Contribution Limits

Candidates

Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”) §11-357

(a) No person shall make contributions to:

(1) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a two-year office or to a candidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $2,000 during an election period;

(2) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a four-year nonstatewide office or to a candidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $4,000 during an election period; or

(3) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a four-year statewide office or to a candidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $6,000 during an election period.

(b) For purposes of this section, the length of term of an office shall be the usual length of term of the office as unaffected by reapportionment, a special election to fill a vacancy, or any other factor causing the term of the office the candidate is seeking to be less than the usual length of term of that office.

HRS §11-302

“Election period” means:

(1) The two-year period between the day after the general election through the day of the next general election, if a candidate is seeking nomination or election to a two-year office;

(2) The four-year time period between the day after the general election through the day of the next general election, if a candidate is seeking nomination or election to a four-year office; or

(3) For a special election, the period between the day after the general election for that office through the day of the special election.

Hawaii Administrative Rules §3-160-31(f)

A person’s contributions to a candidate shall not be aggregated if the candidate previously campaigned for and appeared on the ballot for a different elective office and the two offices have overlapping election periods.

Governor

Contribution Limit-$6,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

Lt. Governor

Contribution Limit-$6,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

State Senate

Districts 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24
Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period (Due to Reapportionment)-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

District 5
Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period (Due to Special Election)-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

Districts 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 25
Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

State House of Representatives

Contribution Limit-$2,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

Honolulu Mayor

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Four-Year Election Period-November 4, 2020 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for Honolulu Mayor, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Four-Year Election Period-November 4, 2020 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Honolulu City Council

Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Four-Year Election Period-November 4, 2020 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for Honolulu City Council, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Districts 2, 4, 6, 8
Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

Hawaii Mayor

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Four-Year Election Period-November 4, 2020 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for Hawaii Mayor, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Four-Year Election Period-November 4, 2020 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Hawaii County Council

Contribution Limit-$2,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

Maui Mayor

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

Maui County Council

Contribution Limit-$2,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

Kauai Mayor

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

Kauai Prosecuting Attorney

Contribution Limit-$4,000 per person during an election period
2024 Election Period-February 27, 2022 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for Kauai Prosecuting Attorney, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Kauai County Council

Contribution Limit-$2,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Hawaii
Contribution Limit-$6,000 per person during an election period
2024 Two-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024

Kauai, Molokai, At-Large (1)
Contribution Limit-$6,000 per person during an election period
2024 Four-Year Election Period-November 4, 2020 through November 5, 2024
(Candidates running in the 2024 election for OHA, who also ran for state or county office in 2022, have a two-year election period that runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024)

Oahu, Maui, At-Large (3)
Contribution Limit-$6,000 per person during an election period
2026 Four-Year Election Period-November 9, 2022 through November 3, 2026

Noncandidate Committees

HRS §11-358

No person shall make contributions to a standard noncandidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $1,000 in an election.  For the 2024 election, the primary election period runs from November 9, 2022 through August 10, 2024, and the general election period runs from August 11, 2024 through November 5, 2024.  A standard noncandidate committee can receive a $1,000 aggregate contribution per person in each of these elections.

Noncandidate Committees Making Solely Independent Expenditures (“Super PACs”)

These are noncandidate committees that have registered and certified with the Commission that they will only be making independent expenditures.  “Independent expenditures” means an expenditure expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in concert or cooperation with or at the suggestion of the candidate, the candidate committee, a party, or their agents.  See, HRS §11-302.

As a result of a federal lawsuit entitled Yamada, et al v. Weaver, et al., the Commission is enjoined from enforcing the $1,000 contribution limit as provided in HRS §11-358.  Therefore, there is no limit on contributions to noncandidate committees making solely independent expenditures.

NOTE:  Please be aware that if a noncandidate committee making solely independent expenditures makes or directs a contribution to a candidate or candidate committee, or coordinates an expenditure with a candidate or candidate committee, it will not be considered a noncandidate committee making solely independent expenditures.  Thus, the contribution limit of $1,000 as specified in HRS §11-358 will be applied.

Political Parties

HRS §11-360

(a) No person shall make contributions to a party in an aggregate amount greater than $25,000 in any two-year election period, except as provided in subsection (b).

(b) No political committee established and maintained by a national political party shall make contributions to a party in an aggregate amount greater than $50,000 in any two-year election period.

(c) If a person makes a contribution to a party that is earmarked for a candidate or candidates, the contribution shall be deemed to be a contribution from both the original contributor and the party distributing such funds to a candidate or candidates. The earmarked funds shall be promptly distributed by the party to the candidate.

“Political committees established and maintained by a national political party” means:

(1) The National Committee;

(2) The House Campaign Committee; and

(3) The Senate Campaign Committee.

For the 2022 election, the two-year election period runs from November 9, 2022 through November 5, 2024.

Ballot Issue Committees

HRS §11-358

There is no limit on the amount of contributions to ballot issue committees.