Current Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth will become Hawaii County Mayor on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.  After a lengthy and nail-biting delay, with people still voting on O’ahu until after 11 p.m.,  results were finally released at 11:25 p.m.

Roth received 48,895 votes, or 57%, compared to political newcomer Ikaika Marzo’s 34,142 votes, or 40%.  They had come out on top after a crowded field of 15 contenders in the Primary.   Roth ran on his years of experience in County government, but said he was bringing fresh ideas to the job.  Marzo ran touting his experience in raising funds during the 2018 lava eruption and bringing out-of-the-box ideas and personnel to the job.  Incumbent Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim had finished third in the Primary. Kim has pledged that he and his cabinet members will provide a smooth transition to the incoming Mayor.

Roth has his work cut out for him, with a budget already cut by the State due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a nearly nonexistent island economy that is barely starting to recover with the arrival of a limited number of tourists, and a County with demands that will far exceed capacity.

Roth and Marzo ran a respectful and civil race, with no negativity between the candidates.  Roth repeatedly said he wanted to create a government that treats people with dignity and respect and helps people succeed and thrive.  In an interview on Hawaii News Now after the results, Marzo said he plans to continue being a community advocate.

In other County races, Heather Kimball will join the Hawaii County Council as the Representative for District 1, which includes a small slice of Waimea and the Hamakua Coast through North Hilo to the Singing Bridge.  Kimball got 4,531 votes, or 51.3%,  to Dominic Yagong’s 3,707 votes, 42%.  Yagong was running for his fourth term as County Council member, to return after his last term ended in 2012,  after incumbent Valerie Poindexter term-limited out.  This will be Kimball’s first elected office.  She has two decades of professional experience in research, teaching and leadership positions in both the public and private sectors. Heather is also an active community volunteer serving as the Chair of the Hawaii County Democratic Party, on the Hawaii County Board of Appeals and on the boards of several local community based organizations.

Matt Kaneali’i Kleinfelder will retain his position as County Council Representative for District 5, Puna, defeating challenger Ikaika Rodenhurst with 4,151 votes, or 47.2%, and Rodenhurst, a civil engineer and first -time candidates getting 3,833 votes, or 43.6%.  This will be Kaneali’i Kleinfelder’s second Council term.

 

This year was Hawaii’s first all-mail voting for both the Primary in August and the General Election.  There were Voter Service Centers on each island for those people who still needed to register and vote, which opened October 20. They were to close at 7 p.m. today, but allowing anybody in line at that time to vote in person.  In Hilo, the Voter Service Center finally closed around 8:30.  But on O’ahu, one of two Voter Service Centers on that island still had people who had been in line at 7 p.m.  voting past 11 p.m.  The first printout, normally released soon after 7 p.m., did not come out until  around 11:25 p.m.

Out of an all-time high voter registration on the island of 127,348, 69%, or 85,168 actually voted.  More than 80,000 of those people voted via mail (or Ballot Drop Box).

For the  complete Hawaii County election results, click here.