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Former pro surfer and MMA fighter Dustin Barca got some help in his uphill battle to unseat Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. this fall.

Fightland, a VICE show, released a this week about Barca’s fight against genetically modified seed companies, like Monsanto and Syngenta, that spurred him to seek office.

For a first-time candidate, he put up a strong showing in the Aug. 9 primary, securing 31 percent of the vote to Carvalho’s 58 percent. The general election results next month probably won’t differ too much, but it does say a lot about the dissatisfaction Kauai residents have with the administration’s position on GMO issues.

Kauai mayoral candidate Dustin Barca at the Mana March against GMOs on Kauai, Sept. 8, 2013.

Sophie Cocke/ Civil Beat

Last October Carvalho vetoed a bill passed by the Kauai County Council that would have forced seed companies to disclose the chemicals they spray on their crops and create buffer zones around schools and residential areas. The council overturned the veto, but in August a federal judge invalidated the law. That decision is now on appeal.

The Fightland show opens with a shot of the Hawaiian flag and a surfboard at Hanalei Bay before turning to an “AI (heart) U” handmade sign nailed to a tree at Hanalei Bay, a tribute to the late pro surfer Andy Irons.

The show highlights Barca’s role in organizing community protests against the GMO companies and talks about how he’s now “fighting above his weight.”

Carvalho is indeed a formidable opponent, beloved by many on island, well funded and entrenched in key political circles. He had $159,597 in campaign cash on hand as of Aug. 9, the most recent filing — a lot more than the $3,462 Barca had in his account, although Barca can say he got a contribution from Pierce Brosnan’s wife.

Check out the Fightland video (although disregard the part at the end that says election day is Nov. 8; it’s actually Nov. 4).

Read past Civil Beat coverage of the GMO issue here.