In My Sexy 60s and the Elections in 2026
Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran
I happily learned Foodland offers a kūpuna discount on Thursdays (anyone over sixty is eligible). Good deal. Picked up some poke and Roselani Banana Mac Nut ice cream.
I’m more conscious of my age nowadays (never thought I’d be as old as I am now). I toyed with letting my hair grow back out just to see if I looked more like my father or my maternal grandfather. I first shaved my head last century so it’s been a while since I’ve had a full head of hair—at one time I had enough for a ponytail.
But two Lenten Sundays, my locks didn’t come back enough and someone observed my head looked like Molokini from behind.
Things just don’t stay the same.
In July, my elementary school, Maui Christian Academy, marks its 70th anniversary. The alumni will be gathering. It was still Doris Todd Memorial Christian Day School in my time growing up in Pā‘ia, and the teachers were all missionaries supported by their home churches and others on the mainland and Canada.
I recently went to First Hawaiian Bank on Ka‘ahumanu Avenue and noticed the old Chart House / Hideaway; its parking lot and landscaping, is finally getting a makeover. I guess the long-expected Café O’Lei may be opening in the near future, threatening the Pilipilocal empire that is Tante’s in Central Maui (Maui Sunset, Maui Beach and Waiehu Golf Course).
The old swap meet site has construction fencing so perhaps that field will be affordable housing units—plans talked about ever since the old County Fairgrounds were taken back by our local Big Five agribusiness.
A Lahaina fire victim mentioned the other day her family got one of the new homes in Waikapū—much of that area between old Waikapū and Wailuku were pasture lands when we were growing up.
As John wistfully sang, “There are places I remember, all my life, though some have changed …”
And congested Pu‘unēnē Avenue is getting some new sidewalks and additional storage and through lanes—something longtime Dream City residents, Little Manila folks and the faith communities and pre-schools along that connector road have been grousing about for many years.
Must be an election year.
Kaua‘i and Maui Counties have Mayoral contests in gubernatorial election years. The Big Island and the City and County elect their chief executives in Presidential years.
Governor Josh Green is already on social media in his scrubs and posted a sign on a key wall at the corner of Papa and Kamehameha. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke is seeking a second term based on her work constructing and redeveloping public preschool facilities and expanding digital access to rural areas, while the entrenched old boys, anti-status quo mob and cynical news bloggers pile on in favor of some anointed successor to the good doctor.
Congresswoman Jill Tokuda, whose district includes Maui County, will likely run for re-election, expecting to be part of an expected Democratic majority in that chamber. Neither senior U.S. Senator Brian Schatz nor Mazie Hirono will be on the ballot this year.
Meanwhile, former Judge Richard Bissen will try to be only the third mayor to serve consecutive terms since Linda Crockett Lingle last century and Alan Arakawa’s three terms in four elections. Upcountry Councilwoman Yuki Lei Sugimura is running to be the third woman to lead Maui County. Realtor P. Denise La Costa has also thrown her hat into the ring.
A lot of story lines reflect the continuing challenge of making this County live up to its motto: Nō Ka ‘Oi. Housing. Water. Restoring Lahaina. Growing local food. Jobs. Affordability. Education. Cooperating with ICE.
And who will show up to vote for what issue or purpose?
The Maui County Council line up will be changing. The nine-member Council currently includes three members with Filipino roots. See if you can name the kababayan.
Council Chair Alice Lee is leaving to reinvigorate the non-profit she headed before returning to elective office. Maui Airports manager (and former local Hawaiian Airlines guy) Marvin Moniz, who incidentally married my high school classmate Jocelyn, has thrown his hat into the ring. I’m sure there will be others seeking that open Wailuku residential Council seat.
Kamehameha Schools Pukalani alum Kauanoe Batangan, appointed by Mayor Bissen when the Council could not agree on a replacement for their late colleague Tasha Kama, is finishing the term. The Stanford-Columbia-Tokyo degreed local boy plans to win the Council seat representing his childhood community. Carol Kamekona, who has run for the seat in the past and was one of the applicants for the vacancy, has also pulled papers. Another applicant for the vacancy was longtime Maui Filipino community leader Virgilio Agcolicol—but happily retired Manong Leo has not yet requested nomination papers.
As I write this, incumbent councilmembers Shane Sinenci (East Maui), Nohe U‘u-Hodgins (Pā‘ia-Ha‘ikū) and Tamara Paltin (West Maui) apparently will be seeking another two-year term. South Maui’s Tom Cook, Lāna‘i’s Gabe Johnson and Molokai’s Keani Rawlings-Fernandez haven’t pulled papers yet.
With at least three seats with no incumbent, the direction and control of the County Council is on the ballot.
So far, for Maui’s legislative delegation, only South Maui incumbent Terez (T. Amato) Amato and Canoe district (East Maui-Molokai-Lāna‘i) representative Mahina Poepoe pulled papers. So far, two Greens (Jackie Keefe and Pa‘ele Kiakona) and a Democrat (Ashley Olsen who already filed nomination papers) are gunning for lawmaker Elle Cochran (the only Filipina in the delegation)’s West Maui-Waihe‘e seat. Newcomer Travis James Bumanglag has pulled papers as a Republican for the Wailuku House seat currently held by Tyson Miyake.
Along with Miyake, incumbents Kyle Yamashita (Upcountry) and Justin Woodson (Kahului) haven’t begun campaigning just yet. If he chooses, Troy Hashimoto will be running for his first full term as Central Maui’s State Senator (Senators Lynn DeCoite and Angus McKelvey were re-elected to four-year terms in 2024.)
But then again, maybe there will be no midterm elections this Fall. With an ongoing Middle East war and unrest in various parts of the United States, perhaps the elections will be postponed until a more acceptable time. However, in the “wars and rumors of wars” scriptures (Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 21:9), Jesus advises his followers not to be alarmed by global conflicts. Those events simply reflect the “beginning of sorrows” rather than an immediate sign of the end. While those things must occur, they are not immediate harbingers of the apocalypse.
So why not have an election?
Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran practices law in Wailuku. He attended Doris Todd Memorial Christian Day School through the eighth grade before enrolling at Maui High School.