Mayor Derek Kawakami has not decided his next move, which may depend on a looming decision by Hawaiʻi Senate President Ron Kouchi, whom he calls a mentor.

Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami is sizing up his 2026 plans.

Kawakami, 47, has made no secret of his aspirations to jump into bigger contests, musing publicly over the years about a future run for lieutenant governor or governor. More recently he has sought to position himself as a successor to Senate President Ron Kouchi, who has held Kauaʻi’s only Senate seat since 2012.

But the higher offices he’s eyeing are ones held by incumbents, who are historically hard to beat. Political analysts say there’s no logical next move for the former state legislator, whose eight-year reign as Kauaʻi mayor ends next year due to term limits, unless one

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