The Maui News

Incumbents in Maui County state House seats enjoyed a significant advantage — as usually is the case — in fundraising to defend their seats against challengers.

Here’s the breakdown for state Campaign Spending Commission reports for the current period of Aug. 14 to Oct. 24 (The deadline for filing the reports was Monday; figures are rounded to the nearest dollar.):

* House District 8 (Wailuku-Kahakuloa-Waihee-Waiehu-Puuohala-Waikapu.: House Speaker Joe Souki began the election cycle with $39,653 in the bank. He received $130,253 in campaign contributions, giving him a campaign war chest of $169,906. Of that, he reported spending $84,565, leaving him $85,341.

Republican challenger Gilbert “Gil” Rebolledo started at zero and raised $1,750. He spent $11,253 and has a deficit of $9,503.

* House District 10 (West Maui-Maalaea-north Kihei). Rep. Angus McKelvey stepped into the election cycle with a carryover of $14,642. He fundraised $49,637, leaving him with $64,280. He reported expenditures of $53,764, and he had a remaining cash-on-hand balance of $10,516. Making his third bid to unseat McKelvey is Republican Chayne Marten, but his campaign was overshadowed when he was arrested and charged with eight sex assault charges and one charge of endangering the welfare of a minor. He has pleaded not guilty. His campaign spending report shows he had $23 on hand at the beginning of the election cycle. He fundraised and spent nothing.

* House District 11 (South Maui). Rep. Kaniela Ing filed a day late, on Tuesday, according to commission online records. His filing shows he began the election cycle with $20,966, and he fundraised $62,239, giving him a total of $83,205. Of that, he spent $44,990. He reported a cash surplus of $38,215. (The figures are identical to Ing’s post-primary report for the period of July 30 to Aug. 13.) Ing’s Republican challenger, Daniel Pekus, filed on time and reported raising $8,230, spending $3,474 and having $4,756 on hand.

* House District 13 (Haiku-Paia-East Maui-Molokai-Lanai). Democratic Rep. Lynn DeCoite reported fundraising $95,797, spending $78,465 and having cash on hand of $17,332. Her Green Party challenger, Nick Nikhilananda, started the election cycle with $421. He raised $4,231, giving him a total of $4,652. Of that, he spent $2,567 and had $2,085 remaining.

House Rep. Justin Woodson (Kahului-Puunene-Old Sand Hills-Maui Lani) was unopposed for re-election to the 9th District. And, in the Upcountry 12th District, Democratic Rep. Kyle Yamashita won his primary contest and is unopposed in the general election.

There are no races for Maui County seats in the state Senate. Central Maui Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran is the only one facing re-election this year but was unopposed. Maui Sens. Roz Baker (West and South Maui) and J. Kalani English (East Maui, Upcountry, Molokai and Lanai) are in the middle of their four-year terms.