Maui County: Richard Bissen Wins Big In The Race For Mayor Voters across Maui, Molokai and Lanai made significant changes to the makeup of their local government.
Retired Judge Richard Bissen is on his way to serving as the next mayor of Maui County after defeating incumbent Mayor Michael Victorino in a race dominated by their differing plans to solve the community’s most pressing problems, ranging from the lack of available housing for residents to the overpopulation of axis deer.
Preliminary results released around 10 p.m. on Election Day showed Bissen led the race for mayor with 58% of the vote. Victorino, who was seeking re-election to another four-year term, held 40%.
When the first batch of results came in earlier in the evening, hundreds of Bissen supporters at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center pavilion erupted in whistles and cheers, with many wearing his campaign t-shirts that read “Kamaʻaina Prosperity.”
That’s how Bissen described his vision for the future of Maui County over the course of his campaign, focusing on bringing new ideas to solve an array of challenges, including the soaring cost of living and the exodus of Maui’s longtime families.
