She won the seat after incumbent Republican Andria Tupola decided to run for Governor of Hawaii.
[1] Her Republican opponent in the 2018 election, Sailau Timoteo, was disqualified from the general election ballot after it was discovered that she was not a United States citizen.
[2] Eli's family has lived on the Nanakuli Homestead since the 1930s.
[3] A fifth-generation Nanakuli resident, she graduated from Nanakuli High and Intermediate School and has served on the Neighborhood Board and the board for the Nanakuli High and Intermediate Performing Arts Center.
[3] Eli has also worked as a legislative aide for then-state Rep. Lynn DeCoite (D, Lanai-Molokai-Paia-Hana), former state Sen. Brickwood Galuteria (D, Kakaako-McCully-Waikiki) and former state Rep. Karen Awana.