AirBnBs And Wastewater: Hawaiʻi County Council District 3 Candidate Q&As

Only two candidates in the primary for council seat representing parts of South Hilo and Kea’au.

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Only two candidates in the primary for council seat representing parts of South Hilo and Kea’au.

The incumbent council member for Hawaiʻi County Council District 3, Dennis ‘Fresh’ Onishi, is facing Kelton Chang in the Aug. 8 primary.

District 3 includes parts of Orchidlands and Hawaiian Paradise Park, Panaʻewa, Pūʻainakō and Keaukaha.

The nonpartisan candidates were sent a survey from Civil Beat asking them to outline their views on a variety of issues including traffic, vacation rentals and infrastructure.

Their responses are linked here in alphabetical order under their official ballot name, which you can also compare all in one spot on Civil Beat’s 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Kelton Chang

Dennis Onishi

2026 Elections Guide
Hawaiʻi’s 2026 elections are right around the corner and Civil Beat’s elections guide is here to help with essential information, candidate positions, news stories and more.
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