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Gary Cordery

Republican candidate for Governor, Hawaii · Challenger

General contractor; founder of the construction company Kingdom Builders

Gary Cordery is a general contractor in Hawaii who founded the construction company Kingdom Builders and has never held public office. He was a co-founder and former director of the Aloha Freedom Coalition and still sits on its board. He finished third in the 2022 Republican primary for governor, then won the August 8, 2026 Republican primary over Ken Fujiyama; his running mate is Daniel Anthony.

Where Cordery stands

Taxes: Supports ending the state General Excise Tax on food and medicine. Proposes freezing property taxes on primary homes once owners reach retirement age, which he says he would push through public outreach and a constitutional amendment.
Income tax cuts: Called Gov. Green's proposal to freeze the 2024 state income tax cuts "irresponsible" and said the state should have cut spending instead.
Housing and cost of living: Proposes adding 15,000 homes for working families. Says changing state policy would lower the cost of living and let residents afford to stay in Hawaii.
Government spending and transparency: Proposes an Office of Transparency and Audits to audit spending by state departments and measure results. Says the state's climate change agenda adds cost and "needs to be looked at."
Elected attorney general: Supports making Hawaii's attorney general an elected office rather than an appointed one, which would require a constitutional amendment.
Emergency management: Opposes relying on emergency proclamations and says they are reactive. Proposes placing equipment, supplies and crews in advance for transportation and evacuation needs.
Vaccine mandates: Opposes government vaccine requirements, saying people have "the fundamental right of full bodily autonomy." In a 2025 social media post he urged parents to reject all vaccines.
Abortion: Opposes abortion. Told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in 2022 that as governor he would sign legislation overturning abortion rights if it reached his desk.

Background

2026: Republican nominee for Governor of Hawaii (won the Aug. 8 primary with 36,428 votes)
2022: Candidate in the Republican primary for Governor (finished third); later filed legal challenges to the election, which courts dismissed
Co-founder and former director of the Aloha Freedom Coalition; resigned as director before 2022 and remains on its board
Founder of the construction company Kingdom Builders (13 employees)
Started in construction as a laborer in 1978; moved to Hawaii in 1981
Born in Colorado; grew up in Auburn, California
Has never held public office

In the news

GOP gubernatorial ticket targets government waste, vaccine mandates Hawaii News Now, October 22, 2026
Green aide files police report after scuffle with Cordery supporter Hawaii News Now, October 22, 2026
Underdog Gov Candidate Takes On The Democratic Machine — Again Honolulu Civil Beat, October 4, 2026

Also running for Governor

Josh Green Democratic

Sources

Last researched October 23, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.