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Neurodivergent-friendly voter information for Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi

KAUAI COUNCILMEMBER

About the 2026 Kauaʻi County Council Race

The Kauaʻi County Council is a seven-member body elected at-large, meaning every registered voter on Kauaʻi picks up to seven of the candidates from the same island-wide ballot — the top seven vote-getters in the general election win seats. The Council has no sub-districts; all seats are island-wide. As of the June 9, 2026 official filing record, 27 candidates initially filed for the race; Bart Thomas withdrew after filing, leaving 26 confirmed on the primary ballot. Council Chair Mel Rapozo vacated his seat to run for mayor. Fern Holland is among the filed candidates who previously served on the Council. The at-large structure means voters choose among all island-wide candidates on a single ballot. Key issues candidates have addressed in campaign coverage include housing affordability, the role of short-term vacation rentals, tourism-driven development, and public-safety and infrastructure investment. Voters should consult candidate websites, KKCR Elections forum recordings, and Honolulu Civil Beat candidate Q&As for verifiable stances.

Open seat — no incumbent running.

Primary date: 2026-08-08

SMITH, Dane

Party: Nonpartisan · Backing: Independent

Platform: Affordable housing project manager in Hanalei running for the 2026 Kauaʻi County Council.

  • Publicly identified as the Hale Kakoʻo Project Manager — overseeing a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative–backed affordable rental housing development in Hanalei; has been directly quoted: 'Sadly, in a town known for its beauty and spirit, one of Hanalei's greatest challenges is housing essential workers, like teachers and lifeguards.'
  • His quoted statement on essential-worker housing represents the only on-record policy-adjacent position attributable to his 2026 candidacy; it frames his core concern as closing the gap between Kauaʻi's resort-adjacent market rents and wages earned by the teachers, lifeguards, and service workers who sustain those communities.
  • Filed for the 2026 Kauaʻi County Council under the campaign email handle 'danesmithforkauai'; no separate campaign website or published platform was publicly indexed as of the June 2026 review.

Editorial summary: Dane Smith's Hale Kakoʻo project management role and his direct quote on essential-worker housing make him the 2026 Kauaʻi council candidate with the most concrete professional grounding in affordable housing production. His practical expertise in housing development financing, permitting, and community land trust models suggests a focus on workforce housing supply, but no formal platform beyond the Hanalei quote is on record.

Key issues: Workforce housing, Housing supply, Permitting reform, Essential worker housing

Profile last reviewed: 2026-06-03

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