Kelly Takaya King officially announced her intent to run for her previously held Maui County Council seat for the South Maui District.

Noting her continued involvement in priority issues such as affordable housing/homelessness, infrastructure, food security, disaster relief and climate change among others, King said she is still almost as busy as ever and would look forward to again being in a stronger position to help, with staff support.

“I thought I would be spending more time in the private sector this year,” said King in a news release announcement, “but I seem to be contacted fairly regularly as a resource and/or to help with local efforts, so it’s led me to a re-evaluation of how I can continue to be a strong advocate for our community and help focus more resources on getting things done.”

King had been serving on the board of directors for the Kīhei Community Association and, with co-chair former State House Representative Tina Wildberger, started their first committee on Infrastructure and Transportation. Through this committee, King said she has led efforts to create a Transportation Safety Summit for South Maui (scheduled for the week of Feb. 12), increased focus on the process needed to replace aging cesspools and rusting sewage infrastructure in shoreline condos, prioritized county and state legislation to fund the North-South Collector Road, and advocated for legislation that would encourage and even fund fire prevention measures.

In addition, King has continued her work on the steering committee for the Maui Nui Food Alliance, ICLEI USA and volunteered with the Red Cross after the Lahaina fire devastation.

King continues to work with Pacific Biodiesel, the company she founded with her husband over 28 years ago that has just begun an expansion of the Biofuel Crop Project on Kauaʻi. “It’s all part of the larger vision,” King says, “to create more resilience, local prosperity and prioritize a circular economy to bring the most benefits to our own residents.”

The South Maui Council seat is currently held by Tom Cook, who also serves as chair of the Water and Infrastructure Committee.

King expects to file to run for office in the first week of February.