Hawaii island mayor’s race appears headed for runoff
COURTESY PHOTOA
Hawaii island mayoral candidates include Kimo Alameda, left, Breeani Kobayashi, incumbent Mayor Mitch Roth and Junior Tupa‘i. After early results tonight, Roth and Alameda appeared headed for a runoff in November’s General Election.
Hawaii island Mayor Mitch Roth had more votes than his nearest challenger in today’s Primary Election, but likely not enough to avoid a runoff in the Nov. 5 General Election.
Kimo Alameda, a psychologist who once led Hawaii County’s Office of Aging and also is a former CEO of Bay Clinic Health Center, garnered 28% of the votes, compared with 39% for Roth, in the second tally of results by the state Office of Elections representing a large majority of votes cast. To win outright in the primary, more than half of the votes are needed.
Five other candidates also sought to replace Roth, but they have received significantly fewer votes. Among these other challengers, Breeani Kobayashi was in third place followed by Junior Tupa‘i.
Kobayashi is general manager of the Hawaii SCP Hilo Hotel, owner of Keaukaha General Store and president of the Hilo-based nonprofit Hawaii Rise Foundation.
Tupa‘i is a Hilo pastor who was the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in the 2022 general election won by Democratic former state Sen. Sylvia Luke, who is now lieutenant governor.
Receiving the fewest votes for Hawaii island mayor are Yumi Kawano, Daniel Cunningham and Kavin Kahikina.
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The race for Hawaii island mayor is the marquee primary election contest on the neighbor islands, where voters also are picking candidates for Hawaii County Council, Maui County Council and Kauai County Council.
Hawaii County’s Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen and Kauai County’s Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Like also were up for reelection, but faced no other candidates.
In races for the nine-member Hawaii County Council, six of eight incumbents were leading enough to likely retain their seats and avoid a general election runoff.
These incumbents are Heather Kimball in District 1; Jennifer Kagiwada in District 2; Ashley Kierkiewicz in District 4; Michelle Galimba in District 6; Rebecca Villegas in District 7; and Holeka Goro Inaba in District 8.
One of them, Kierkiewicz, faced no challenger.
Two incumbents appear headed to the General Election against contenders. They are Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder, who is leading Ikaika Rodenhurst in District 5; and Cindy Evans, who is trailing James Hustace in District 9.
The District 3 seat is vacant, and Dennis Onishi appears close to securing an outright win.
On Maui, only two of the nine council seats are up for grabs, and three contenders each are vying for those seats. The two candidates in each race with the most votes advance to the General Election.
The two leaders for each seat are incumbent Tom Cook and Kelly King Takaya in a tight race for the South Maui seat, while Jocelyn Cruz was far behind incumbent Yuki Lei Kashiwa Sugimura for the Upcountry seat.
For the seven-member Kauai County Council, there are 17 candidates and the top 14 vote-getters advance to the general election.
All seven incumbents were in the top 14. They are Addison Bulosan, Bernard Carvalho Jr., Felicia Cowden, Billy DeCosta, Ross Kagawa, KipuKai Kualii and Mel Rapozo.
Other candidates making the cut after the second voting results are Abe Apilado Jr., Sherri Cummings, Fern Anuenue Holland, Arryl Kaneshiro, W. Butch Keahiolalo, Jacquelyn Nelson and Bart Thomas.
Click here to view the latest results from the 2024 primary election.
