LIHU’E -Though they are not all Republican candidates, there is competition this year for all three of the Democratic incumbent state representatives for Kaua’i. The incumbents are Mina Morita (12th District, representing Kapa’a and Kaua’i North Shore and east Maui),
LIHU’E -Though they are not all Republican candidates, there is competition this year for all three of the Democratic incumbent state representatives for Kaua’i.
The incumbents are Mina Morita (12th District, representing Kapa’a and Kaua’i North Shore and east Maui), Ezra Kanoho (13th district, Waipouli to Puhi) and Bertha Kawakami (14th district, Koloa to Mana and Ni’ihau).
All three are full-time legislators.
Yesterday was the deadline for candidates to file. Running against Morita is Ann E. West-Tickle, a Natural Law Party candidate from Kilauea who has been unavailable for interviews.
Kanoho is challenged by Republican Juan Lugo, a Lihu’e resident and former Kaua’i County Republican Party chairman who works for Kaua’i Veterans’ Express Co., a trucking company.
Republican John Hoff, a self-employed contractor and businessman living in Lawa’i, is challenging Kawakami.
Apparently assured of another four-year term because nobody filed to run against him is Kaua’i County prosecuting attorney Michael Kaipoleimanu Soong.
An intriguing island race is the three-way run for the county’s single state Board of Education seat.
The incumbent and board chairman, Mitsugi Nakashima of Kalaheo, is a retired educator.
Among his opponents is Hanapepe’s Sherwood Hara, a retired state Family Court administrator who held the board seat for Kaua’i and Ni’ihau for several years while working for the state judiciary.
Kalaheo resident William “Bill” Georgi also filed to run for the Kaua’i seat. He couldn’t be reached yesterday for information.
Registered voters on all the outer islands (Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, Maui, Moloka’i, Lana’i and the Big Island) may cast votes for the board candidates from other islands.
That means this year that Kaua’i and Ni’ihau voters will be able to make choices for not only the Kaua’i and Ni’ihau position, but for candidates wishing to fill the Big Island seat, as well.
The Maui board member isn’t up for re-election this year.
Staff writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@pulitzer.net
