New Poll Finds Tight Maui Mayoral Race as Bissen’s Job Approval Drops Sharply
(Same Guys, June, 2026: Poll: Sugimura 47% - Bissen 33% in mayoral primary race -- ooops)
News Release from Tulchin Research, October 14, 2026
A new Tulchin Research survey of likely November 2026 general election voters in Maui County finds the race for Mayor remains extremely competitive, with Yuki Lei Sugimura and incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen virtually tied just weeks before Election Day.
Sugimura holds a narrow 45%-44% lead in the latest poll, which grows to 47%-44% among voters who say they are definitely voting, suggesting some momentum heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
At the same time, Bissen's job approval has deteriorated sharply, shifting from positive territory in August to eight points underwater in October.
This decline comes amid growing scrutiny of his administration, with nearly eight in ten voters reporting they have recently heard information about Bissen. Among those voters, the information made them less favorable toward the mayor by a two-to-one margin.
Together, these findings point to an increasingly challenging political environment for Bissen in the closing weeks.
read … full report
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