Incumbent Todd Apo is in the only City Council race in the general election.

Four of the nine councilmembers won re-election in the Sept. 20 primary. Apo, the only other councilmember facing re-election this year, has one, relatively unknown challenger: retired Navy Cmdr. Garry Smith. A two-candidate race must be decided in the general election, under city rules.

The Council will get a new member with the addition of former City Councilman Duke Bainum.

Bainum will replace City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi—who is running for mayor against Mufi Hannemann—in an uncontested race to represent Manoa and Moiliili. Bainum needs just one vote to win.

A group of Manoa residents, angry over what they perceived as last-minute maneuverings, called earlier this month for voters to cast a blank vote for Bainum in a symbolic protest.

Kobayashi had filed to run for mayor the morning of July 22, the candidates' filing deadline. That set off a frenzy for her Council seat; Bainum flew to Hawaii from California that day and rented an apartment in Kobayashi's district.

When the dust settled, 11th-hour candidate state Rep. Kirk Caldwell, a Hannemann ally, was disqualified, leaving only Bainum in the race.