Kauai's next mayor will be either County Council Chair Mel Rapozo or former mayor Bernard Carvalho, and whoever wins inherits an island still recovering from Hurricane Lowell — a heavy lift for residents and county services.

• The November runoff pits two well-known local figures against each other, both already sitting on the county council.
• Hurricane Lowell recovery is the defining issue: people were left without power, water, food, and ice, and both candidates say emergency access, supplies, and backup communications must be fixed before the next storm.
• Carvalho stresses pre-positioned equipment, roadway and airport access, and working closely with communities on emergency preparedness.
• Rapozo, who was a police officer during Hurricane Iniki, calls for reliable communications during disasters, including generators and military-run mobile radio.
• Beyond storms, both agree the island's water, wastewater, and solid waste systems are at crisis levels, with bypass roads, relocating the Wailua wastewater plant, and cesspool conversion as top priorities.

Outlook: Expect the race to be decided on who voters trust to rebuild faster and shore up basic infrastructure ahead of future hurricanes.