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3 clusters · 5 sources · 28 days · First seen · Last updated

Hawaii 2026 local election races

Overview

In mid-July 2026, candidates for Hawaii’s county councils began mobilizing financially and publicly. For the nine-member Hawaiʻi County Council, contenders raised over $130,000, with Manu Powers emerging as the top fundraiser. Simultaneously, former Maui councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura announced a mayoral bid, pledging to streamline permitting, upgrade water and road infrastructure, and accelerate housing and commercial recovery after the 2023 wildfires.

A week later, the focus shifted to the Maui County Council’s Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapū seat, which became open after Chair Alice Lee decided not to run again. A candidate forum in Kihei featured five newcomers—an affordable-housing advocate, an attorney, a former state airports manager, an arborist-pastor, and a former planning-commission vice chair. Discussions centered on soaring housing costs that threaten residents’ ability to stay on the island. The seat is seen as pivotal for the council’s 5-4 moderate-progressive split.

Following the August nonpartisan primary elections, the Maui mayoral race will proceed to a general election on November 3, with incumbent Richard Bissen, Jr. leading Yuki Lei Sugimura. In the Kauai mayoral race, spurred by Mayor Derek Kawakami being term-limited, Kauai County Council Chair Mel Rapozo leads former mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. to compete in the general election.

Entities

Marvin Moniz · Richard Bissen, Jr. · Yuki Lei Sugimura · Alice Lee · Bernard Carvalho Jr.

Timeline

  1. 5 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Maui and Kauai mayoral primary results show leading candidates

    Incumbent Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr. and Kauai County Council Chair Mel Rapozo are leading their respective mayoral primary races in Hawaii, advancing toward the November general election.

  2. 19 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Maui County Council Seat Race Heats Up with Five New Candidates

    Five newcomers vied for Maui’s Wailuku‑Waihee‑Waikapū council seat at a July forum, a race that could change the council’s 5‑4 moderate majority.

  3. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Hawaii County Council and Maui Mayoral Candidates Raise Over $130,000 in Campaign Funds

    Hawaii County Council candidates raised over $131K ahead of the primary, while Maui councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura runs for mayor, focusing on housing costs and Lahaina wildfire recovery.

Sources

bezpretlac.cz · civilbeat.org · keysweekly.com · mauinow.com · staradvertiser.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history