Maui voters stuck with incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen, rejecting a challenge built around anger over his wildfire recovery decisions.

• Bissen held a narrow lead over county councilwoman Yuki Lei Sugimura as votes were counted, enough for her campaign to concede the race was close to over.
• The race turned into a referendum on Bissen's handling of the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, especially his move to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing, which drew heavy criticism.
• That backlash is exactly what pushed Sugimura to jump into the race in the first place, but it wasn't enough to unseat him.
• Sugimura framed the loss as one chapter, not the end, pointing to unresolved problems in Lahaina and leaving open whether she'll run again.

Outlook: Bissen stays in office for four more years, with pressure to show faster progress on Lahaina's recovery and the housing fallout from the fires.