Former Kauaʻi County finance employee Laura Lindsey and businessman Megeso-William Denis have entered the 2026 race for Mayor of Kauaʻi to replace term-limited Derek Kawakami.
The two political newcomers join a field that already includes three well-known political figures on the Garden Isle: former Kauaʻi mayor and current councilmember Bernard Carvalho Jr., Kauaʻi County Council Chair Mel Rapozo and Councilmember Felicia Cowden.
Lindsey, 62 of Kapaʻa, told Kauaʻi Now on Tuesday that she decided to run after witnessing long-standing issues she believes have gone unaddressed for decades.
“I want to move the needle,” Lindsey said, pointing to infrastructure and basic services as top concerns.
Lindsey, who currently serves as a community island director with Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, previously worked in county finance and spent more than 30 years in development leadership with St. Catherine’s School and Church in Kapaʻa.
She said her campaign prioritizes fixing what she described as critical systems, including waste management, water infrastructure and roads, before tackling housing and food security.
“Nobody’s coming,” Lindsey said. “We need to go back to our mutual aid, self-sufficient, help-your-neighbor approach … and invest in the infrastructure that we need for health, safety and prosperity.”
She added that her leadership style focuses on evaluating systems and making changes where needed rather than maintaining the status quo. Lindsey also said she hopes to bring “hope” to voters, encouraging collaboration and community-driven action across the island.
In 2024, Lindsey ran for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees seat to represent Kauaʻi and NIʻihau, but lost to incumbent Dan Ahuna.
Denis, running on what he describes as a “People First” platform, said on his website that his campaign is rooted in public service and stewardship of land and resources.
“I am not running to govern over people. I am running to serve them,” Denis said.
He described himself on his website as a former small-business and Fortune 500 executive, but it did not say for what companies. He said his work spans complex information systems and infrastructure, including optical character and mark-sense recognition, point-of-sale and payment processing systems, cable television, lottery and wagering systems, and large-scale LAN, WAN and MAN networking environments.
Denis did not respond on Tuesday to an interview request by phone and email.
He framed his candidacy as part of a broader grassroots effort focused on transparency, accountability and the restoration of trust in government. Denis, who said he has lived on Kauaʻi for 13 years, emphasized the importance of mālama ʻāina (caring for the land) and said decisions should prioritize the long-term well-being of Kauaʻi residents.
“My vision … is a government of the people, transparent in its actions … and collaborative in its service,” Denis said, adding that improved communication between county leadership, agencies and the public would be key to effective governance.
The filing deadline for candidates in the 2026 Kauaʻi election is June 2. To see who has filed for Kauaʻi and all seats throughout Hawaiʻi, click here.
