Big Isle mayor's race could last until fall

By Leila Fujimori

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 05, 2012

~~<p>The Hawaii County mayor's race took a dramatic turn when retired mayor and civil defense chief Harry Kim, known for his voice of calm during impending disasters, made an 11th-hour bid against one of his former executive assistants, Mayor Billy Kenoi.</p>
<p>What had essentially been a two-man race — with the heavily funded incumbent pitted against Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, 52, of Hamakua — now is wide open, political observers say, likely with no clear winner in the primary, forcing a runoff in the general.</p>
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The Hawaii County mayor's race took a dramatic turn when retired mayor and civil defense chief Harry Kim, known for his voice of calm during impending disasters, made an 11th-hour bid against one of his former executive assistants, Mayor Billy Kenoi.

What had essentially been a two-man race — with the heavily funded incumbent pitted against Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, 52, of Hamakua — now is wide open, political observers say, likely with no clear winner in the primary, forcing a runoff in the general. Login for more...