(BIVN) – Waimea residents gathered for the town’s traditional “speed dating” candidate forum last week, ahead of the 2026 primary election in Hawaiʻi.
The Waimea Community Association brought voters and candidates to the table on Thursday, July 16, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium at the Parker School SMART Center.
The Primary Election Candidate Forum is said to be “a hallmark of WCA’s civic engagement efforts for more than three decades,” replacing the Association’s regular July town meeting in order to offer voters “a unique opportunity to meet candidates face-to-face before casting their ballots.”
“With ballots arriving just days after the forum, there’s no better time for voters to hear directly from the people seeking to represent them” said WCA President Nancy Carr Smith in a WCA news release. “An informed community is a strong community.”
From the Waimea Community Association:
Unlike traditional candidate forums, WCA’s signature “speed dating” format allows residents to engage in meaningful, small-group conversations with candidates. Attendees will be seated at one of eleven tables (one for each participating candidate) while candidates rotate from table to table throughout the evening. Volunteer community facilitators will moderate each table, ensuring every participant has an opportunity to ask questions, share concerns and hear directly from each candidate.
Participants in the forum included nonpartisan candidates for Hawaiʻi County Council districts 1 and 9, as well as partisan candidates for State Representative (District 8) and Lieutenant Governor.
“Democracy is strongest when conversations happen face-to-face,” said Carr Smith. “This format gives residents and candidates the chance to move beyond campaign messaging and have real conversations about the issues shaping our community.”
