Gary Cordery
What this job does: Runs Hawaii's state government. The governor proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills, picks judges from lists sent by a commission, and leads the response to emergencies like wildfires and storms. A term is four years.
- Occupation
- General contractor; founder of Kingdom Builders
Background
- General contractor who founded Kingdom Builders, a company with 13 employees. Has not held public office. source: civilbeat.org
- Born in Colorado and raised in Auburn, California; began working in construction in 1978 and moved to Hawaii in 1981. source: civilbeat.org
- Co-founded and formerly directed the Aloha Freedom Coalition; still on its board. source: civilbeat.org
- Finished third in the 2022 Republican primary for governor. source: civilbeat.org
- Won the Aug. 8, 2026 Republican primary with 36,428 votes. source: en.wikipedia.org
In their own words
What the candidate says they will work on, from their campaign site or their answers to news-outlet questionnaires. We list it as stated and do not rate it.
- Lower the cost of living: "It is constraining opportunity and forcing outbound migration." source: civilbeat.org
- "We will reduce the taxes, fees and the scope of government." source: civilbeat.org
- "Utilizing state lands to provide 15k fee simple homes between 400k-600k." source: civilbeat.org
- Homelessness: "Incentivize work programs creating pathways to prosperity and dignity for all." source: civilbeat.org
- Tax reform, including exemptions for Native Hawaiian homeowners, and more open government. source: hawaiinewsnow.com
Look them up yourself
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Something wrong or missing? This profile was compiled from public sources on October 16, 2026. Every fact links to where it came from.