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Incumbents prevail in close council races

Kahului race proves closest of the night

By KEHAULANI CERIZO 7 min read

Council Member Tasha Kama, who successfully defended her Kahului residency seat for a second term, said she knew it would be a tight race.

In a year of record turnout for Maui County voters, the first printout around 11 p.m. election night showed the incumbent Kama held a 2,485-vote lead over challenger and first-time candidate Carol Lee Kamekona. By the final printout at nearly 5 a.m. Wednesday, Kama had won by 2,392 votes in what was the closest council contest of the night.

She wound up with 30,022 votes, or 41.9 percent, to Kamekona's 27,630 votes, or 38.6 percent.

"I knew the race was going to be a close one," Kama said Wednesday. "Not because Miss Kamekona was a better candidate . . . I wasn't running against her, I was really running against a super PAC."

Kama, who sprang to a decisive victory over Mayor Alan Arakawa two years ago as an 'Ohana Coalition-endorsed candidate, quickly paved her own path once in office. Her departure from coalition votes, something that she said made the coalition "really disappointed and very dissatisfied," led to an endorsement for Kamekona.

"Things that were coming across in my emails, things that were said on the chamber floor . . . told me, 'You better watch out.' I thought, 'OK, I will remember that, but I'm still going to do what is right,' " Kama said.

Ultimately, Kama said she's grateful for the people who have faith and confidence in her ability to represent their voices. She said she takes the responsibility very seriously, especially during such a difficult time in history.

"I just appreciate the fact that it takes faith, it takes trust, for other people to put their check mark next to your name," she said. "They're saying things are really bad, but I believe in you and I believe you can help us to make things better."

The incumbent said she will continue to make decisions based on what she believes is right in her "heart, mind and spirit."

"Sometimes having the right decision is not always popular -- but it's still a good one," she said.

Kamekona said Wednesday that she doesn't see the outcome as a loss.

"I look at it as a lesson learned," she said. "Everything is in Ke Akua's time. So he has other plans for me. That's where I'm going."

The political newcomer said she was surprised with the amount of votes she received in the general election compared with the primaries. She lauded voter turnout, which she attributed to the national election and issues that resonate with the lahui, the people.

"I think there were a lot of things that attributed to the rise in the amount of voters who came out," she said. "I would hope that people stay involved and become more involved."

As far as what's next, Kamekona said, "it's one day at a time."

In the second-closest race that also went to an incumbent, Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez defeated challenger Stacy Helm Crivello by 5,375 votes. At the first printout, Rawlins-Fernandez came out with a 4,505-vote lead over Crivello.

Vice-chairwoman of the council and also head of the council's Economic Development and Budget Committee, Rawlins-Fernandez earned 31,706 votes, or 44.3 percent, to Crivello's 26,331 votes, or 36.8 percent.

It was the third meeting between the two candidates; Rawlins-Fernandez unseated then-Council Member Crivello in 2018, two years after Crivello successfully defended her seat against Rawlins-Fernandez.

On Wednesday after sign-waving to thank voters, the incumbent said she was impressed by the county turnout and felt grateful that her work resonated with people.

She "felt truly grateful that my performance had earned validation and votes of majority of the electorate, having worked really hard as a freshman council member to earn the support of my bosses: our voters," Rawlins-Fernandez said. "With the pandemic restricting my ability to travel to Maui and Lanai to campaign, my record really had to do a lot of the heavy lifting."

Rawlins-Fernandez, who was also endorsed by the 'Ohana Coalition, added that the election results proved again that "outside money can't influence our elections" compared to the strength of grassroots mobilization within the community, which is what her campaign represents.

Crivello on Wednesday said that the election's outcome does not mean she will stop serving the community. She added that she will continue to support residents through her work as a Molokai community liaison for the Mayor's Office.

"I don't believe you have to be on the council to do things for the community," she said. "I know that in these challenging times, we have to work together."

She emphasized the importance of unity during challenging times and said there is much work ahead with the impacts of COVID-19. Crivello added that she is thankful for family and friends who have supported her throughout her campaign.

"These are challenging times," she said. "No matter who is our council, it is a matter of us coming together."

In another closely watched race to claim the Lanai residency seat -- the only open race on the council this year -- the third time proved to be a charm for Gabe Johnson.

Johnson ran three consecutive races and came out on top in Wednesday's final tally with 32,095 votes, or 44.8 percent, over Alberta de Jetley's 24,479 votes, or 34.2 percent.

"I ran three races in a row and that's because I believed in my message -- I believed if you talk to enough people and convince them that I'm going to work for them and not the corporate interest, then I think you stick with your message and people will start agreeing with you," he said.

He lost the two previous times to incumbent Council Member Riki Hokama, who is leaving due to term limits.

Johnson said he was impressed with the voter turnout, a sign that Maui County has "woken up."

"They're not just low-information voters that a lot of people criticize -- they are very intelligent, they know what's going on in their lives, and they go out and exercise their rights," he said.

Once in office, Johnson said he's looking forward to carrying out the message he's echoed all along: helping the working class live in a clean environment with a healthy environment.

"That's my message that got me the votes and I'm going to stick to it," he said.

De Jetley on Wednesday said the results were a bit of a relief for her.

"It means I won't have to commute," she said from a Kaanapali hotel where she was celebrating her son's birthday. "I have been on Maui on and off for almost a year and I miss my island. I'm looking forward to being at home again."

Going back to Lanai doesn't mean she will slow down any time soon, though.

De Jetley, who has a long list of community involvement, is the vice-chair of Lanai for the Democratic Party and will be working on cultivating young leaders.

"We are all in," she said.

Final results for other county council races include the following:

• East Maui residency seat: Incumbent Shane Sinenci earned 32,988 votes, or 46.1 percent, over Claire Kamalu Carroll's 26,234 votes, or 36.6 percent. There were 12,362 blank votes, or 17.3 percent.

• West Maui residency seat: Incumbent Tamara Paltin received 33,686 votes, or 47 percent, over Rick Nava's 26,583 votes, or 37.1 percent. There were 11,323 blank votes, or 15.8 percent.

• Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu residency seat: Incumbent Alice Lee was unopposed with 48,010 votes, or 67 percent. There were 23,600 blank votes, or 33 percent.

• South Maui residency seat: Incumbent Kelly Takaya King won 34,147 votes, or 47.7 percent, over Tom Cook's 25,496 votes, or 35.6 percent. There were 11,953 blank votes, or 16.7 percent.

• Makawao-Haiku-Paia residency seat: Incumbent Mike Molina earned 41,219 votes, or 57.6 percent, to Aja Eyre's 18,455 votes, or 25.8 percent. There were 11,915 blank votes, or 16.1 percent.

• Upcountry residency seat: Incumbent Yuki Lei Kashiwa Sugimura received 48,258 votes, or 67.4 percent. There were 23,352 blank votes, or 32.6 percent.

* Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com.

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