Mayor Michael Victorino announced today that he will be running for re-election this year in a race that will decide Maui’s top leadership position.
Following the August primary, the county will hold its non-partisan mayoral election in November.
Victorino, a former Maui County Council member, was sworn in as mayor on January 3, 2019 after defeating Elle Cochran, also a former council member. He is scheduled to end his first term as mayor at the end of this year.
In a press release today announcing his bid for re-election, Victorino said he will revitalize Maui County with his “Four Pillars of Reconstruction Plan,” which is set to be released after he formally submits his bid next month.
“I am committed to working with all sectors of our community to build a more equitable and empowered future for the people of Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi while preserving our local way of life,” Victorino said in the press release. “A healthy society needs a healthy economy. Maintaining the health and well-being of our residents remains my top priority.”
Highlights of the plan include developing affordable rent and work housing for residents, tackling climate change by shifting to green infrastructure, and diversifying the economy by “right sizing” tourism to reduce economic reliance on one sector to decrease.
Months after Victorino took office in 2019, multiple wildfires swept through the county’s central plains and other areas, evacuating homes, blocking roads and affecting air quality.
In early 2020 and towards the end of this year, the county had to deal with devastating flood events that damaged homes, roads and other infrastructure.
In early 2020, the county and state faced the first wave of the global pandemic, which led to the forced closure of non-essential businesses in March and a significant halt to tourism, the state’s leading industry. Like the rest of the state and parts of the county, Maui County is currently grappling with a surge of the highest COVID-19 cases yet caused by the Omicron variant.
“Even with the extraordinary challenges we face with COVID-19, fires, flooding, economic uncertainty and more, Maui County’s future looks very bright,” he said in the announcement. “I’m running to continue the progress we’ve made and keep moving the county forward. This is my home and I love the people of this community. Serving as your mayor has been the honor of my life.”
Victorino has faced a recall in recent months, led by thousands opposed to COVID-19 mandates and other administration policies. Efforts eventually failed after two attempts to reach the signature threshold required for a vote.
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