Alameda to become Hawaii County mayor
Hawaii County has elected a new mayor.
Kimo Alameda, the former CEO of Bay Clinic, cruised to victory over incumbent Mitch Roth Tuesday evening in the nonpartisan runoff race to become the county’s chief executive. Alameda received 35,577 votes, or 53.7% of the valid votes, to Roth’s 30,717 votes or 46.3%.
Long lines at polling places delayed initial returns to the public. The initial report has a time stamp of 11:40 p.m., but the returns didn’t appear online until about 12:30 a.m. today.
Alameda, a newcomer to elected politics served as the leader of the Fentanyl Task Force. He also was executive of the county’s Office of Aging under former mayors Harry Kim and the late Billy Kenoi. He received the endorsement of the two public workers unions, the Hawaii Government Employees Association and United Public Workers.
Both unions sought hazard pay for working during the pandemic, which Roth opposed on fiscal grounds. Arbitration is ongoing over hazard pay.
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/11/06/hawaii-news/alameda-to-become-hawaii-county-mayor/