Maui County, Hawaii

Maui County Mayor

2 candidates are tracked for Maui County Mayor on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Richard T. Bissen, Jr. and Yuki Lei Sugimura. Candidate information follows official Maui County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Richard Bissen (15,709 votes) and Yuki Lei Sugimura (11,438) advance to the November 3, 2026 general election, per the Hawaii Office of Elections' official August 8 primary results. Maui County holds a primary only when more than two candidates file, and races are never decided at the primary: the top two always advance to November 3, per Civil Beat's charter explainer and Maui Now.

What this office does

Mayor. The mayor is the city's chief elected official. In a strong-mayor city the mayor runs the city government, prepares the budget and appoints department heads; in a council-manager city the mayor presides over the council and a hired manager runs operations. Which model applies depends on the city charter.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, Richard T. Bissen, Jr., is on the ballot.

Hawaii › Maui County › Maui County Mayor

Richard T. Bissen, Jr.

NonpartisanIncumbent

Top priorities

Maintain housing momentum after increasing affordable housing production
Raise public stewardship of West Maui drinking water through acquisitions
Recovery and readiness, including a new Emergency Operations Center

Per his Civil Beat Q&A.

Biography

Bissen is a retired judge and prosecutor with three decades in public service who was elected Maui County Mayor in 2022 and has family roots in Paia, Piʻihana, Keʻanae and Kahakuloa, per the campaign site. Bissen is seeking re-election as Maui County Mayor, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Yuki Lei Sugimura

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Speed up permit and project reviews so homes can actually get built
Invest in water, wastewater and roadway infrastructure that unlocks home building
Cesspool conversions supported by county property tax credits

Per the Civil Beat Q&A.

Biography

Maui County Council vice chair who held the council's Upcountry residency seat for roughly a decade and gave it up to run for mayor, per Maui Now, which reported she led the incumbent in pre-primary fundraising.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Next on your ballotMaui County Council (Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu residency seat)

See your full ballot

Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Maui County Mayor in 2026?

When is the Maui County Mayor election in Hawaii?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Hawaii are on the Hawaii election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Maui County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Maui County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Hawaii election office, or see the full Maui County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Maui County ballot

17 tracked races in Maui County, Hawaii. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Maui County Council (Kahului residency seat)Maui County Council (Upcountry residency seat)Maui County Council (South Maui residency seat)See all 17 Maui County races

Candidate profiles

Richard T. Bissen, Jr., full profile Yuki Lei Sugimura, full profile Official Hawaii election office