Hawaiʻi island voters decided who would fill three empty council seats on Tuesday. Final voting results show Lloyd Enriquez, Ikaika Rodenhurst and Zed Kaʻapana Aki in the lead to represent districts 4, 5 and 6. Margins were paper-thin, final results show, triggering automatic recounts in the races for districts 4 and 6. Voters also approved a charter amendment that would allow the county auditor to hire a deputy. 

Another new face, Manu Powers, won her seat outright in August along with five other council members. 

Four seats opened up with three term-limited council members — Ashley Kierkiewicz, Matt Kaneali’i-Kleinfelder and Rebecca Villegas — and Michelle Galimba deciding not to run again. The dramatic turnover could shift the dynamics, power and priorities of the council which faces a tight budget, aging infrastructure and a long road to recovery from three major disasters.

New Council Members

The race for the three open seats was tight this election season. The contest was crowded in the primary leaving slim margins between candidates. The margins were even slimmer in Tuesday’s general election.

Eileen O’hara was winning her race in early results but by the final tally Wednesday morning, her opponent, Enriquez was trailing ahead but by a razor-thin margin.

Enriquez won 50.7% of the vote with O’Hara not far behind with 49.3%. She received 89 votes less than Enriquez.

Enriquez will represent District 4, which stretches from Hawaiian Paradise Park to Kalapana. 

Enriquez was raised in Puna, served as a school safety officer for over three decades and currently serves on the county’s Police Commission.  

Rodenhurst won his race for District 5, which includes Puna Mauka, with 54% of the vote, final results show. Shannon Matson trailed with 45% of the vote. Rodenhurst and Matson largely agreed on the issues but approached solutions differently. 

Rodenhurst ran on addressing traffic, housing and the rising cost of living. The Kamehameha Schools graduate leveraged his experience at the Department of Transportation and as head of the Department of Public Works under former Mayor Mitch Roth as evidence that he could fix longstanding issues with substandard roads in Puna.

“I feel that I reached out to the community, and the community responded,” he said Tuesday night. “I’m waiting for the next result…I want to be fair.”

Aki was winning the race for District 6, which stretches from Volcano to South Kona. The state’s largest council district has been hard-hit by three major disasters in the last year. 

He received 50.4% of votes after losing the primary. His opponent, Guy Enriques, was close behind with 49.6% of the vote. The margin was 56 votes.

Aki is a farmer and runs a local non-profit focused on uplifting rural communities. He has deep roots in Kaʻū and made promises to increase economic opportunities in the district and address the rising cost of living, food insecurity and the housing shortage.

Though Aki was ahead in early results, he said he was waiting for the last printout before celebrating.

“It’s just too close,” Aki said on Tuesday. “I won’t feel comfortable until tomorrow morning.”

Charter Amendment Passes

Voters also approved a charter amendment on Tuesday, early results show. The amendment would allow the county auditor to hire a deputy and would give her the hiring and firing power that most county department heads have.

The measure was passed unanimously by the council, which appoints the county auditor. The office is responsible for conducting financial and performance audits of county agencies, programs and operations. The office also inspects the county’s spending and annual budgets.

County Auditor Clare McAdam said her office needed a deputy to prevent delays in publishing audits and to improve workflow during extended absences and vacancies.

The office is currently conducting audits of the county’s Homeless and Housing Fund and has plans to audit the county’s wastewater division and police evidence storage facilities.

“Ultimately, this is about continuing and ensuring the important work of the auditor’s office can continue without interruption,” Council Chair and author of the bill, Holeka Inaba, told Civil Beat in September. He ran unopposed this election.