Big Island mayoral runoff: Roth vs. Alameda

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — With the general election more than two months away, the key race in Hawaii is the mayoral runoff for the Big Island. Recent precinct-level data from the Office of Elections reveals the strengths and challenges facing each candidate.

The Hawaii Island mayor’s race was highly competitive in the August primary, with several candidates gaining significant momentum. Since no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote, the contest has moved to a runoff between incumbent Mitch Roth and challenger Kimo Alameda.

KHON2 analyzed and mapped precinct results from the primary, breaking down the island into various voting zones. Here’s what the data shows:

• Mayor Roth led in most areas of the island, including all of West and most of South Hawaii.
• Alameda performed strongly in several precincts in the Hilo area and nearby regions.
• In one neighborhood, Roth and Alameda tied with one vote each, where they were actually in third and fourth place behind other candidates who tied with two votes each.
• Areas marked in grey represent precincts with zero population, according to the Office of Elections.

So, what does this mean for the candidates heading into November?

Kimo Alameda, candidate for mayor, emphasized the importance of addressing all districts: “Everybody matters. Every district matters. That’s been our mantra from the start. We don’t want to be Hilo-centric or district-centric. We want to be island-centric because everyone deserves a fair shot and good services.”

Incumbent Mayor Mitch Roth, seeking re-election, remarked, “We performed well in most precincts, with only a few where we didn’t do as well, but even those were close. We feel good about where we stand and the progress made over the past several years. Hawaii County is in a much better place now than when we started.”

The third and fourth place candidates from the primary, Miss Kobayashi and Mr. Tupai, received a significant number of votes. Both runoff candidates are now eyeing those votes.

Alameda pointed out, “64% of our island voted for change, and right now we’re the only change option available.”

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Roth added, “As for the other candidates who are not in the runoff, Brianni and Junior, we believe our values align with theirs, and we think many of their supporters will see that.”