Alm, Kau proceed to general election runoff in race for city prosecutor

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Retired Judge Steve Alm and defense attorney Megan Kau will proceed to a general election runoff in the race for city prosecutor.

Final results showed Alm with 41% of the vote, shy of the 50% plus needed to win outright. Kau took second place, with 24%, securing her spot in a general election runoff.

Public defender Jacquie Esser was in third place.

In addition to Honolulu mayor, Oahu voters this year are electing a new city prosecutor this year to replace Keith Kaneshiro, who is the target in a federal corruption probe.

And it’s precisely the scandal surrounding the Prosecutor’s Office that’s making the race for the position far more watched than in previous elections.

Dwight Nadamoto, the acting city prosecutor, was in fourth place by the end of the night.

After first results, Alm was holding the lead with nearly 36% of the votes, followed by Kau at nearly 21%.

Several of the candidates for prosecutor are running on a platform of change, pledging to bring reform to an office that’s been under a cloud of suspicion for years ― since the indictment and eventual conviction of former deputy city Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha.

Kaneshiro received a target letter from the FBI in the probe, forcing him to go on a paid leave of absence. Nadamoto later took over the office.

Kaneshiro is not seeking re-election this year, ending 16 years in that office.

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