Kauai Council Incumbents Advancing To General Election
UPDATED: Voters winnowed a field of 17 candidates down to 14 who will advance to the general election.
Kauai County voters favored incumbent council members, who mostly led the pack of 17 candidates vying for the seven seats on the council, with nearly all primary election ballots counted Sunday.
The top 14 vote-getters move on to the general election in November, and in the primary voters got to select their top seven choices islandwide.
Six of the top seven are current council members. Former Mayor Bernard Carvalho led with 7.4% of votes cast followed by longtime Council Chair Mel Rapozo with 7.2%, former council member Arryl Kaneshiro (6.7%), Ross Kagawa (6.3%), KipuKai Kualii (6.3%), Felicia Cowden (5.7%) and Addison Bulosan (5.4%).
Others among the 14 candidates advancing to the general election include current council member Bill DeCosta (4.9%), Fern Holland (4.7%), Abe Apilado Jr. (2.1.%), Sherri Cummings (2%), W. Butch Keahiolalo (1.9%), Jacquelyn Nelson (1.2%) and Bart Thomas (1.2%).
The three council candidate who will be eliminated because they were receiving the least votes include Ana Mo Des (1.1%), Clint Yago (1%) and Jeffrey Lindner (0.0%).
A seat on the council could be used as a steppingstone for those who hope to run for mayor in 2026 when Derek Kawakami terms out.
Carvalho served as mayor from 2008 to 2018, and Rapozo, the current council chairman, has run several times and is a likely candidate two years from now.
The council will be instrumental in determining the future of waste management on Kauai with the island鈥檚 landfill in Kekaha close to capacity. One possible location for a new landfill is also in Kekaha near the current landfill.
Some of the key components of Kauai鈥檚 waste management system have yet to be funded, including a material recovery facility, curbside recycling and a waste-to-energy program, according to the . The plan recommends assessing the feasibility and cost effectiveness of those sorts of programs.
The county鈥檚 backlog of road repairs has also been a persistent issue that the council will need to address.
Meanwhile, county prosecutor Rebecca Like cruised to reelection, running unopposed in the primary.
