Name recognition may have helped career politicians Peter Apo and Lei Ahu Isa stand out in a crowded field for the only seat open in the at-large trustee race for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

But the race may be too close to call after the first tally tonight, with incumbent Kelii Akina, who has served as trustee since 2016, holding a nearly 7,000-vote lead over Ahu Isa, and Apo right behind her. The two top candidates go on to the parliamentary election.

Seven candidates vied for the seat, including Brendon Kaleiaina Lee, a former OHA trustee, who placed fourth, and Patty Kahanamoku Teruya, Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood board chair, who placed fifth.

Kaialii Kahele appears to have won the Hawaii resident contest, with more than half, or 56.92%, of the vote, well ahead of her closest opponent, Z. Kaapana Aki, who took just under a quarter of the vote in the first tally.

Kahele will likely be considered elected after all the votes are counted. In this case, a candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes in the primary election is elected.

Four candidates are vying for the Hawaii resident trustee seat, replacing incumbent OHA Vice Chair Mililani Trask, who bowed out of the race and endorsed Kahele.

Of the four, Kahele, who is running unsuccessfully in 2022 as a Democratic candidate for governor, is best known.

He served in Congress representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District from 2021 to 2023. He also served in the State Senate from the 1st District from 2016 to 2020.

Incumbent Luana Alapa, 63, a Molokai resident trustee, had a significant lead in the first runoff over her three rivals, receiving just under half of the vote.

R. Kunani Nihipali was her closest challenger with close to a third of the votes.

Since only two candidates are running for Kauai resident trustee, the race will automatically go to the general election.

The competition for OHA’s board is a partisan race.

Although OHA’s mandate is to promote the education, health, housing and finances of Native Hawaiians, the election is open to all voters.