Maui Has 2 New Council Members, 1 New House Rep

Maui election booths. File photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Maui has a new state representative and two new council members following yesterday’s 2012 general election.

In South Maui, newcomer Kaniela Ing (D), defeated Republican incumbent George Fontaine for the South Maui seat in the Legislature. The final summary report issued at 3 a.m., attributed 4,813 votes or 60.9% of the vote to Ing; and 2772 votes or 35.1% of the vote to Fontaine.

In the County Council, there are two new members who won respective contested races to fill vacancies created by the term limits of Kahului Councilmember Joe Pontanilla, and Molokai Councilmember Danny Mateo.

In Kahului, Don Guzman earned 23,459 votes or 48% of the vote compared to Alan Fukuyama’s 14,921 votes or 30.5% of the vote.

On Molokai, Stacy Helm Crivello defeated Manuwai Peters, with a total of 20,270 votes compared to 11,132.

All other council races on Maui were won by incumbents including the following:

• Wailuku: Michael Victorino 27,188 (55.6%); Joseph Blackburn II 13,329 (27.3%)
• South Maui: Don Couch 27,068 (55.4%); Alana Kay 10,409 (21.3%)
• Upcountry: Gladys Baisa 28,023 (57.3%); Richard Pohle 9,043 (18.5%)
• East Maui: Bob Carroll 30,939 (63.3%); blank votes 17,929 (36.7%)
• West Maui: Elle Cochran 30,619 (62.7%); blank votes 18,249 (37.3%)
• Makawao: Mike White 29,854 (61.1%); blank votes 19,014 (38.9%)
• Lanai: Riki Hokama 28,619 (58.6%); blank votes 20,249 (41.4%)

In the hotly contested Office of Hawaiian Affairs race, incumbent Carmen Hulu Lindsey earned the state-wide stronghold with 56,967 votes, with a strong showing on Oahu and Hawaii Island. Here on Maui, Dain Kane earned the most Maui votes in the race, but came up short in the state-wide figures, where it counts, earning 9.5% of the vote or 41,371 votes. There were a total of seven candidates in the running for the Maui OHA residency seat. The complete list of results in that race is as follows:

• Hulu Lindsey: 56,967 (13.1%)
• Dain Kane: 41,371 (9.5%)
• Ke’eaumoku Kapu: 32,715 (7.5%)
• Doreen Pua Gomes: 28,143 (6.4%)
• Glenn Au: 24,808 (5.7%)
• Rose Duey: 19,888 (4.6%)
• Johanna Amorin: 16,784 (3.8%)

In the Open Residency seat for OHA, Maui County’s Walter Ritte came in fourth in the state-wide numbers, but posted a strong second on the Maui-only returns. The race was won by longtime trustee Haunani Apoliona who had 23.8% of the statewide vote.

In other OHA races: Dan Ahuna won the Kauai Residency seat; Robert Lindsey won the Hawaii Residency seat; and Colette Machado was uncontested and returns to represent Molokai at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Other Maui legislative highlights include the re-election of incumbents to three House and one Senate race. Senator Roz Baker wins re-election to the 6th District Senate Seat. She earned 9,807 votes (67.3%), defeating challenger Bart Mulvihill who had 3,717 votes (25.5%).

Winning re-election to the State House were Rep. Angus McKelvey, Rep, Kyle Yamashita, and Rep. Mele Carroll.  The results for those races are as follows:

• Dist 10: Angus McKelvey 4,255 (63.9%); Chayne Marten 1,961 (29.4%)
• Dist 12: Kyle Yamashita 7,456 (73.4%); Ekolu Kalama 2,079 (20.5%)
• Dist 13: Mele Carroll 5,777 (67.9%); Simon Russell 2,128 (25%)

In the US Senate race to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of US Senator Daniel Akaka, Mazie Hirono (D), defeated Linda Lingle (R). Hirono garnered 269,389 (61.6%) votes, over Lingle’s 160,937 (36.8%).

In the District 2 House Race, Tulsi Gabbard (D) defeated Kawika Crowley (R), and will fill the vacancy created by the shift of Congresswoman Mazie Hirono to the US Senate.  Gabbard earned 168,466 (76.8%) votes over Crowley’s 40,697 (18.6%).

In the presidential race, Obama easily took the Hawaii vote. The state-wide voting in that race included the following final tally:

• Barack Obama/Joe Biden (D) 306,545 (70.1%)
• Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan (R) 120,975 (27.7%)
• Gary Johnson/James P. Gray (L) 3,838 (0.9%)
• Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala (G) 3,181 (0.7%)