Johnson had 15,334 votes, or 42.9 percent, to Hokama’s 15,132 votes, or 42.4 percent, as of the second printout released shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday night. The final results had not been sent out as of 11:30 p.m.

It was an improvement for Johnson, who’d been trailing Hokama by 495 votes after the first set of results came out.

“I feel good that it’s trending in the right direction, you know, that makes me feel good that we’re going up,” Johnson said late Tuesday night. “Across the races the Onipa’a groups have all gained. If they were behind, they shortened the gap, and if they were ahead, they extended the gap. So that’s a good sign.”

Johnson was one of eight progressive-backed candidates who, in the face of less funding and resources, toured the county and campaigned together under the “Onipa’a movement.”

Tom Cook chats after being interviewed on Akaku Tuesday night. He was leading the South Maui race. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

“I think it’s the money issue, right? The amount of big money into our local politics is unheard of. It’s never been like this before,” Johnson said of the candidates’ message. “So that’s what a lot of Onipa’a candidates were speaking to — to be steadfast in the crashing waves of off-island money coming to our shores.”

Hokama could not be reached for comment late Tuesday night.

Incumbent Council Member Tasha Kama was holding off challenger Buddy Nobriga in the second-closest race for the Kahului residency seat, with 16,525 votes, or 46.3 percent, to Nobriga’s 14,178 votes, or 39.7 percent. The two were separated by just over 2,000 votes after the first release of results earlier in the night.

Nobriga said after the first printout that he felt he could overcome the 2,000-vote gap. He pointed out that in the primary, he had around 8,000 votes but had already received more than 12,000 votes after the first printout in Tuesday evening’s general election.

“I’ve been blessed to get some more,” said Nobriga, who came 244 votes short of Kama in the primary.

Council Vice Chairwoman Keani Rawlins Fernandez is all smiles at Akaku Community Media on Tuesday night as she leads the Molokai race. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

“I represent an up-and-coming generation, that doesn’t really have faith in the system,” he added. “One of our platforms was to motivate and inspire everybody to get involved. I feel like me, personally, I feel like if a lot more people come out to vote, I feel like we have a fighting chance.”

Kama could not be reached for comment.

Current council leadership also appeared to be holding on to their leads, though Council Chairwoman Alice Lee was waiting for the final printout after leading challenger Noelani Ahia by nearly 3,000 votes as of the second printout. Lee had 16,875 votes or 47.3 percent to Ahia’s 14,035 votes or 39.3 percent in the race for the Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu residency seat.

“This is totally out of my hands right now,” Lee said Tuesday night.

“There was a coalition running against me, not one person,” she said, referring to her opponent and others running as Onipa’a candidates. “It wasn’t a one-on-one race. It was a coalition against me. That makes a very big difference.

Council Member Shane Sinenci is congratulated on his lead in the East Maui race Tuesday night outside Akaku. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

“They were funded by outside sources. My funding was your typical local contributors.”

Without knowing how many ballots were left to be counted, “it’s hard to say what’s going to happen,” Lee said.

Ahia said that she was “so very grateful and honored” for voters’ support.

“It’s a close race at this point but I’m really not nervous because no matter what happens, I will continue to advocate to protect this place that we all love,” Ahia said via text after the second printout. “I feel like this election has given me the opportunity to speak about things that are important for the healing of our people and because of that, I feel like I already won!”

Council Vice Chairwoman Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, meanwhile, was leading with 17,413 votes, or 48.8 percent, to challenger John Pele’s 12,814 votes, or 35.9 percent, in the Molokai race.

Alice Lee wears a smile Tuesday night as she holds on to a lead in the Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu race. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The candidates with the largest margins were incumbent Council Member Tamara Paltin, who had 22,691 votes to challenger Justin Herrmann’s 7,045 votes in the West Maui race, and incumbent Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura, whose 20,904 votes led challenger Jordan Hocker’s 10,344 votes in the Upcountry race.

Another incumbent, Council Member Shane Sinenci, led throughout the night with 16,788 votes to Claire Kamalu Carroll’s 13,673 votes in the East Maui race.

In the races for the only two open council seats, Tom Cook and Nohe U’u-Hodgins both grabbed early leads and were holding on to first place as of the second printout. Cook had 17,538 votes, or 49.1 percent, to Robin Knox’s 13,055 votes, or 36.6 percent, in the South Maui race. U’u-Hodgins had 17,643 votes, or 49.4 percent, to Nara Boone’s 12,685 votes, or 35.5 percent in the Makawao-Haiku-Paia race.

Both seats are being vacated after Council Members Kelly King and Mike Molina both ran unsuccessfully for mayor in the primary.

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com. Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com. Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.