There will be another Mayoral forum, billed as a “debate,” to be online and also broadcast on Na Leo TV, on Thursday.   The forum is sponsored by the online event entity Big Island Pulse (bigislandpulse.com), owned by Kristen “KT” Thario, and Na Leo TV.  Most candidate forums in advance of the August 8 election, which will be all by mail, are virtual because of COVID-19 restrictions.  Because the Mayor position is nonpartisan, if any candidate on August 8 gets more than 50% of he vote, he or she will be elected and not be on the ballot in the General Election on November 3.

Donalyn delaCruz of the O’ahu political strategy firm Strategies360 will moderate.   There will also be a panel of community members who will pose questions.  They include Ilihia Gionsen, who is Tulsi Gabbard’s Big Island liaison and formerly worked on Mayor Billy Kenoi’s staff;  Miles Yoshioka, Executive Director of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce; and K.T. Thario, owner of Big Island Pulse.

Because there are 15 candidates, they’ve been divided into two groups.

One candidate for Mayor, Ikaika Marzo, complained on his Facebook page that he doesn’t feel the format is fair, and that all candidates need to receive what he calls “prime time” treatment.  Additionally, Marzo says that the organizers are allowing candidates to ask questions of other candidates, in which, as he said, “the candidates are encouraged to “attack” each other directly, I don’t think is productive and has a good chance to cause bickering and drama.” Marzo also expressed concern that one of the Mayoral candidates (Stacy Higa) is the General Manager of Na Leo TV and therefore the forum might have bias…even though BigIslandPulse.com is owned by Thario and she says she is managing the process.

Marzo urged his fellow mayoral candidates to withdraw from the forum and said “IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN to address these issues, I must regretfully withdraw from the debate, and encourage my fellow candidates to do the same.”

Thario responded via the BigIslandPulse.com web site, saying she would have appreciated Marzo contacting her directly rather than just posting something on Facebook.  She spoke to the methods she has used to ensure fairness.

Previously in an online forum sponsored by Waimea Community Association, Marzo declined to answer some questions and suggested people go to his Facebook page.

The two-part forum will air this Thursday, June 25, and be viewable at bigislandpulse.com, naleo.tv, and on television on the NaLeo Channel 54.

The schedule and candidates:

2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.:

Paul Bryant, Michael Glendon, Robert Kelly Greenwell, Wendell Kahe’uae’a,  Yumi Kawano, Mike Ruggles, Ted Shaneyfelt, Lahi Verschur

6 p.m. until 8 p.m.:

Neil Azevedo, Bob Fitzgerald, Stacy Higa, Harry Kim, Ikaika Marzo, Mitch Roth, Tante Urban

Additional, the forums will rebroadcast on NaLeo TV Channel 54 on Friday, June 26, at 2 p.m. with Azevedo, Fitzgerald, Higa, Kim, Marzo (if he participates), Roth, and Urban.  At 6 p.m. the forum rebroadcast will include Bryant, Glendon, Greenwell, Kahe’uae’a,  Kawano, Ruggles, Shaneyfelt, Verschur.

The forums will also be available any time at BigIslandPulse.com and at naleo.tv.