Maui Election

The Kula Community Association (KCA) hosts a Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kula Community Center. This event will feature candidates running for Senate, House, and Maui County Council offices covering nine races. The event offers a platform for candidates to present their views and respond to questions.

First-term Maui County Council Member Tom Cook finished 145 votes ahead of former Council Member Kelly Takaya King in Saturday’s primary election by winning all Central Maui precincts and splitting votes with his rival Upcountry and in West Maui. In her bid to retake her former South Maui residency seat, King prevailed in all precincts from North Kīhei to Mākena and posted strong showings in East Maui.

The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi hosts a Unity Breakfast event from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. today at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi on Beretania St. in Honolulu. The Unity Breakfast is a longstanding tradition where Democratic candidates come together in a show of strength and unity on the morning after the Primary Election.

“I’ve never said any race is a given,” West Maui state Rep. Elle Cochran said Saturday night. “A race is a race and people need options and I believe in all that. And who knows? I mean our whole town has been torn upside down. I don’t know where people’s heads are at or what they’re thinking. We’re just so divided right now. I mean really, our town is very divided.”

“I’m hopeful and it seems to be everybody in the community recognizes that she and I have very different views,” said Tom Cook, who was leading his primary race with Kelly King by a narrow margin late Saturday night.

The state’s fourth summary report was released just before 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. n the Maui races, the results were unchanged from the 1:30 a.m. third summary report released for Maui County overnight. The full results are posted here.

“Everybody’s staying very, very focused about the issues happening around Lahaina,” said Archie Kalepa, a veteran waterman with deep roots in West Maui. “Everything’s somehow in some shape or form connected to politics. It’s more important than ever for us to be vigilant, to be voting, to make sure we continue to get the support that Lahaina needs.”

Today is Primary Election Day across the state of Hawaiʻi. The election runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.

A coalition of Native Hawaiian-serving organizations, including Kamehameha Schools, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, held “Walk to the Box” events on Friday across the pae ʻāina to rally voter participation ahead of the Hawaiʻi primary election on Saturday. The events are a part of Our Kaiāulu Votes, an initiative to inspire Native Hawaiians to participate in the civic process and make their voices heard. 

Maui County Council Chair Alice L. Lee announced that committee meetings will be held in alternate locations—including the Kalana Pākuʻi Conference Room—over the next several weeks to accommodate the 2024 election schedule.

Party officials say Biden’s decision to step down further displays his commitment and selflessness as a public servant to the country that he loves.

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green, M.D. responded to the news saying: “On behalf of the state of Hawaiʻi, especially the residents of Maui, I express our forever-gratitude to President Biden for granting wildfire disaster relief within an unprecedented six hours of our making the request in a time of our people’s deepest need.”

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association is sponsoring an inaugural “Get Out the Vote” community event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului.

The deadline for candidates to purchase informational tables at the 52nd Kupuna Aloha Luncheon on Saturday, July 27 – which is expected to draw more than 400 kupuna – is on Monday, July 8.

The annual Green Party of Hawai’i (GPH) State Convention will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, via Zoom or in person from noon to 3 p.m., at the Kīhei Villages Clubhouse (140 Uwapo Road). A lunch meet and greet from noon to 1 p.m., followed by guest speakers and the election of state party officers, delegates and alternates to the Green Party of the United States National Committee (GPUS-NC).

By virtue of being uncontested, Maui County Council Members Shane Sinenci of East Maui and Gabe Johnson of Lāna‘i will be re-elected to their respective seats this year. Central Maui Sen. Troy Hashimoto is also uncontested for his 5th District Senate seat, and District 9 Rep. Justin Woodson has no opponent to stand in the way of his return to the state House of Representatives.

With a June 4 deadline just a week away, there’s been a flurry of activity in the past three weeks by candidates seeking Maui County political offices, with several checking out and/or filing their official nomination papers.

The delegates elected Derek Turbin as the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi’s 2024-2026 Chair, succeeding State Representative Adrian Tam who has served as Interim Party Chair since December 2023.

Over 400 delegates are expected to attend in person or virtually during the weekend proceedings. Interim Party Chair, Representative Adrian Tam, will oversee the meeting which is expected to include consideration and debate of topics ranging from the tragic fires on Maui, to housing affordability, access to health care, climate change, and many other issues. 

Candidates and officeholders are invited to purchase an informational table at the 52nd Kupuna Aloha Luncheon on Saturday, July 27, at the Grand Wailea.