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About the 2026 Maui Mayoral Race — Incumbent Running

The 2026 Maui mayoral race centers on one overriding question: how well has the county government managed the aftermath of the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire — the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century — and what does recovery look like for the next four years? Incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen took office in December 2022 and has spent most of his first term navigating the disaster response: emergency housing placement, debris removal, rebuilding permitting, and coordinating with state and federal agencies. His re-election campaign is built squarely on that record, arguing that leadership continuity is essential during the multi-year Lahaina rebuild. Nine challengers have filed to oppose him: John Dunbar, Justin Herrmann, P. Denise La Costa, Travis A. Liggett, Joseph Moses, Amy Petterson, Yuki Lei Kashiwa Sugimura, Callahan P. Welsh, and Laurent Zahnd. Together they represent a wide range of perspectives on recovery oversight, housing policy, and the county's long-term relationship with the visitor industry. Beyond the immediate wildfire recovery, the race is shaped by the same pressures straining housing markets across the state: median home prices in Maui County have long been among the highest in Hawaiʻi, vacation rental proliferation has reduced long-term rental inventory, and wildfire displacement compounded an already acute shortage of workforce and affordable housing. How aggressively the next mayor pursues workforce housing production, what limits (if any) are placed on short-term rentals in West Maui's recovering communities, and how the county balances tourism-dependent revenues against resident quality of life are the central policy questions before voters. The primary will narrow the field before the November general election.

Primary date: 2026-08-08