Penn, a UFC Hall of Famer and former lightweight and welterweight champion, launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for governor earlier this year. In the Republican primary, according to the Associated Press, Penn lost by a wide margin to Duke Aona. Aona has nearly 52 percent of the vote with 90 percent of precincts reporting. Penn has just over 24 percent of the ballots counted, which would have placed him as runner-up, but he was still edged out by Aiona. That sets up Aiona for a race for governor in November against Josh Green, who won a blowout in the Democratic primary. Green will likely win the governor’s race. In the primary, more than 216,000 Democratic ballots were cast compared to just over 59,000 in the Republican race. Green and Aona will face off to become the next governor to succeed current Governor David Ige, who is unable to run for re-election due to term limits. Elections in Hawaii are conducted by both in-person and mail-in ballots. The deadline for primary ballots was 7 p.m. Hawaii time on Saturday. Penn posted several videos on his candidacy website in the months leading up to the primary with what he called “comprehensive solutions to make Hawaii prosperous and strong.” Before making his decision to be official, he said he would make ending the COVID-19 restrictions at the forefront of his campaign. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I would never run from a fight or sell out my people,” Penn posted on Penn has a history of legal issues. In April 2019, Penn was granted a restraining order after the mother of his children accused him of years of physical and sexual abuse. In February 2020, Penn was investigated on suspicion of DUI after a car crash and subsequent blood alcohol test in his hometown of Hilo. In January 2021, Penn was caught on video being handcuffed by police on suspicion of DUI after a reckless driving complaint.
