With Hawaiʻi County Council member Ashley Kierkiewicz unable to seek re-election due to term limits, four political newcomers are competing for the open seat to represent Lower Puna residents in District 4 in the Aug. 8 primary election.

The candidates are Shannon Smiley Burrows, Lloyd Enriquez, Cyd Makanui Hoffeld, and Eileen O’Hara.

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

District 4 encompasses areas southeast of Kaloli Drive, southeast of Keaʻau-Pāhoa Highway until Pāhoa Road; east and west of Pāhoa Road until Kalapana and the end of Chain of Craters Road, and includes part of Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches, Nanawale Estates, Leilani Estates, Kamaili, Black Sands, Seaview, and Kalapana.

If one of the District 4 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:

Shannon “Smiley” Burrows

Shannon “Smiley” Burrows is a mother of five and has lived in Kapoho Crater for 30 years. She is currently rebuilding her farm that was greatly affected by the 2018 Kīlauea lava flow, and she hopes to rebuild Lower Puna, too.

While she is a political newcomer, she has decided to run as the County Council member for District 4 due to her experience as a resident affected by the challenging issues surrounding the area. Burrows pledges to prioritize the voices of residents and promote sustainable development and inclusivity.

“It has been a long eight years coming back since the 2018 Kīlauea lava flow and this feels like we have a whole new chapter ahead of us and I’m excited about the opportunities we have as a community as we develop further,” Burrows said. “The last eight years have been ‘activation,’ which is so important, but I want to focus on cultivation now.”

Burrows said Lower Puna can become a statewide model for sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship and community resilience. She hopes to strengthen food systems, restore natural ecosystems, and support small farmers and local businesses.

“Sustainability is extremely important to me,” she said in an interview with Nā Leo TV. “I want to put a lot of energy into developing our beginning farmers. To be able to provide our island with the food we grow here instead of having it shipped in would make us less reliant. We have to be sustainable for our future.”

Burrows also believes that using funding to offer more economic opportunities in Lower Puna would alleviate the daily traffic congestion on Highway 130.

“I do think exploring these alternate roads and these studies are important to alleviate the congestion,” Burrows said. “I think there is also an opportunity to create more business and center our energy down in our district, so people can stay and spend money in our district, too.”

Burrows emphasizes the need to create spaces where people facing hardships such as housing insecurity or substance abuse can prioritize their safety and strive for long-term stability.

“There are practical solutions that strengthen educational pathways, whether it’s workforce training or cultural education, that would benefit everyone in the community,” Burrows writes on her campaign website.

Lloyd Enriquez

Lloyd Enriquez, 61, was raised in Puna and has lived most of his life in his family home in Pāhoa town. He spent 33 years as a school safety officer and currently serves on the Hawai‘i County Police Commission.

Enriquez’s granddaughter inspired him to run for the District 4 seat.

“I was asking my granddaughter’s opinion about running, and she said ‘maybe I can make things better in the future,'” Enriquez said.

Making the future brighter for the younger generation begins with ensuring they have opportunities to live and thrive on Hawai‘i Island after high school, he said.

During an interview with Nā Leo TV, Enriquez expressed interest in exploring increased taxes on nonresidents buying large properties, which limits housing for residents and raises property prices.

“District 4 is the fastest-growing area of Hawai‘i Island, and I have to ask: Is that helping us in Puna?” Enriquez asked. “I want to reduce taxes for local people and increase them for nonresidents because life must be affordable here.”

After the manhunt for triple murder suspect Jacob Baker in May, there also are concerns about public safety in Lower Puna. Enriquez believes better safety starts with basic infrastructure updates and supporting first responder services.

“We have outgrown our infrastructure, including roads and communications,” Enriquez said. “Our fire department often has trouble accessing roads, which is a problem we need to address.”

Enriquez is focused on listening to Lower Puna’s needs and wants.

“If I’m elected, I plan to build real connections by staying close to our community,” Enriquez said. “I want to build and earn the trust of my district.”

Cyd Makanui Hoffeld

Cyd Makanui Hoffeld, 64, was born and raised in Hilo and has lived in Puna for the past 40 years. She is a lifelong community health professional who has created educational and health programs for at-risk youth in East Hawai‘i.

Hoffeld is running for County Council District 4 to work for the community more effectively.

“I’ve sat in traffic on Highway 130 thinking this is unacceptable,” Hoffeld said. “Before we can thrive, we must keep our community safe.”

If elected, Hoffeld plans to prioritize road maintenance, advocate for emergency access infrastructure, and push for solutions like more buses and better schedules to reduce road congestion, according to her website.

Hoffeld is interested in making the county budget understandable so constituents can see where funds are going.

“In District 4, we face many issues, but there’s also an opportunity to work together with District 5 on how to best use our funds,” Hoffeld said during an interview with Nā Leo TV.

She seeks to continue her work by bringing health care and education into schools and neighborhoods.

If elected, she will work to expand community health services and mobile health access for rural areas, support funding for health workers, and push for accessible mental health and substance use services.

“Everyone deserves internet access, health care, educational opportunities, workforce training and affordable, safe housing,” Hoffeld said. “I will do my best to make our community better.”

Eileen OʻHara

Eileen OʻHara, 74, is a self-proclaimed policy geek with extensive experience as a former member of the County Council, a legislative assistant for a state senator, a grant writer for nonprofits, and a university-level professor of public policy.

O’Hara is running to be the representative of District 4 because she has been involved in community leadership through boards for nonprofits, county and state commissions, and as a volunteer for 46 years. She is passionate about working with the community.

As head of Mālama O Puna, O’Hara has received grant funding for projects involving environmental restoration and programs to support agriculture and sustainability.

“I have probably been the reason behind $30 million in funding granted to the Big Island, and I feel that the county is still not tapping into grants as much as they could be,” O’Hara said. “Infrastructure projects are costly and grants may be the only way we can get them done.”

O’Hara mentioned the traffic issues with Highway 130 and the lack of an alternate route remain top concerns among constituents. While the county and state have put up money for a sophisticated study, O’Hara wants to ensure action is taken rather than prolonged discussions.

“I came out of office just after the eruption ended in 2018,” she said. “Eight years later, we are still not fully recovered in Puna. I’m running to make sure that we do fully recover, but our issues are extensive. Puna is dealing with unrecovered roads, unrecovered areas, and a traffic problem on Highway 130 that has every part of the constituency concerned.”

O’Hara also is concerned with housing and insurance affordability and essential needs like sidewalks in downtown Pāhoa.

“For District 4, it’s a fight for a fair share of the funding for projects,” she said. “We tend to get shortchanged in terms of property tax values, but I will fight for equitable distribution based on population, not taxes. When it comes to the budget, I think that is when occupational and educational qualifications become important to consider. Balancing the budget every year is complex internally.”

While making policy and balancing the budget are crucial parts of the job, listening to constituents and convening meetings are also significant aspects of being a county council member.

“Meetings are the way that constituents can set agendas for an elected official,” O’Hara said. “If constituents come to me identifying a problem, we can seek a solution together. I have relationships with our state congressional delegation, experience within the community, and can pull all the right people together to come up with the best answer to a concern in Lower Puna.”

Previous Big Island Now election stories:

What you need to know about voting in Hawai‘i County for the Aug. 8 primary election

Who is running for Hawai‘i County Council? 29 candidates meet Tuesday filing deadline

District 2: District 2 incumbent for Hawai‘i County Council faces 4 challengers

District 5: District 5 candidates for Hawaiʻi County Council bring distinct knowledge, experiences to race

District 6: Candidates for Ka‘ū District seat on Hawai‘i County Council talk priorities for rural and remote area

District 7: 3 candidates running for open Kona District County Council seat talk housing, parks, infrastructure

Districts 8 and 9: These seats are uncontested.