With Hawaiʻi County Council Member Matt Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder unable to pursue re-election due to term limits, five political newcomers are competing for the open seat representing the Upper Puna district in the Aug. 8 primary election.

Candidates Dawn Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, Chantel Mākuaole-Perrin, Shannon Matson, Ikaika Rodenhurst and Seaula Jr. Tupaʻi have all identified traffic and infrastructure on Puna roads and high cost-of-living as the primary issues impacting District 5.

These candidates are campaigning with promises to address the needs and desires of their communities if elected. However, their varied knowledge and experiences may influence their approaches to the role.

District 5 encompasses areas south of West Mamaki Street, west of Highway 11 and Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road to ʻĀinaloa Drive; northwest of ʻĀinaloa Drive to Paʻolani Street in Royal Hawaiian Estates. It includes parts of Keaʻau, Kurtistown, Orchidland, Tiki Gardens, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, Eden Roc Estates, Fern Forest, Mountain View and Royal Hawaiian Estates.

If one of the District 5 candidates receives 50% plus one vote in the primary, the candidate will win the seat. If no one achieves this threshold, the top two vote-getters will proceed to a runoff in the Nov. 3 general election.

For information about voting, click here.

Here’s a closer look at the candidates in alphabetical order:

Dawn Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder

Dawn Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, 50, was born and raised on the Big Island and owns Liko Lehua, which is a retail store, café, food manufacturer and a functioning farm.

Although she has never held office, Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder knows some of what the job entails as the wife of Matt Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder. She is running for his current seat, while he is seeking the District 5 seat in the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives.

“As the wife of the current Council Member, I have actively participated and attended every council meeting for the last eight years, and as a Native Hawaiian, my husband opened my eyes to public office being a possibility for me,” Dawn Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder said. “I have witnessed the politics, laws and emergency responses to major issues under three different mayors and have come to listen, learn and know our community.”

She plans to utilize these experiences and her efforts as a Native Hawaiian entrepreneur to guide her decisions.

“Employees were always welcome to bring a concern with a possible solution to the table and that experience taught me to how to listen and figure out a path together,” she said. “As a business owner, you are steering the canoe and making decisions that affect people’s livelihoods and my value system is always based on the best interest of our entire community.”

For Dawn Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, the biggest issue for District 5 is the need for alternate routes that connect Districts 4, 5 and 6 for emergency evacuation and that offer another route into Hilo and Saddle Road.

“The previous administrations have spent millions on alternate route studies while pushing increased density without forward thinking and supportive infrastructure,” Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder said. “This week, the Keaʻau-bound lane of Highway 11 was closed for a few hours at the Panaʻewa stretch and had to be rerouted onto Stainback Highway, which added hours of commute time for anyone driving into Lower and Upper Puna.

Once the Puna Alternate Route Study is complete, Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder said that she would work with the county administration to complete the alternate route projects.

Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder also stated that she aims to build a new Keaʻau police and fire station to better protect residents during emergencies and increase the amount of positions serving Puna.

If the Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelders are both elected to the new positions, she said their relationship will give the Hawaiʻi County Council an established person to connect to at the state level.

Chantel Mākuaole-Perrin

Chantel Mākuaole-Perrin, 42, was born and raised in Kailua, Oʻahu, and relocated to Hawaiʻi Island in 2021. Her career has included roles in facilities maintenance and freight forwarding. Recently, she has served as vice chair for the County of Hawaiʻi Windward Planning Commission.

In Puna, Mākuaole-Perrin remains an engaged community member, while managing a large family of 12 children and 12 grandchildren. She intends to apply her experience as a stay-at-home mother to inform her decision-making and priorities.

“Our communities deserve leadership that shows up, listens, and takes action. In District 5, we’re spread out. Distance, access, and resources aren’t the same—and that affects real families every day,” Mākuaole-Perrin said. “I’m committed to building a future where our families can live, work, and thrive right here at home.

She said improving safety and access in and out of Puna on Highways 11 and 130 and improving the cost-of-living are the biggest concerns she hear from residents, and would be priorities she would tackle on the County Council.

“Many residents rely on the corridor between Hilo and Keaʻau, which makes the growing Puna population vulnerable during emergencies,” she said. “When you have insufficient infrastructure, it makes it really hard for communities to continue to live and thrive.”

Mākuaole-Perrin emphasized that ensuring active collaboration between the county and state to address Puna’s infrastructure is vital for District 5 residents.

“When there is economic growth or population growth and infrastructure isn’t kept up with, it becomes really hard to bridge that gap,” Mākuaole-Perrin said. “We are connected by one main lifeline-our shared responsibility to care for one another.

Puna residents are faced with traffic, unpaved roads and minimal services, which is difficult for when living in the fastest-growing population rate on the island that also experiences threats from the volcano.

If elected as the County Council Member for District 5, Mākuaole-Perrin said she is committed to finding solutions for Highway 11 and for opening multiple lines of communication to connect with residents and other county agencies during a disaster event.

She pledges to remain present, grounded and committed to real solutions if elected.

“I’ve lived the realities our community faces-raising a family, navigating challenges, and understanding what it takes to build a stable, thriving life here in East Hawai’i,” Mākuaole-Perrin said. “I know the importance of access to education, safe infrastructure, economic opportunity, and support for working families.”

Shannon Matson

Shannon Matson, 40, was born and raised on Hawaiʻi Island. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and has been an active community leader in the Hilo and Puna areas for more than 15 years. She previously worked as a legislative assistant for a state senator and has been working for County Council Member Jenn Kagiwada for the past three years.

Matson touts her understanding of state and county government, as well as her experience living in Upper Puna as a mother of two and the founder and former owner of Hot Yoga Hilo, Hilo’s only heated yoga studio. 

“I have quite a bit of experience when it comes to policymaking,” she said. “I have been a community advocate for county and state legislation and am well-acquainted with the county code. Having the opportunity to see different perspectives of lawmaking behind the scenes makes me feel uniquely qualified to take on this role.”

Matson emphasized the importance of co-creating meaningful change by listening to community concerns and representing her constituents’ voices.

“A lot of controversial legislation that faces major opposition is largely because there wasn’t enough outreach for policies and bills to the community first,” Matson said. “Working directly with my community on bills and policy is something I’m passionate and excited about. I see my job as not dictating what to focus on, but being a vessel to bring forth what the community is passionate about.”

Since she began her campaign, Matson has heard concerns about potential state bills and if elected, will look at how certain state legislation may shape county policy. In every situation, effective communication before, during, and after legislation will be the foundation of her policymaking.

“Everything I do is rooted in that policy,” she said. “It starts with letting constituents know when you are available to have conversations, asking questions about current policies and how they are enforced, setting priorities together, and communicating what you are doing along the way.”

When it comes to tackling her top priority of supporting working families, Matson would advocate for state policy changes at the county level, push to reduce regressive taxes that impact low and middle-income households and support policies that strengthen food access and housing stability.

Matson also highlights the continued importance of addressing infrastructure issues for Puna residents and suggests short-term solutions for the traffic congestion on Highway 11 and Highway 130 such as encouraging public transportation and staggering school start times.

“I would seek state support, which is something I feel comfortable doing, and would work closely with the Department of Transportation and Department of Education to find ways to create an immediate impact on reducing traffic,” Matson said.

Matson hopes regardless the outcome of the race that the council members elected for Districts 4 and 5 collaborate for the betterment of Puna as a whole.

Ikaika Rodenhurst

Ikaika Rodenhurst, 38, hails from Oʻahu. He graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a degree in civil engineering. He was appointed to lead the Department of Public Works for two years in 2020, following his work with the Department of Transportation during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and Hurricane Lane in the same year.

Rodenhurst brings his expertise as a construction consultant on county and state highway projects, alongside personal experience as a father of three and an engaged community member in Puna.

“My wife is a longtime Puna resident, and I moved to Puna in 2015, and not much has changed in that time,” Rodenhurst said. “That is why I was inspired to run. As our community grows, we need help with our infrastructure to make this a place where we can raise our kids and a place where they can raise their kids.”

If elected, Rodenhurst plans to prioritize road and infrastructure improvements to address longstanding traffic issues on Highway 11, followed by enhancing recreation opportunities for keiki and kūpuna in Upper Puna and addressing the high cost of living on the island.

“One of the reasons I’m running is due to my background,” he said. “I have been involved in working alongside the government for several years. I know what it takes to get a project off the ground to improve infrastructure in our community. I understand the players and who needs to be at the table. It is easy to get overwhelmed and distracted with so much going on, and I know how to stay on target.”

Rodenhurst underscores the need for alternate access to both mauka and makai in Puna, citing limited highway capacity and overdue upgrades. While this process unfolds, he advocates for safety improvements like widening and acceleration/turn lanes to maintain progress.

Rodenhurst believes the County Council can achieve more tangible change through collaboration with community organizations, advocates and skilled individuals.

“Because there wasn’t enough follow-up, we are still at least two years out from seeing any changes to the roads in Puna,” he said. “It’s important to me to answer the question of how do we keep this moving forward and not backward and hold people accountable when necessary. People have hurt feelings when it comes to these long-standing issues because there have been significant delays and not much transparency.”

Seaula Jr. Tupaʻi

Seaula Jr. Tupaʻi, 46, was born and raised in San Jose, Calif., and moved to Hawaiʻi with his parents, who are originally from American Samoa. He currently serves as senior pastor at Overcoming Faith Center in Hilo after working as an instructor with the Hawaiʻi National Guard Youth Challenge Academy for 13 cycles. In 2024, he ran for Hawaiʻi County mayor but lost to Kimo Alameda.

Tupaʻi decided to run for the District 5 seat due to a commitment to creating positive change for local families, kūpuna and youth, especially after years of teaching and coaching local kids.

Tupaʻi did not respond to an interview request from Big Island Now.

In an interview with Nā Leo TV, he said: “There are many issues that impact Upper Puna and cause us to lose our most precious commodity, which is our people. More and more local families are relocating to other states. The people moving here don’t take in the culture, which causes friction in our communities and I believe that our culture needs to be represented in our policies.”

If elected, Tupaʻi aims to ensure that money circulates back to the community. One example is his approach to regulating short-term vacation rentals.

“My issue is that for many in our community, a short-term vacation rental is the only source of income, especially for our kūpuna,” he told Nā Leo TV. “I think the county should look at ways to regulate non-residents owning and operating short-term vacation rental. That money is not cyclical and does not stay here. This would keep money in the pockets of our community and it would also add units to our housing supply.”

According to his campaign website, Tupaʻi’s first priority is addressing road concerns in Puna, such as congestion along Highway 11 and Highway 130, poor conditions of rural roads, and limited access to alternative routes during emergencies.

“Families should not spend hours of their day sitting in traffic,” Tupaʻi states on his website. “They are losing time with their keiki, their kūpuna, and themselves, and that should not be the case. Bill 131 allocated $2 million for an alternate route study, but we have done this so many times and we have to take action.”

In the short term, Tupaʻi said he would look into adding acceleration and deceleration lanes along the Panaʻewa stretch to make the commute safer when vehicles merge onto or exit Highway 11. For the long-term solution, Tupaʻi said he would work with state legislators, the Department of Transportation, and other involved elements to push for an alternate route from Upper Puna to Saddle Road.