- State
- Hawaii
- Office / race
- Governor
- Party
- Republican
- Reviewed
- October 24, 2026
Career timeline
The Republican challenger
Gary Cordery is the Republican candidate for Hawaii governor in the November 3, 2026 election, with Daniel Anthony as his running mate. He faces Democratic Governor Josh Green and Derek Kawakami. The contest places a construction-business background against an incumbent whose career developed through medicine and state office, giving voters contrasting kinds of experience to assess for the same executive responsibilities.
Sources: Hawaii general-election candidates ↗
Construction and the move to Hawaii
Civil Beat reports that Cordery was born in Colorado and grew up in Auburn, California. He began construction work as a laborer in 1978, traveled on military-contract projects and moved to Hawaii in 1981. He later founded Kingdom Builders. The construction background is particularly relevant to his campaign’s emphasis on homebuilding, permitting and the cost of keeping working families in the islands.
This is his second governor campaign
Cordery previously ran in 2022, finishing third in the Republican primary. Civil Beat’s October profile says he has not held public office and records that courts dismissed his post-election legal challenges from that earlier contest. That history distinguishes the current nominee from a first-time political participant while making clear that he is seeking his first elected governmental role.
The household-tax proposals
His platform calls for removing the general excise tax from food and medicine and for property-tax relief for older homeowners. It also proposes tax exemptions for Native Hawaiian homeowners. These are campaign proposals, and their enactment would require attention to the different responsibilities of state and county government. The promised effect on household bills should not be treated as an existing benefit.
Sources: Campaign priorities ↗
A housing and education agenda
Cordery proposes a large program of fee-simple homes aimed at working families, teachers, nurses and older residents, supported by permitting changes and development zones. His education agenda includes financial literacy, teacher merit pay, Hawaiian-language instruction and more local budget autonomy. The specific targets make the platform testable, but they also raise questions about land, construction capacity, funding and implementation timelines.
Sources: Campaign priorities ↗
What his questionnaire adds
In Civil Beat’s candidate questionnaire, Cordery framed the cost of living as a force pushing residents away and limiting opportunity. He linked housing, transport and healthcare to the same household squeeze and called for fewer taxes, fees and governmental burdens. The answer helps explain the theme connecting his separate proposals: he is campaigning on making it easier for families to remain in Hawaii.
Sources: Civil Beat candidate questionnaire ↗
Prepared with AI assistance. Source-based reporting checked on October 24, 2026. This article does not update automatically. Read our editorial standards.
