
• Awa, Brenton

Hawaiian Affairs (HWN) 

• Richards, III, Herbert M. “Tim” (Chair)
• Lamosao, Rachele (Vice Chair)
• Ihara, Jr., Les
• Keohokalole, Jarrett
• DeCorte, Samantha

Health and Human Services (HHS) 

• San Buenaventura, Joy A. (Chair) 
• Keohokalole, Jarrett (Vice Chair) 
• Kanuha, Dru Mamo
• Lamosao, Rachele
• Fevella, Kurt

Housing (HOU) 

• Chang, Stanley (Chair)
• Hashimoto, Troy N. (Vice Chair) 
• Elefante, Brandon J.C.
• Rhoads, Karl
• Fevella, Kurt

Judiciary (JDC) 

• Rhoads, Karl (Chair) 
• Gabbard, Mike (Vice Chair) 
• Chang, Stanley
• San Buenaventura, Joy A. 
• Awa, Brenton

Labor and Technology (LBT) 

• Elefante, Brandon J.C. (Chair)
• Lamosao, Rachele (Vice Chair)
• Ihara, Jr., Les
• Moriwaki, Sharon Y.
• Fevella, Kurt

Public Safety and Military Affairs (PSM) 

• Fukunaga, Carol (Chair)
• Lee, Chris (Vice Chair)
• Hashimoto, Troy N.
• Inouye, Lorraine R. 
• DeCorte, Samantha

Transportation (TRS) 

• Inouye, Lorraine R. (Chair)
• Elefante, Brandon J.C. (Vice Chair) 
• Kanuha, Dru Mamo
• Lee, Chris
• DeCorte, Samantha

Water, Land, Culture and the Arts (WLA) 

• Lee, Chris (Chair)
• Inouye, Lorraine R. (Vice Chair)
• Chang, Stanley
• McKelvey, Angus L.K.
• DeCorte, Samantha

Ways and Means (WAM) 

• Dela Cruz, Donovan M. (Chair)
• Moriwaki, Sharon Y. (Vice Chair) 
• DeCoite, Lynn
• Elefante, Brandon J.C.
• Hashimoto, Troy N.
• Inouye, Lorraine R.
• Kanuha, Dru Mamo
• Kidani, Michelle N.
• Kim, Donna Mercado
• Lee, Chris
• Richards, III, Herbert M. “Tim”
• Wakai, Glenn
• Fevella, Kurt