The 2020 election season’s first Honolulu mayoral candidates forum on Wednesday was marred by technical glitches that prevented most of the public from viewing the event live on their electronic devices.

Still, it provided an introduction to nine contenders trying to navigate a newly truncated primary season made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials with event organizer Kokua Council, a longtime nonprofit that advocates for seniors, were able to place a recording of the 90-minute forum at its web page at www.facebook.com/KokuaCouncil.

The forum was to be streamed on Facebook but a technical glitch prevented that from happening. It was available live on Zoom to those who had been given an access code.

Lila Mower, Kokua Council president, said her group conducted an earlier event through Zoom that was successfully livestreamed simultaneously on its Facebook page.

“Overall, I’m happy that we were able to do this forum so that we can galvanize the local political environment,” Mower told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday night.

Several candidates touted themselves as best-qualified to navigate Honolulu away from the pandemic crisis.

Former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who prior to her time in Congress was state Senate president, said the COVID-19 crisis reinforced her decision to run for mayor. “We need someone who understands all levels of government — federal, state and county,” Hanabusa said. “We need someone who will make those connections because it is government that’s going to get us out of this. Government is there for those who need help. It is to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves.”

Former television general manager Rick Blangiardi said he retired from Hawaii News Now to embark on his campaign. It will take a candidate with “exceptional leadership ability and the ability to build trust around people” to lead Oahu out of the pandemic, Blangiardi said. Besides extensive experience leading a large company, he said, “I have hard-earned credibility with our business community and numerous nonprofit agencies and I believe I can bring them all to the table.”

Honolulu City Councilwoman Kym Pine pointed out that she was the only candidate at the forum who has had a job at City Hall, and the only incumbent elected city official. Pine said that like the Kokua Council, among her main priorities is to help “the common person whose often been left behind by government because they don’t have expensive lobbyists lobbying for them in government.” She described the Honolulu mayor’s job as “the most important position on this island today.”

Businessman Keith Amemiya, former head of a high school athletic association, said what’s needed to tackle the crisis is “new leadership, a fresh perspective and we need to restore trust in government.” Rather than turning to “the same people with the same style of leadership experience,” he said, “we’ll need a new style of leadership that brings people together, something that hasn’t existed in Hawaii politics for a very long time.”

Former state Sen. John Carroll, also an attorney, said one of his first actions as mayor would be to file a class action suit on behalf of all Honolulu residents seeking to eliminate the Jones Act, the controversial federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the country. He said he will also promote cycling competitions throughout Hawaii.

Businesswoman and activist Choon James noted that she has spent ample time at City Hall over the last 12 years lobbying for good government, transparency, retaining agricultural lands and fiscal responsibility. “Honolulu has been mismanaged and neglected,” James said “It is embarrassing. Our streets are dirty, our public restrooms stink, but the rich get richer and the poor get poorer … Insanity is voting the same old insiders in and expecting a different result.”

Tim Garry, a retired businessman and activist, also invoked a need for change. “Many of our leaders want to enlarge our economy and population, some to expand their tax revenues and their power,” Garry said. “I don’t know if that’s the consensus of the voters — maybe look at downsizing and diversifying.” Pointing out the troubles experienced by the city’s $9.2 billion rail project, Garry said, “many of our leaders over-promise and under-deliver.” He promised to serve only one term and donate his salary to charity.

Chinatown community leader Ernest Caravalho said the city has continued to neglect those living on the streets. “These are people we should be caring about,” Caravalho said. “But we neglect them and somehow we keep recycling them by putting people back into jail and letting them out 24, 25 hours later then go back on the street and maybe do the same thing again. We’re not focusing on real issues that affect the people of Hawaii.”

First-time candidate Karl Dicks, a metal fabricator, also spoke of the need for fresh people in elected office. “I’m confident that I will make decisions based on the best available information and the best path forward, for the people of Honolulu, not for the special interests, not for the special, big-money people, but for … the people who are suffering right now at this very moment … people that can’t go back to work.”