KAILUA-KONA — Jeanne Kapela has conceded to incumbent Richard Creagan in the House District 5 representative race in the 2018 primary election.
With nearly half the precincts reporting, Creagan maintained a commanding lead over his challengers with 2,067 votes. Kapela garnered 1,576 votes and Gene “Bucky” Leslie obtained 395.
Kapela released a statement in light of the loss.
“Congratulations to Richard Creagan on his victory tonight,” said Kapela. “I’m proud to have run a strong campaign for the State House. I look forward to working with Rep. Creagan to uplift our community, including improving public education funding and increasing prosperity for working families.”
Kapela will remain active in public affairs and continue being an outspoken champion for progressive values.
“I’m excited to return to serving survivors of sexual exploitation through my organization, UNITE Hawaii,” said Kapela. “I will continue putting people before profit by fighting to end slavery on our shores and protect our keiki from the perils of human trafficking.”
A full story about the House District 5 race will be in Sunday’s edition of West Hawaii Today.