Mike Coots files to run for Kauai Council in 2026 primary

Mike Coots filed nomination papers on May 22 for one of Kauai’s seven at-large County Council seats, adding his name to a ballot field that was still forming less than two weeks before the June 2 filing deadline. Kauai voters elect all seven council members countywide, so Coots is not seeking a district seat but a place in the islandwide race that will help shape land use, housing, roads, waste, and other county decisions.

Coots, a Kīlauea small-business owner and lifelong Kauai resident, has centered his campaign on affordable housing, saying the island’s lack of places to rent or buy is forcing families to leave. His platform puts housing first, with a push for a mayoral housing emergency proclamation, more tiny homes and pre-approved package homes on agricultural land, alternative waste systems such as composting toilets and water catchment, and faster permitting for trusted housing nonprofits.

He has also signaled support for workforce housing in Kauai’s central population areas and for property tax relief modeled on Maui’s Āina Kupuna program, which would protect longtime owner-occupied family land from being priced out. Those priorities put Coots squarely in the middle of the island’s biggest policy fights, where housing supply, farm land rules, affordability, and county permitting all overlap.

For voters trying to judge whether this becomes a serious 2026 race, the key question is whether Coots can turn those broad promises into detailed county policy and build support in a crowded field. As of May 29, the countywide council race already had 32 candidates for seven seats, including two incumbents, and four council seats were open. That kind of turnover can create room for a newcomer, but it also means every candidate has to show a clear reason to stand out.

Coots’ filing adds another layer to a primary that is still being defined by late entries, and the next test will be whether his housing message can hold attention once the ballot closes and the countywide campaign begins in earnest.