Maui Election 2026

Maui County Council Vice-Chair and mayoral candidate Yuki Lei Sugimura announced that she has received the endorsement of the Hawaiʻi REALTORS® Political Action Committee, representing more than 10,000 REALTOR® members statewide who are dedicated to the dream of homeownership in Hawaiʻi.

The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has three qualified candidates to fill the vacant Senate District 18 seat, held by Senator Michelle Kidani, whose retirement went into effect on June 30, 2026. The Senate District 18 seat represents Mililani Town, Waipiʻo Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, a portion of Waipahu, Village Park and Royal Kunia.

The Maui Division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 142 officially endorsed Kauanoe Batangan for the Maui County Council. Batangan currently holds the Kahului residency seat on the Council, where he advocates for accountability, transparency, and equitable treatment for union workers.

“It’s one of my favorite aspects of politics is the fact that all of these folks get to run no matter how realistic their candidacies are. And sometimes they bring up really important issues, and sometimes they help shift the nature of what the mainstream candidates are talking about,” political scientist Colin Moore said. “And sometimes it’s just really entertaining.”

State House District 14 candidate Sne Patel today announced the endorsements of the University of Hawaiʻi Professional Assembly, the REALTORS Political Action Committee and Plumbers & Fitters UA Local 675.

Maui County Council candidate and well-known taro farmer Bobby Pahia has secured a couple of key labor endorsements in his bid for the Upcountry residency seat being vacated by Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura.

The United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO, has endorsed Green Party candidate Pāʻele Kiakona for Hawaiʻi State House District 14, becoming the third major labor union to endorse his campaign.

Saying they were not notified of key updates in the case, a Maui County Council committee passed a resolution that would require all settlement offers in the lawsuit to be sent to the council for review and approval.

The Bissen 2026 campaign announced the endorsement of Mayor Richard Bissen by the Hawaiʻi Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund PAC, an organization representing union members and signatory contractors across Hawaiʻi’s construction industry. In its endorsement letter, the union cited Bissen’s leadership and commitment to addressing key issues including infrastructure, housing and economic opportunity for local […]

Derrick Cabiles, a logistics manager, small business owner and community advocate, announced his candidacy for the Maui County Council’s Upcountry residency seat, according to a campaign announcement.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260 has endorsed West Maui small business owner Sne Patel for the House District 14 seat currently held by Republican Rep. Elle Cochran.

Ashley Awakea Lindsey, candidate for Maui County Council – Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū, announced her endorsement from the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters.

A chef, a high school teacher and a business advocate are competing in a primary for the House District 14 seat that is wide open after incumbent Rep. Elle Cochran switched parties.

Act 67 modernizes Hawaiʻi’s voter registration system by automatically registering eligible residents to vote when they apply for or renew a Hawaiʻi driver’s license or state identification card, unless they choose to opt out.

State House District 14 candidate Sne Patel announced that he has earned the endorsement of the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters, marking additional labor support for his campaign. 

State House District 14 candidate Sne Patel announced that he has earned the endorsement of four labor organizations: the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA) Local 630, Teamsters Local 996, SMART Local 293 (Sheet Metal Workers) and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 50.

The Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association (HGEA), AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, has endorsed Green Party candidate Pāʻele Kiakona for Hawaiʻi State House District 14.

The West Maui Taxpayers Association hosts a 2026 Primary Candidates Night on Thursday, June 25, 2026 at the Lahaina Civic Center, Social Hall.  The event starts at 4 p.m. with a Meet & Greet, and the formal program begins at 5 p.m. 

Sugimura has a lead of more than 10 points in two polls, but Bissen’s camp says its polling shows him with a 6-point lead.

Maui County Council Vice-Chair and mayoral candidate, Yuki Lei Sugimura, has secured an endorsement from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 50, which represents thousands of workers across Hawaiʻi.