Democratic Lt. Gov. Josh Green faces off against Republican Duke Aiona in Hawaii's gubernatorial election

• Democratic Lt. Gov. Joshua Green is running against Republican Duke Aiona in Hawaii's gubernatorial race.
• Aiona, a former lieutenant governor of Hawaii, is making his third run for governor.

Democrat Josh Green faces off against Republican Duke Aiona in Hawaii's gubernatorial election.

Democratic incumbent Gov. David Ige is not seeking reelection, and the seat is up for grabs.

Hawaii's gubernatorial candidates

Green, the Democratic nominee and the state's lieutenant governor, has roots in Hawaii politics. In 2004, Green was elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives and served until 2008. Following his time as a state representative, he served in the Hawaii State Senate from 2008 to 2018.

As a state senator, Green also served as majority floor leader and chaired the Health Committee and Human Services Committee. Green is also a licensed physician and worked in emergency rooms during the pandemic.

Aiona, Green's opponent, is a former two-term lieutenant governor of Hawaii. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2010 and 2014, making the November contest his third run.

Hawaii's voting history

Hawaii backed President Joe Biden over Trump in a near 30 percentage point margin of victory in 2020. The Aloha State has gone Democratic in every presidential election except the 1972 and 1984 contests, when it voted for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, respectively.

What experts say

The race between Green and Aiona is rated as "solid Democratic" by Inside Elections, "solid Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "safe Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.