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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

WILSON, Herman K.

Party: Nonpartisan · Backing: Independent

Platform: Return political candidate who previously ran for the Hawaiʻi House in 2010; filed for Kauaʻi County Council in April 2026.

  • Has documented prior political history: ran as a nonpartisan candidate for the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives District 7 in the 2010 election cycle, per Ballotpedia, before withdrawing prior to the primary — the only previous electoral run on public record.
  • Filed nomination papers for the 2026 Kauaʻi County Council race on April 9, 2026, per the Office of the County Clerk, Elections Division — returning to electoral politics 16 years after his 2010 state legislative bid.
  • No campaign website, policy platform, or public Q&A was indexed as of the June 2026 review; his prior nonpartisan candidacy and 2026 county council filing are the sole public records of his political engagement.

Editorial summary: Herman Wilson has a documented prior political run on Kauaʻi — a 2010 Hawaii House District 7 nonpartisan candidacy — and returns to the ballot in 2026 for the county council. No policy positions are on the public record as of June 2026. Voters should follow KKCR forums and the Garden Island for candidate statements.

Key issues: Housing affordability, Tourism management, Infrastructure, Environmental protection

Profile last reviewed: 2026-06-03

Other candidates in this race