Richard T. Bissen Jr. Courtesy photo

Citing his work on housing initiatives and rebuilding efforts after the August 2023 Maui wildfires, Maui County Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. says he plans to seek a second term.

In a video posted Saturday on YouTube, Bissen announced his candidacy as he appears with his family and references his roots growing up on Maui, where Bissen says he grew alongside the kalo he and his dad planted.

The 2026 primary will be Aug. 8 with the general election on Nov. 3. The mayor serves a four-year term.

In 2022, Bissen won 34% of the vote in the primary — the highest percentage among any of the eight candidates. In the 2022 general election, Bissen defeated incumbent Mike Victorino 59.7% to 37.6%, sending the retired judge and prosecutor into his first term as mayor.

In asking voters for a second term, Bissen cited his efforts to accelerate the delivery of local housing, including the competition and start of construction on more than 780 affordable and workforce units and securing funding for over 1,600 homes for residents, as a couple of his successes in office during his first term.

“Through it all, my focus has remained the same — advancing Kamaʻāina housing, protecting our natural and cultural resources, and strengthening recovery and well-being for all of Maui County,” Bissen said in a statement.

Bissen also pointed to his introduction of Bill 9, which aims to rollback thousands of vacation rentals to long-term housing, as another reason voters should consider supporting him again.

“Together, we’ve faced tremendous challenges, and together, we’ve laid the foundation for Maui Nui’s path,” Bissen said. “Now, we must continue the progress we’ve begun — rebuilding Lahaina, strengthening our communities and restoring hope for every family who calls Maui home.”

During his first term, Bissen also helped secure $1.6 billion in federal disaster relief aid, with more than $900 million going to housing programs.

Other work on fire recovery included holding more than 100 community meetings in Lahaina and in Kula to offer updates and get feedback from impacted residents, as well as establishing the Lahaina Advisory Team and the Office of Recovery to help guide Lahaina’s rebuilding process, according to Bissen’s campaign team.

Bissen’s 2026 campaign team says it will hold community listening sessions and outreach events throughout Maui Nui to continue hearing from residents.

The campaign team also pointed to Bissen supporting long-term planning for sustainable tourism and helping small businesses via the Office of Economic Development implementing new approaches to water management and resource development, and to Bissen’s work spearheading the return of the Maui County Fair.