Challenge to Kaho‘ohalahala’s residency rejected

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WAILUKU - The leading candidate for the Lanai seat of the Maui County Council reported being notified Friday that a challenge to his residency had been rejected.

Sol Kaho'ohalahala said he was gratified that the county's chief election officer had ruled that he was eligible to run for the council as a Lanai resident. County Clerk Roy Hiraga declined to release the ruling until Monday, saying he wanted to wait until the 12 Lanai residents who had filed challenges had been notified of the decision by mail. Kaho'ohalahala picked up the five-page ruling from the county clerk's office.

"I've always known I was a Lanai resident, so I thought the entire challenge was ridiculous," he said Friday.

Kaho'ohalahala, an instructor at Maui Community College, has said that he maintains a family residence in Lanai City but lives with his wife in Lahaina for work reasons.

Alberta de Jetley, who had filed a challenge to Kaho'ohalahala's residency after being eliminated in a five-way primary race, said she was disappointed but not surprised by the decision. She said it appeared the law allowed a candidate to run from a district if he or she intended to move back in the future.

"I thought, 'Sol is going to slide through on this,' " she said.

John Ornellas, who finished second in the primary race and is facing Kaho'ohalahala in the general election, said he was "disappointed."

"My focus is on getting elected and helping Maui County get out of this economic situation," he said.

Ornellas had not filed a challenge.

Marcia Godinez, campaign manager for Kaho'ohalahala, noted that people filing challenges had asked for him to be eliminated from the race after finishing first in the primary election, and for de Jetley's name to be restored to the ballot. De Jetley finished third.

"They're basically trying to manipulate the outcome of an election," she said. "If this was such a burning concern, why didn't they come forward before the election?"

In a news release, the Kaho'ohalahala campaign noted that he was born and raised on Lanai, and had represented Lanai on the Maui County Council, state Legislature and community groups, and called the challenges "character assassination." One of his actions as a Maui County Council member was to open a county office on Lanai, it noted.

"There are serious issues facing the people of Lanai and the county as a whole," Kaho'ohalahala said. "Our time is better spent on focusing on real substance."

* Ilima Loomis can be reached at iloomis@mauinews.com.