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Maui Elections 2026
Portrait of Richard T. Bissen Jr.

Maui County Mayor

Richard T. Bissen Jr.

Age 64 · Lifelong Maui Nui resident (Pāʻia, Piʻihana, Keʻanae, Kahakuloa)

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Ninth Mayor of Maui County and Native Hawaiian. Former Chief Judge of the Second Circuit Court. Career spans Deputy Prosecutor, Maui County Prosecuting Attorney, First Deputy Attorney General of Hawaiʻi, Acting Director of the State Department of Public Safety, and Circuit Court Judge.

First-term record highlights include creating the Office of Recovery after the wildfires, signing Bill 9 in December 2025, delivering 880+ affordable homes since 2023 (per administration reporting; counts are contested in local coverage), growing Maui Emergency Management Agency staffing, clearing the permit backlog, and reviving the Maui County Fair.

Affordable homes delivered

880+

Administration reporting since 2023 (contested in local coverage)

Federal disaster relief secured

$1.6B

Administration figure

Permit backlog

400+ → 51

DSA active reviews

MEMA staff growth

9 → 25

County emergency management

It shouldn't be a foregone conclusion the minute your child is born to say, "Yeah, you won't be able to live here."

Source: Campaign / public statements

Platform pillars

  • Housing for kamaʻāina
  • Water as public trust
  • Wildfire recovery & resilience
  • Community-centered governance (kuleana)
  • Rural engagement (Holomua Kākou)

Where they stand

  • Bill 9

    Introduced and signed Bill 9. "Ninety-four percent of the units affected are owned by people who don't live in Maui County."

  • Housing

    Supply plus STR conversion; 3,000 affordable homes planned by 2030.

  • Water

    Committed to bringing water systems under public ownership.

  • Permitting

    Cleared permit backlog; ongoing DSA reform.

  • Lahaina recovery

    Created Office of Recovery; defending administration pace while securing federal relief.

Career

  1. 1987-1995

    Deputy Prosecutor

  2. 1995-2003

    Maui County Prosecuting Attorney

  3. 2003-2004

    First Deputy Attorney General, State of Hawaiʻi

  4. 2004-2005

    Acting Director, State Department of Public Safety

  5. 2005-2021

    Circuit Court Judge; Chief Judge (2019-2021)

  6. 2023-present

    Ninth Mayor of Maui County

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In their words

Questionnaires

Outside surveys and Q&As this candidate has answered.

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