HILO — A theater director, a videographer, a papaya farmer, two former county officials and a working mother walked into an elections office last week … and one of them could become mayor of Hawaii County.
The list of those interested in being mayor jumped to six by the end of the week, the first week for candidates to pull nomination papers for the 2016 elections. The office of the mayor is a nonpartisan office in a county with a strong mayor plus County Council form of government.
The mayor is the chief executive officer of the county and appoints department directors and the police chief and fire chief, and appoints members to numerous commissions and boards. The County Council has the power to appropriate money, while the mayor has the power to spend it. The council also has confirmation authority over department heads and commission nominees.
The candidate filing period runs through June 7. Polls open for early voting Aug. 1, with primary Election Day on Aug. 13.
Previously announced mayoral candidates Pete Hoffmann, Wendell Kaehuaea and Wally Lau have pulled nomination papers. None have yet filed for the office, according to a report issued Friday by the state Office of Elections.
In addition, Jefferson Gourley, director at Kealakehe Intermediate School After School Theatre Arts Exploration program, has pulled papers, as has working mother Shannon McCandless of Waimea and Eric D. Weinert, a Papaikou farmer and papaya exporter.
Hoffmann served eight years on the County Council, including a stint as chairman. Lau recently resigned as county managing director under Mayor Billy Kenoi in order to run for the top job. Kaehuaea is a frequent candidate who’s running on a campaign of government openness.
Gourley and Weinert could not be reached for comment by press time Monday.
McCandless, 30, is a political neophyte holding bake sales to raise money for her campaign.
“Many have started to ask me why I am running for mayor,” McCandless said Friday on her Instagram page. “The answer is simple. I am living the same struggle that many of us are living. I was fortunate to get a college education, blessed to be able to buy my own home, have children, I work two jobs, and I can’t afford to live in Hawaii! It’s not (OK) and it shouldn’t be like this. The only thing left to do is fix it!”
To qualify for the ballot, candidates must come up with verified signatures of registered voters living within the district — 15 for local races and 25 for statewide races. In addition, candidates must pay filing fees ranging from $75 to $750, depending on the race. Fees drop to as low as $25 for candidates who agree to limit their campaign spending.
In all, 24 candidates pulled papers for Big Island state and county offices last week.