Council candidates discuss race

LIHUE — The playing field narrowed during the primary election, with voters choosing which of the 24 County Council candidates will battle it out for the next three months on the campaign trail.

Fourteen candidates remain in the race that will decide who will sit on the council for the next two years.

Incumbent Arryl Kaneshiro was the top vote getter in last Saturday’s election, garnering 9,022, or 6.8 percent of the votes. Incumbent Mason Chock slid into second with 8,632, or 6.6 percent of the votes, followed by Council Vice Chair Ross Kagawa, who earned 6.2 percent, or 8,137 of the votes.

Newcomer Luke Evslin came in fourth with 7,296, or 5.5 percent of the votes, followed by incumbent Arthur Brun, who earned 5.1 percent of the votes.

Former Councilmember KipuKai Kualii earned 6,523 votes, placing him in sixth place, while Kilauea resident Felecia Cowden rounded out the seventh spot with 3.4 percent of the votes. Norma Doctor Sparks, Billy DeCosta and Juno Ann Apalla each earned 3.2 percent of the votes.

Former Councilmember Shaylene Iseri and candidates Milo Spindt, Kanoe Ahuna and Adam Roversi also made it onto the general election ballot.

TGI talked with several of the candidates about the primary election and the battle for the seven council seats.

“I’m happy with the results, and humbled and grateful for the support,” Kaneshiro said.

He was just hoping to be in one of the top seven spots on election night, he said.

“You never know what to expect or how people are going to vote until the results are out. All you can do is hope for the best,” he said.

Keeping a balanced budget and maintaining a reserve for the county is an issue Kaneshiro, who is a certified public accountant and the council Budget and Finance Committee chair, is committed to.

“Not spending beyond our means and being disciplined with our reserves allows us to appropriate resources where it is needed, gives us the flexibility to react and address extraordinary storm events like the one we recently saw in April, and ensures that the county will be viable for future generations,” he said.

Kaneshiro enjoys being on the council because it gives him the opportunity to make crucial decisions that will not only affect us today, but well into the future.

“I can only hope for a future that maintains the same values and sense of family that have shaped my own life. Our island is growing and will continue to grow, so we need to be diligent about balancing growth and our standard of living,” he said.

In order to prevent urban sprawl, Kaneshiro said growth will likely be focused within Kauai’s existing town core areas which will allow an increase in housing stock, while simultaneously preserving agricultural and open space land, he said.

“I feel I can represent the people of Kauai and Niihau well because I am a regular, everyday Kauai resident who works hard and wants to make the best life for myself and my family,” he said.

Cowden said she was humbled and grateful for all of those who voted for her.

“Sitting on the council is an extension of the community advocacy I have been deeply involved in for a decade or longer. We’re in a crisis. The world is in a turning point and Kauai’s in a turning point and we need to have a future for our kids to grow up in where they have a healthy, beautiful island where they can still call home,” she said.

The people of Kauai are struggling and because of that struggle, Kauai is losing its core population of residents because they can no longer afford to live here, Cowden said.

“We need council people who have the best interest of the citizens at heart. I have the experience and the time available to consistently be there at the community meetings, the community gatherings and the relevant government functions in order to be informed at council,” she said.

Cowden said her main concern for Kauai is the lack of affordable housing options for residents.

“I think we need to focus on the rental market and working with existing structures in areas we can subsidize so the rental market is immediate. We needed the housing 10 years ago, we can’t wait 10 years from now,” she said.

All of the candidates who ran have something to offer the island, Cowden said.

“I want to thank the voters who have believed in me and who have supported me,” she said.

Doctor Sparks said she’s happy with the win, but now the pressure is on.

“We have to maintain and be one of the top seven, so we’re already talking about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to increase visibility and to get to know more people and let people know more things,” she said.

The race is going to be close and she hopes to earn the votes from those who voted for the 10 candidates that didn’t make it into to the general election race.

“I’m hoping to have them know more about me. But we’re still talking strategy, so I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to be doing, but I do now that we’re going to have to work hard,” she said.

Doctor Sparks said her campaign team knows they’re going to have to work hard to earn enough votes. Her council run is an extension of her career in public service, Doctor Sparks said.

“I feel very strongly that there are things that the county needs to change. I’m very interested in the budget of the council and I think that dealing with a $4 billion budget or a $12 million budget, that I understand government budgets, and I want to make sure that we’re maximizing the budget as much as possible because there are so many needs on Kauai,” she said.

Affordable housing, including rentals and ownership, is also something Doctor Sparks is concerned about.

“I’d like to build industries … and I think if we can do that one, then we can allow people to work where they live, then they wouldn’t have to drive to Lihue,” she said.

Doctor Sparks said tiny houses are another option that could address Kauai’s housing issue.

She’s also concerned about keeping Kauai’s environment as pristine as possible for generations to come.

Apalla said she’s relieved with her election results, but at the same time she knows there’s a lot of work to be done.

Currently, she’s meeting with at least two people per day and her team is ramping up their presence in the community.

“We’re looking forward to meeting everybody at the events that we participate in,” Apalla said.

Her campaign has been staffing a booth at the Kauai County Fair, which ends today.

“I’m more optimistic and hopeful that we’ll make it into the top seven in the general election. I want to reach out and encourage everyone to vote. Our voter turnout needs to improve, we need more people out there voting,” she said.

What fuels her energy to move forward as a candidate in this election, are her mentors who are also leaders in the community that cheer her on and those who supported her campaign by voting for her.

“We have almost 3,000 votes. When I say I have mixed feelings, we have work to do. We do. We’re about 97 votes away from being in the seventh place in the primary,” she said.

One of Apalla’s motivating factors for entering this year’s race is because she realizes there are gaps in government leadership at the county level, including the working class and representation for female leaders.

“The people I see every day say we need a breath of fresh air, we need change. The county’s future and which way it goes depends on who sits in government,” she said.

As a councilmember, Apalla said she can offer a perspective that comes from underrepresented individuals in our community.

“Once elected into office I will work very hard to make sure that everyone’s voices are included in the decisions that I make,” she said.

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Bethany Freudenthal, crime, courts and county reporter, can be reached 652-7891 or bfreudenthal@thegardenisland.com.