Twelve of 14 candidates in seven contested Maui County Council races debated key issues at a Kula forum ahead of the November 3 election. Topics included visitor accommodation development, water scarcity, and affordable housing.
- The November 3 election could shift the council’s ideological balance, with two open seats vacated by retiring moderates Alice Lee and Yuki Lei Sugimura.
- Progressives are guaranteed at least two seats, with Keani Rawlins-Fernandez and Gabe Johnson both running unopposed.
- The South Maui rematch between incumbent Tom Cook and Kelly King — decided by just 97 votes in 2024 — centers on how aggressively to approve new development projects.
- Candidate Kelly King said she would oppose drawing more water from the Kama’ole aquifer for new South Maui developments, prioritizing affordable housing and agriculture instead.
- King criticized the current council for reducing affordable unit requirements in the 1,150-unit Honua’ula project from 450 to 288 homes and for lifting a 2021 moratorium on new visitor accommodation permits.
Source: Maui Now
Share this article
