Biography
Zak Wittenhagen is the Republican candidate for the Hawaii House of Representatives, District 4, in the November 3, 2026 general election, challenging Democratic incumbent Greggor Ilagan.[1][2] In a Ballotpedia survey, he described himself as a community advocate and nonprofit founder running to represent Puna.[3]
Zak Wittenhagen said in a Ballotpedia survey that he is originally from Lakeland, Florida, and founded the Hugs Not Drugs organization in 2024.[3] He said the nonprofit supports people seeking recovery from addiction by guiding them through the rehabilitation system and connecting them with resources, and that he also works as a local delivery driver.[3] He said he has used public assistance programs including SSI and SNAP.[3]
Wittenhagen advanced from the Republican primary on August 8, 2026.[1] His listed campaign messages were that he comes from poverty rather than money, is a community advocate, and will fight for Puna, and he named housing and infrastructure as his policy interests.[3]
- 1.Zak Wittenhagen - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Zak Wittenhagen - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Hawaii House District 4
Zak Wittenhagen is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Hawaii House District 4 as R. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.