The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has three qualified candidates to fill the vacant Senate District 18 seat, held by Sen. Michelle Kidani, whose retirement went into effect on June 30, 2026. The Senate District 18 seat represents Mililani Town, Waipiʻo Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, a portion of Waipahu, Village Park and Royal Kunia.

Pursuant to Democratic Party of Hawaiʻiʻs procedures for filing legislative mid-term vacancies, the following candidates have submitted applications and met the requirements to be considered for inclusion on the final list of three names to be transmitted to the governor:

• Sechyi Laiu – A senior Hawaiʻi civil service administrator with over fifteen years of experience in commercial, family, immigration, and legislative law. Prior to becoming the litigation coordinator for the Hawaiʻi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sechyi worked as a staff attorney for the Honolulu City Council on transportation, public safety, legal affairs, and salary compensation matters. Much of this involved finding creative solutions to difficult problems, within the constraints of fiscal limits and political feasibility. Sechyi also worked for the US Department of State as a Foreign Service consular officer, with postings in Rio de Janeiro, Vancouver, and Shenyang. Sechyi was born and raised on Oahu, and presently lives in Waipahu with his wife, two kids, and many cats.
• Beth K. Fukumoto – A political columnist, longtime Mililani resident and former state representative who joined the Democratic Party in 2017 and completed her term as a Democratic legislator, serving as Vice Chair of the House committees on Tourism and on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts. She later served as Director of Coordinated Campaigns and Interim Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and has a record of delivering investments for Central Oʻahu.
• Danielle M. Bass – A fourth-generation, lifelong Mililani resident, lifelong Democrat, military spouse, and public servant with more than 20 years of experience serving Central Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi. She has built her career delivering results for the communities of Mililani, Waipiʻo Gentry, and Waikele, from serving as a Legislative and Committee Manager in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, advancing statewide sustainability and resilience initiatives and policies as the State of Hawaiʻi’s Sustainability Coordinator, to chairing the Mililani-Waipiʻo-Melemanu Neighborhood Board, and supporting emergency management and disaster response efforts.

At a meeting to be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 6 p.m. (via Zoom), the Selection Body, comprised of the district council officers who reside in Senate District 18, will vote to advance three names to be sent to the governor.

Selection Body members will be permitted to vote for up to three different candidates.

Lynn Robinson-Onderko, Oʻahu County Committee Chair, said, “I’m grateful to all the candidates for stepping up to be a part of this grassroots effort to ensure Senate District 18 continues to have strong, effective leadership. The Selection Body is well prepared to ensure that this process is fair and transparent.”

Participation and discussion in the Zoom meeting will be limited to the eligible officers, candidates, and the DPH and O’ahu County support teams. To foster openness and transparency, the meeting will be streamed live on the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi’s Zoom Webinar link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1_vE6YY_QHy77MSqjrN9BA#/registration

Once voting is complete, a public announcement will be made including the three names that will be transmitted first to the State Party Chair, and then to the governor to make an appointment from the list.