Maui County Council member Tasha Kama, a former pastor who was first elected to represent Kahului in 2018, died Sunday night, her family announced in a social media post. 

“She dedicated her life to her family and community with love and compassion,” her family said, adding that a memorial service would be announced at a later date.

At the time of her death, Kama had been staying in the intensive care unit at Maui Memorial Medical Center, Nayleen Kamai, her office’s executive assistant, said in a statement on Monday.

The eight other members of the council now have about a month under the county charter rules to determine who will fill the vacancy left by Kama, who chaired the Housing and Land Use Committee. If they fail to appoint a new council member, Mayor Richard Bissen will be given the power to appoint Kama’s successor.

Before her death, the balance of power tipped in favor of the council’s more conservative-leaning majority, which included Kama, Tom Cook of South Maui, Alice Lee of Central Maui, Yuki Lei Sugimura of Upcountry and Nohelani U‘u-Hodgins of the North Shore. But with Kama’s seat now vacant, the council is evenly split between that faction and the more progressive camp, which consists of Tamara Paltin of West Maui, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez of Molokaʻi, Shane Sinenci of East Maui and Gabe Johnson of Lānaʻi.

That could make it difficult for members to come to a consensus on who should fill the vacancy, said Dick Mayer, a longtime Maui political observer and retired University of Hawaiʻi Maui College professor. 

“Given the great divide and how both sides have stood up so strongly for their positions, I think it may be very difficult to find a compromise candidate,” Mayer said. “The person they select will become the deciding vote on almost every controversial issue that comes up before the council.”

The council is in the coming months expected to take up a number of high-stakes issues, including Bill 9, Bissen’s controversial plan to phase out thousands of vacation rentals. 

Even though Kama was one of only three council members to vote against advancing Bill 9 out of the Housing and Land Use Committee and on to the full council, the legislation’s fate remains uncertain. Aspects of the legislation could still change, and some members only agreed to support moving forward with the bill so that a temporary investigative group could further look into the social and economic impacts of passing it and recommend options to allow certain properties to continue operating as short-term rentals.

Before her death, Kama humbly requested that council members consider appointing Kauanoe Batangan to fill her seat. Batangan is executive director of the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization and has held other positions in local and state government, according to a statement from Kama’s office.

In an emailed statement on Monday evening, Batangan said he and Kama had many discussions about their shared commitment to the people of Kahului, and Kama had asked him in her final hours if he would consider finishing her term. 

“Before she passed, council member was assured that when the appropriate time comes, I would be willing to be considered by the council to fill her seat,” he said. “Until then, I hope as a community we can take this time to reflect on the life of a great leader and friend to many.”

Had there been more than 15 months remaining in Kama’s term, a special election would have been held to determine her successor. Kama, having been reelected in November, began her most recent term Jan. 2 and had about 14 months remaining.

‘A Woman Of Deep Faith’

Throughout Sunday night and Monday, prominent politicians from across the state released statements extending their condolences to Kama’s family and remembering the former council member as a dedicated public servant who was guided by her faith.

Flags at the county’s Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku would be lowered in Kama’s honor all week, Bissen said in a statement. 

“She was a woman of deep faith, compassion and aloha — a leader whose every action reflected her love for our people and her commitment to service,” he said. “Tasha led with humility and strength, always guided by her belief in doing what was just and right for our community. Her wisdom, warmth and unwavering faith touched countless lives and will continue to guide us long after her passing.”

Maui is better off because of Kama’s “tireless advocacy and hard work,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in a statement.  

“She was kind and generous, but not afraid to take on some of the county’s most pressing challenges, including housing and Native Hawaiian health care,” he said.

Yuki Lei Sugimura, vice chair of the Maui County Council, said Kama was not just her colleague, but her best friend.

“We sat next to each other in the Council Chamber, and we often carpooled to community events together,” she said in a statement Monday. “In all those hours we shared, I saw her heart — her deep love for her family, her faith, and her unwavering dedication to the people of Maui County.”

She added, “I will miss her laughter, her wisdom, and her steady presence beside me. Maui County has lost one of its brightest lights.”

Kama was born and raised on O‘ahu, but she had lived on Maui since 1983, according to a statement provided by Nayleen Kamai, her office’s executive assistant. She graduated from the University of Hawai‘i’s Maui College, where she was the student body president.

Kama served as the senior pastor of the Christian Ministry Church, and many congregants knew her as Kahu Kama. She was involved in numerous local and national organizations.

“She dedicated her life to the belief that true strength lies in community,” according to the statement provided by Kamai.

Kama was first elected to the council in 2018, when she defeated Alan Arakawa, the former council member and three-term mayor.

For more than 40 years, Kama “dedicated herself to advocating for others, building bridges across our community, advancing social justice, and expanding opportunities for all working families,” the statement provided by Kamai says. “Her passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of those who had the privilege to know and serve alongside her.”

A few days before she died, Kama told her senior executive assistant Evan Dust that she was thankful for the opportunity to serve her community, according to Kamai.

“My father taught me that a life of service is an act of worship,” Kama said in the statement. “It has been my deepest honor to live that lesson through this Council. As I prepare to return home to our Lord, I do so with gratitude, peace, and unwavering faith in God’s goodness.” 

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.