The UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion failed to garner enough support to be selected as Hawaii’s Republican governor-elect, winning less than 25 percent of the vote in last Saturday’s primary. According to an official tally, Penn received 22.2 percent of the vote to finish, well behind two-time Republican Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, who won with 47.5 percent of the vote. Aiona continues to face incumbent Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who represents the Democratic party in the upcoming Nov. 8 general election. Penn announced his intention to run for governor of his home state in October 2021, pledging to challenge state-mandated COVID-19 safety protocols affecting Hawaii’s key tourism industry. His aim was to lift all restrictions related to COVID-19. Over the past 10 months, Penn has campaigned aggressively on social media using many popular Republican talking points, going so far as to prepare his supporters for the possibility of voter fraud. The 43-year-old has never held political office in Hawaii. Penn is a former UFC lightweight and middleweight champion. He has not fought since UFC 237 in May 2019, where he lost a unanimous decision to Clay Guida to extend his winless streak to eight. In recent years, Penn has had several run-ins with the law. Most recently, on January 23, 2021, he was arrested in Honokaa, Hawaii on suspicion of DUI and video was released of Penn being placed in a police car. He parted ways with the UFC in September 2019 when footage surfaced of Penn getting into a brawl at a club in Hawaii.
