First-term Maui County Council Member Tom Cook finished 145 votes ahead of former Council Member Kelly Takaya King in Saturday’s primary election by winning all Central Maui precincts and splitting votes with his rival Upcountry and in West Maui. In her bid to retake her former South Maui residency seat, King prevailed in all precincts from North Kīhei to Mākena and posted strong showings in East Maui.
Out of 35 voting precincts in Maui County, Cook won 21 while King prevailed in 14. Cook fared well in working-class, traditional Democratic strongholds while King did better in progressive-leaning regions like Haʻikū, Pāʻia and Hāna and in resort communities in West and South Maui.
Cook and King move on to the Nov. 5 General Election after finishing first and second in a three-way nonpartisan race that included Kīhei resident and first-time candidate Johnny Prones. Cook garnered 11,686 votes, or 40.5%, while King took in 11,541 votes, or 40%, and Prones came away with 1,592 votes, or 5.5%. There were 3,977 blank ballots in the race, which made up 13.8% of the vote total.
Statewide primary election precinct reports are available by clicking here. Maui County results are on Pages 85 through 154.