Attorney Guzman Running for Pontanilla’s Council Seat

Local attorney Don Guzman is running for the Kahului seat vacated by Joe Pontanilla due to term limits. Courtesy photo.

By Sonia Isotov

Local attorney Don Guzman has announced his candidacy for the Maui County Council residency seat of Kahului today.

Guzman will run for the seat vacated by council member Joe Pontanilla due to term limits, and will be launching his campaign at a kick-off party event on November 22^nd from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu. The free event is open to the public and will feature food and entertainment.

Guzman, is an attorney in Maui and runs a small general practice law firm. He was formerly a deputy prosecutor for the County of Maui. He also served on Congresswoman Mazie Hirono’s staff as the Maui Field Representative and was a legislative aide for State House Representative Tom Okamura.

When asked why he wanted to run for office, Guzman said in a written statement, “I believe that my generation has to step up and take responsibility for the future of our county so that our children can have job opportunities and wages that are adequate enough to support the high cost of living in Maui County.  It’s important to me that our county holds onto its love of the community and environment, while embracing economic growth and fiscal responsibility.”

Guzman, age 42, lives in Kahului with his wife Dr. Rose Guzman, a physician at Maui Medical Group, and their children Thereese, Nealon, and Andrew.

Guzman is a recipient of the Asian Pacific American Law Association’s National Service Award and a nominee for “The Outstanding Filipinos of Maui Centennial.”

He has a long history of community volunteerism, serving as state president of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii, and on the boards of the Friends of Maui Drug Court, March of Dimes, Maui Bar Association, Maui Young Business Roundtable, and Lahaina Junior Golf Association. He is also an active lector and member at Christ the King Church and the Lions Club.

He is a graduate of Creighton University and the Ohio Northern University College of Law.