LIHUE — YWCA of Kauai Operations Director KipuKai Kualii has filed his nomination papers to run in this year’s Kauai County Council election race, the county’s Office of the County Clerk confirmed on Thursday. The former councilman is the first
LIHUE — YWCA of Kauai Operations Director KipuKai Kualii has filed his nomination papers to run in this year’s Kauai County Council election race, the county’s Office of the County Clerk confirmed on Thursday.
The former councilman is the first candidate to file for this year’s election cycle, since nomination papers were released four days ago.
“I’m hopeful that the voters have seen the kind of thoughtful, genuine and hardworking councilmember I was and will be again if elected,” he said in a press release. “Also, that I’m a fighter who will speak up for our people and for our islands.”
Kualii placed eighth in the 2012 County Council race.
All seven County Council positions now held by Mason Chock Sr., Jay Furfaro, Mel Rapozo, Ross Kagawa, Tim Bynum, JoAnn Yukimura and Gary Hooser are up for re-election this year, according to state Office of Elections documents.
Under the Kauai County Charter, all County Council seats are elected at-large and selected in order by the highest number of votes in nonpartisan county elections.
The annual salary for councilmembers, according to county Salary Commission documents, is $56,781. The council chair’s salary is $63,879.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., who has been in office for two terms, is also up for re-election this year. He is paid $114,490, according to county Salary Commission documents.
Kualii foreshadowed his decision to run in November after the Kauai County Council appointed Chock to replace Nadine Nakamura after she resigned to accept the mayor’s offer to be the county’s managing director.
Chock and Kualii were both selected as finalists by the County Council for Nakamura’s seat.
“Although it was very disappointing for me and even hurtful to my family and supporters when a tie-breaking majority of this current Council voted against my filling of the Nakamura vacancy back in November despite my being the eighth-place vote-getter and one of the most recent former councilmembers, I’ve remained engaged with the issues and with our island community,” he said. “And, I feel very positive and hopeful.”
