Hawaii Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them
Josh Green (Democrat) and Gary Cordery (Republican) are the candidates for governor of Hawaii in the November 3, 2026 general election. Josh Green is the incumbent. Semblen has analyzed 14 ads in this race; 7 used at least one manipulation technique, most often glittering generalities and false urgency.
Josh Green (DEM, incumbent), Gary Cordery (REP).
On the ballot as listed by Hawaii Office of Elections, 2026 General Election Voter Guide. 14 ads analyzed, 7 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08.
$30,600–36,785 on all ads, $19,500–22,892 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“cares about people” — Glittering Generalities, paid for by Josh Green for Hawaii
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
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A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.
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Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 36% of ads.
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Money in this race
Candidates for governor report their fundraising to Hawaii's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.
The ads
14 ads, newest first.
Paid for by Gary Cordery for Governorfrom 2026-10-07spend $0–9925,000–29,999 impressions
Hawai‘i is the most expensive state in America, and the people in charge keep making deals behind closed doors. Gary Cordery will take the tax off your groceries, help local families own a home, and put the People Over Power.
Gary Cordery will take the tax off your groceries, help local families own a home, and put every state dollar online for you to see. People Over Power.
Conspiracy Appeal: The phrase 'making deals behind closed doors' implies hidden, secretive, and sinister coordination by those in power — for example: 'deals behind closed doors'
Glittering Generalities: The slogan 'People Over Power' is a vague, emotionally positive phrase that sounds noble but carries no specific policy meaning — for example: 'People Over Power'
Conspiracy Appeal
Glittering Generalities
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Gary Cordery for Governorfrom 2026-10-07spend $0–994,000–4,999 impressions
A $10, $20, or $30 gift today helps us end corruption and carry Gary across the finish line. We're in the final stretch, and we can't do it without you. No corporate PACs. No insider deals.
Loaded Language: The word 'corruption' is emotionally charged, framing the political contest as a moral crusade against wrongdoing — for example: end corruption and No insider deals.
False Urgency: The phrase 'carry Gary across the finish line' combined with the implied immediacy of a donation request creates artificial time pressure to act now — for example: carry Gary across the finish line and We're in the final stretch, and we can't do it without you.
Appeal to Prejudice: 'No corporate PACs' invokes an in-group identity of grassroots, ordinary people versus powerful corporate interests to build solidarity — for example: No corporate PACs
Loaded Language
False Urgency
Appeal to Prejudice
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-10-05spend $600–69970,000–79,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green is making the largest investment in reducing homelessness in Hawaii state history — including building 30 kauhale villages to reduce homelessness statewide. These tiny home communities are getting people off the street permanently and helping them turn their lives around.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-10-05spend $300–39940,000–44,999 impressions
Making Hawaii more affordable is Governor Josh Green’s top priority — that’s why he’s building new housing at a scale we haven’t seen in decades, and making investments in healthcare and energy that will bring down costs for everyone. And there’s still more work to do.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by HIRA News - Hawaii Republican Actionfrom 2026-09-25spend $1,000–1,49940,000–44,999 impressions
PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE: What do you really know about radical extremists Gary Cordery and Daniel Anthony and their dangerous agenda? Their passions are to destroy the melting pot of Hawaii, end statehood, destroy our economy, and replace the US military with communist Chinese and Russian navies at Pearl Harbor. SEE WHAT THE NEWS MEDIA and the Hawaii GOP have been HIDING FROM YOU.
Bandwagon Appeal: The call to 'share far and wide' pressures readers to spread the message through implied social momentum — for example: PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE
Name Calling: The individuals are labeled 'radical extremists' to discredit them without addressing their actual positions — for example: radical extremists Gary Cordery and Daniel Anthony
Loaded Language: Emotionally charged words like 'radical extremists' and 'dangerous agenda' are used to trigger fear and hostility rather than convey facts — for example: radical extremists, dangerous agenda and destroy.
Appeal to Fear: The framing of a 'dangerous agenda' is designed to create anxiety and alarm about these individuals — for example: their dangerous agenda and replace the US military with communist Chinese and Russian navies at Pearl Harbor.
Exaggeration/Hyperbole: Extreme and unverified claims are made that these individuals want to 'destroy' Hawaii's economy and replace the US military with foreign navies, far beyond what evidence could support — for example: destroy the melting pot of Hawaii, destroy our economy
Scapegoating: Two named individuals are blamed for a sweeping set of catastrophic outcomes including economic destruction and military replacement — for example: Their passions are to destroy the melting pot of Hawaii, end statehood, destroy our economy
Conspiracy Appeal: The sentence implies that both the news media and the Hawaii GOP are secretly concealing damaging information from the public — for example: the NEWS MEDIA and the Hawaii GOP have been HIDING FROM YOU
False Urgency: The all-caps imperative 'SEE' combined with the revelation framing creates artificial urgency to act immediately before deliberating — for example: SEE WHAT THE NEWS MEDIA and the Hawaii GOP have been HIDING FROM YOU
Bandwagon Appeal
Name Calling
Loaded Language
Appeal to Fear
Exaggeration/Hyperbole
Scapegoating
Conspiracy Appeal
False Urgency
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-09-07 to 2026-10-05spend $400–49945,000–49,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green provides steady leadership in a crisis — from the COVID pandemic, through the Maui wildfires, to the recent floods, Josh provides the leadership we need. When Hawaii faces an emergency, Governor Green delivers billions in federal aid and brings people together.
Repetition: The word 'leadership' is repeated twice within a single sentence to reinforce the positive association through familiarity — for example: 'provides steady leadership' and 'Josh provides the leadership we need'
Glittering Generalities: The phrase 'the leadership we need' is vague and emotionally positive, invoking a sense of necessity and virtue without specifying any concrete actions or policies — for example: the leadership we need and brings people together.
Card Stacking: The sentence presents only positive outcomes ('delivers billions in federal aid', 'brings people together') without any counterbalancing information about challenges, failures, or criticisms, selectively framing the governor's record — for example: 'delivers billions in federal aid and brings people together'
Repetition
Glittering Generalities
Card Stacking
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-09-07 to 2026-10-05spend $1,000–1,499150,000–174,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green is making Hawaii more affordable by building new housing in our state at a scale not seen in decades — including 46,000 affordable units — which will help bring down the cost of housing for everyone. And there’s still more work to do.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-09-08spend $1,500–1,999200,000–249,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green’s top priority is making Hawaii more affordable — that’s why he’s lowering healthcare costs by covering Obamacare subsidies for families who count on them, and bringing nearly $1 billion more for rural healthcare in the coming years. And there’s still more work to do.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-09-08spend $600–69980,000–89,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green is building new housing at a scale we haven’t seen in decades — including 46,000 affordable units for working families. He’s also bringing down costs by cutting red tape and lifting unnecessary regulations on new housing, while still protecting our environment.
Exaggeration/Hyperbole: The claim 'at a scale we haven't seen in decades' is an extreme superlative framing that may overstate the achievement without supporting evidence — for example: scale we haven't seen in decades
Glittering Generalities: Vague positive phrases like 'cutting red tape' and 'protecting our environment' invoke broadly appealing values without specific substantive detail — for example: protecting our environment
Exaggeration/Hyperbole
Glittering Generalities
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-09-08spend $6,000–6,999800,000–899,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green has made the largest investment in reducing homelessness in Hawaii state history — by building dozens of kauhale villages statewide to help people get off the streets permanently. And there’s still more work to do.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-07-05 to 2026-08-09spend $1,500–1,99960,000–69,999 impressions
Governor Josh Green provides steady leadership in a crisis — from the pandemic, through the Maui fires, to the floods on Oahu, when we need it most, Governor Josh Green delivers billions in aid, brings people together, and helps communities heal.
Glittering Generalities: The sentence uses vague, emotionally positive phrases like 'steady leadership,' 'brings people together,' and 'helps communities heal' that sound noble but lack specific substantive meaning — for example: 'brings people together, and helps communities heal'
Repetition: The name 'Governor Josh Green' is repeated twice within a single sentence to reinforce name recognition and association with positive qualities — for example: "Governor Josh Green provides steady leadership", "Governor Josh Green delivers billions in aid".
Glittering Generalities
Repetition
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-07-05 to 2026-08-09spend $1,500–1,99970,000–79,999 impressions
Making Hawaii more affordable is Governor Josh Green’s top priority — that’s why he’s building new housing at a scale not seen in decades, and making investments in healthcare and energy that will bring down costs for everyone. And there’s still more work to do.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Josh Green for Hawaiifrom 2026-07-05 to 2026-10-052 variantsspend $16,000–17,9981,150,000–1,299,998 impressions
Governor Josh Green cares about people — he gets things done, and he does what’s best for Hawaii. From building affordable housing, to reducing homelessness, to providing healthcare, Josh puts people first. But there’s still more work to do — so let’s finish the job.
Glittering Generalities: Vague, emotionally positive claims about caring for people and doing what's best without any specific evidence or substance — for example: cares about people, does what's best for Hawaii and Josh puts people first.
False Urgency: The phrase 'let's finish the job' implies an artificial call to action and time pressure to continue support without deliberation — for example: 'so let's finish the job'
Glittering Generalities
False Urgency
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in HI and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names HI's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.
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