LIHU‘E — As the deadline to file for November elections approaches, only about one-third of candidates who pulled papers for various county positions have filed for office. The deadline is 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Kaua‘i County Council, represented by
LIHU‘E — As the deadline to file for November elections approaches, only about one-third of candidates who pulled papers for various county positions have filed for office.
The deadline is 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The Kaua‘i County Council, represented by seven at-large elected legislators, as of Tuesday morning had only four challengers; Kapa‘a’s Manuel Carvalho, Christina Gutierrez-More and Leialoha Sanchez, and Koloa’s Elizabeth Toulon.
Six council incumbents pulled papers, but only three filed so far, including council members KipuKai Kuali‘i, Nadine Nakamura and Melvin Rapozo. Councilman Tim Bynum had not pulled papers as of Tuesday morning.
Kuali‘i and Rapozo pulled papers Feb. 1, the first day the county Elections Division offered nomination papers this year. Both filed on Feb. 7.
Nakamura pulled papers Feb. 21, but only filed last Friday.
Kaua‘i’s senator in the state Legislature, Democrat Ron Kouchi of Lihu‘e, pulled papers April 11, but has yet to file. He will likely face Republican William Georgi of ‘Ele‘ele. Georgi pulled papers Friday, but has yet to file.
All three state representatives — Reps. Derek Kawakami, D-14th District, James Tokioka, D-15th District and Dee Morikawa, D-16th District — have pulled papers, but only Kawakami has filed them.
As of Tuesday morning, no one had challenged the state representatives.
The only race set so far is for the county prosecuting attorney, as both candidates have already filed papers. Incumbent County Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho will face Deputy County Attorney Justin Kollar in the upcoming elections.
Kollar pulled papers on Feb. 10. Iseri-Carvalho waited more than a month after that to pull papers, on March 14. But Iseri-Carvalho filed faster; she returned her nomination application March 19, while Kollar waited until April 16.
Voters will also elect a Kaua‘i trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. There were six hopefuls as of Tuesday, including Daniel Ahuna III, Allen Dean Alalem, Liberta Albao, Sharon Pomroy, Leialoha Sanchez and Donna Santos.
Only Santos has filed papers for the OHA position.
Kaua‘i voters will also choose a U.S. representative and a U.S. senator.
Six candidates have filed for U.S. senator, although the list of those who pulled papers has 11 names. Those who have already filed include nonpartisan Heath Beasley; Democrats Ed Case, Antonio Gibernat and Arturo Reyes; and Republicans Charles Collins and Linda Lingle, the state’s former governor.
Democrat Congresswoman Mazie Hirono is on the list of those who pulled papers, and has actively campaigned in the islands for the seat to be vacated by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai‘i.
Ten hopefuls are vying the Congressional seat for District 2, representing Hawai‘i’s rural communities. As of Tuesday, only six filed papers, including David Crowley, Matthew Digeronimo, Tulsi Gabbard, Esther Kiaaina, Bob Marx and Miles Shiratori. Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has pulled papers but has yet to file. Visit www.kauai.gov/elections and www.hawaii.gov/elections for more information.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
