Multiple sources report that Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen won reelection on November 4, defeating County Council member Yuki Lei Sugimura despite significant independent expenditure spending in support of his opponent. The race was closely watched by the vacation rental community, as Bissen championed Bill 9 — a law requiring thousands of Minatoya-list vacation rentals to convert to long-term housing — while Sugimura had opposed it.
- Mayor Richard Bissen defeated challenger Yuki Lei Sugimura to win a second term as Maui County Mayor.
- Sugimura was endorsed by the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters and the Hawaii Realtors PAC, with independent expenditure ads airing on statewide television in the final days of the race.
- Bissen’s signature policy, Bill 9, requires 6,208 vacation rentals on the Minatoya list in West and South Maui to convert to long-term resident housing; the Council passed it 5-3 and Bissen signed it into law in December.
- Bissen introduced Bill 9 after rental prices spiked as survivors of the August 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfire struggled to find housing.
- Sugimura had opposed Bill 9, making the vacation rental conversion law a central point of contrast between the two candidates.
- Bissen’s campaign also emphasized addressing the high cost of living and pursuing public ownership of critical water systems.
- On Kauai, County Council member Mel Rapozo defeated former Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. to win the mayoral race; Rapozo had previously run for mayor twice before. (Yahoo)
Sources
- Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Bissen, Rapozo winners in Maui and Kauai mayoral races
- Yahoo: Bissen, Rapozo winners in Maui and Kauai mayoral races
- The Garden Island: Bissen, Rapozo winners in Maui and Kauai mayoral races
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