May 18, 2016
Listen in Person: Kula Community Center 6:30pm
Or Listen LIVE on Maui’s AKAKU TV Channel 55
With two Councilmembers stepping down after completing their five terms, several new candidates are seeking to join the Council. In other races new challengers are attempting to replace incumbents. How can voters decide?
For those who like the lively “action” of a political event, all residents are strongly encouraged to come to the candidate forum sponsored by the Kula Community Association to hear the candidates live and to meet them in person.
Maui residents will also be able to watch LIVE on their home televisions. AKAKU will broadcast this candidate forum live from 6:30pm to 9pm this coming Wednesday, May 18 on cable channel 55.
The top two vote-getters in each County Council non-partisan primary will square off in November’s general election.
Our Four Candidate Panels
There are five challengers for Mike Victorino’s Wailuku-Waikapu residency area. Some candidates bring previous government experience and others have been involved in their community. They are: Alika Atay, Joseph Blackburn, Dain Kane, Keith Regan, and Hana Steel.
Gladys Baisa’s Kula-Pukalani residency seat will have four candidates who bring considerable community experience and/or work with non-profit organizations. The four candidates are: Napua Greig-Nakasone, Eric Molina, Stacey Moniz, and Yuki Lei Sugimura.
The Makawao-Haiku-Paia residency seat has two challengers to incumbent Council Chair Mike White: Trinette Furtado and Alan Kaufman.
A forth candidate panel will have new-comer Tiare Lawrence challenging long-time incumbent Kyle Yamashita for the State Legislature’s Upcountry representative seat. This is a Democratic Party primary that could be the final election if there is no candidate from another party.
“While some candidates will tout their achievements, others will critique the way things have been done in the past and suggest ways to improve county operations. The forum should be interesting; it certainly will not be dull.”
This will be an opportunity for residents to sit back and watch a live event in the comfort of their home, or to be part of the action at the Kula Community Center.