The UFC Hall of Famer lost the Republican primary by a wide margin on Saturday, garnering just 22.2 percent of the vote. Two-time Republican Lt. Gov. Duke Iona won with 47.5 percent of the vote and will face Democratic Rep. Josh Green in the Nov. 8 general election. Penn announced his intention to run for governor last October with a campaign largely focused on lifting Hawaii’s COVID-19-related restrictions. “I have made many mistakes in my life, but I would never run from a fight or sell out my people,” Penn wrote last October. “Once I get to the Hawaii Governor’s office, I will remove all new federal and state mandates that have hurt the economy, residents and ‘Ohana. We will get the best doctors, medicines, treatments and health care the world has to offer to fight this pandemic and always keep Hawaii among the safest and healthiest states in the Union. “We will get rid of all vaccine passports. Hawaii will be an Aloha-vaccinated and non-Aloha-vaccinated policy for all. Same with masks. We will follow the constitution to the end. I’m not here to fit in with other politicians, I’m here to take back our freedoms!” Penn, 43, is a former two-division UFC champion. He last fought at UFC 237 in May 2019, dropping a unanimous decision to Clay Guida for his seventh straight loss in the promotion. Penn has had several run-ins with the law in recent years, including a recent arrest on suspicion of DUI early last year. He was also investigated for a possible DUI in Hilo, Hawaii after he overturned his truck in February 2020 and in 2019, Penn was captured on video in what appeared to be a bar fight outside the Lava Shack and an altercation with a bouncer outside. a strip mall in Hawaii in a separate incident. Penn had never held political office before his gubernatorial campaign.
