Green, who was first elected governor in 2022, entered the unusual Saturday primary with a 56% approval rating. His primary win makes him a strong favorite for re-election, as the Cook Political Report rates the race 13 points in favor of the Democratic Party. Bourgoin previously ran against Green for governor in 2022, but he captured only 590 votes compared with Green's 158,161. In typical election years, the Democratic primary attracts candidates with strong name recognition. "His policies have been fairly popular, there hasn’t been anything he’s done that’s really created a pushback," John Hart, a communication professor at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, told Civil Beat.