Hawaii island Mayor Mitch Roth was receiving more votes than his nearest challenger in Saturday’s primary election, but 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 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 had 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 senator Sylvia Luke.
Receiving the fewest votes for Hawaii island mayor were Yumi Kawano, Daniel Cunningham and Kavin Kahikina.
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.
Alameda was expected to be a strong challenger to Roth in part based on public union endorsements and fundraising.
The two biggest public worker unions in the state, the Hawaii Government Employees Association and United Public Workers, endorsed Alameda.
COLIN MOORE, a University of Hawaii professor and political analyst, said Alameda has a deep connection to the Big Island community, natural charisma and a local political style similar to the popular late former mayor Billy Kenoi.
Moore said the union endorsements were a loss for Roth.
“That’s a big blow for any incumbent mayor,” Moore said.
Still, Roth raised and spent more money in the current election period. According to the state Campaign Spending Commission, Roth received $312,106 and spent $192,989.
By comparison, Alameda received $145,909 and spent $123,294.
“He developed a pretty decent war chest in that race,” Moore said of Alameda.
Roth is seeking his second term.
In the 2020 primary election, Roth, who had been county prosecutor, advanced to the general election after getting more votes than incumbent Mayor Harry Kim and community activist Ikaika Marzo.
Kim in 2020 had been seeking a fourth term as mayor, but lost the primary election with 15.6% of the vote. Roth received 31.5% followed by Marzo at 21.4%.
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 appeared headed to the general election against challengers. They are Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder, who was leading Ikaika Rodenhurst in District 5; and Cindy Evans, who was trailing James Hustace in District 9.
The District 3 seat is vacant, and Dennis Onishi appeared 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 were incumbent Tom Cook and former Council member Kelly King in a tight race for the South Maui seat, while Jocelyn Cruz was far behind incumbent Yuki Lei 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 early voting results were Abe Apilado Jr., Sherri Cummings, Fern Holland, Arryl Kaneshiro, W. Butch Keahiolalo, Jacquelyn Nelson and Bart Thomas.
