Councilwoman Yuki Lei Sugimura announced she is running for mayor of Maui County, joining incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen and other candidates in the 2026 election.
Representing Upcountry Maui communities including Pukalani, Kula and Ulupalakua, Sugimura has served on the Maui County Council since 2016. She chairs the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee and previously led the Infrastructure and Transportation Committee from 2021 to 2023. Her legislative work includes overseeing the county budget and authoring a ban on smoking in vehicles with minors present.
Sugimura told Aloha State Daily her mayoral priorities focus on transparency and accountability, infrastructure and economic resilience, emphasizing that leadership begins with listening to the community.
“I do not believe leadership starts with talking without hearing from the community — it starts with listening,” Sugimura told ASD. “Before finalizing priorities, I want to hear directly from residents about what is working, what is not, and where county government needs to change course.”
To gather input across Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i, Sugimura launched The Future of Maui Nui Survey focused on housing, economic security and county services.
Addressing housing and infrastructure, Sugimura said the county must focus on what she calls “pipes, permits and pavement.”
“When I talk about pipes, permits and pavement, I mean the basic mechanics that determine whether housing gets built and whether families can continue to afford to live here,” she told ASD.
She said water systems, sewer networks, roads and lengthy permitting timelines directly affect housing costs.
“A key element of Maui’s housing crisis is a permitting process that can take over 300 days,” Sugimura told ASD. “Those delays translate directly into higher rents and home prices because every month of waiting adds cost.”
Sugimura outlined ways to expedite permits while maintaining environmental and cultural protections. One proposal under consideration is a “self-certification” rule that would allow a licensed architect to certify plans and allow construction to begin if a housing permit is not approved within 60 days. Early survey results show strong community support for the idea.
On Bill 9, which phases out transient vacation rentals in apartment districts, Sugimura said she opposed the measure due to potential fiscal risks.
“I opposed Bill 9 because it carried real economic risk without a certified plan to replace lost revenue,” Sugimura told ASD. “An immediate hit of more than $60 million in property tax revenue affects funding for police, firefighters and infrastructure.”
She said future policies that significantly reduce revenue should include clear plans for funding essential services.
Sugimura said housing affordability requires more than bans. Solutions include increasing housing supply where appropriate, reducing construction costs and delays, supporting incremental housing such as ‘ohana units and stabilizing household expenses. Survey responses are helping identify which pressures are most urgent across Maui Nui.
Born and raised in Wailuku, Sugimura graduated from Baldwin High School and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and has lived in Upcountry Maui for more than two decades. Before holding elected office, she ran Connec LLC, an event management and consulting business in Kula, and previously served as Wailuku Revitalization and Small-Town Coordinator under former Mayor James “Kimo” Apana.
According to the Office of the Maui County Clerk, the 2026 election timeline includes Feb. 2 as the first day to pick up nomination papers, June 2 as the filing deadline, July 27 for voter service centers to open ahead of the Aug. 8 primary and Oct. 20 for centers to open ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
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