What was expected to be a head-to-head mayoral debate on Kauaʻi instead became a solo town hall Thursday night after Bernard Carvalho Jr. withdrew the day before the event, leaving opponent Mel Rapozo to answer questions alone before a live audience.
Rapozo, chair of the Kauai County Council, said afterward that he was disappointed Carvalho, a current Kauaʻi County Council member and former Kauaʻi Mayor, did not participate but welcomed the chance to speak directly with voters.
“I was disappointed, but I respect his decision,” Rapozo told Kauaʻi Now. “I’m not going to speculate on why.”
Carvalho announced his withdrawal from the event on Aug. 25, saying his campaign had not received sufficient time to prepare after seeking clearer debate rules. Organizers said both candidates had previously agreed to participate under the same format and conditions.
The event was subsequently changed from a debate to a town hall featuring Rapozo.
He faced a series of questions covering issues of concern to the community. He said the format gave him an opportunity to explain his priorities without having to divide his response time with another candidate.
“I love the platform to be able to answer these questions in a rapid-fire way,” Rapozo said. “I feel like this was more personable with the audience.”
The event drew a large crowd to Hale Līhuʻe, where Rapozo responded to questions from a diverse group of residents and community organizations. The groups represented interests including agriculture, housing, business, culture, community development and place-based stewardship.
Rapozo noted that this affirmed his belief that candidate forums are ultimately about voters, not just the candidates.
A live YouTube viewer asked Rapozo about his approach to homelessness on Kauaʻi. Rapozo replied: “Safe zones.”
“We keep sweeping people from one beach to the next, and, you know, I would not support any sweeps because to me that just makes no sense — kicking them out from one place to another.”
He added: “You cannot solve the homeless issue if you’re not solving the mental health issue or addiction issues. But I believe safe zones are just a start.”
The “reality is we got our families that are living in their cars,” he said, adding that for the last two administrations he has fought to open the parking lot at Vidinha Stadium.
“What a wonderful place,” Rapozo added. “Police station right next door. Open them up at night when the stadium is not being used.
“There are showers, there are restrooms. You can have these people pull up at night. The lights are up. The police station is right there. They get to go in and, you know, give them some dignity.”
Rapozo said the two-minute response limits were challenging but allowed organizers to cover a substantial number of questions. He said the format gave him enough time to communicate what he described as his vision for the county.
Click the YouTube link below to view the full Kauaʻi Mayoral Town Hall and Q&A with Mel Rapozo.
The town hall followed the Aug. 8 primary, in which Rapozo finished first in the six-candidate nonpartisan mayoral race with 40.6% of the vote. Carvalho finished second with 30.6%, sending the two longtime political figures into the Nov. 3 general election.
The race will determine who succeeds term-limited Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, who is running for lieutenant governor.
“When I was offered the opportunity to be here by myself … this isn’t for the candidate; this is for the public,” Rapozo added. “Any opportunity that I can get in front of people to talk about their concerns, I welcome that.”
“I think the questions were all on target, questions that a lot of our community is concerned about.”
The town hall is not the last opportunity for voters to hear from Rapozo before the general election. He said he continues to host “Coffee with Mel” every Monday morning on his Facebook and YouTube channels, where he takes calls and questions from residents.
Carvalho did not respond to Kauaʻi Now for a request for comment about dropping out of the debate.
