LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Former Mayor JoAnn Yukimura and Bernard Carvalho Jr. yesterday announced they are running for Kaua'i mayor.

Carvalho and Yukimura joined councilman Mel Rapozo as the declared candidates in the Sept. 20 special election to fill the last two years of the mayoral term of Bryan Baptiste, who died June 22 while recovering from heart surgery.

Carvalho is Baptiste's former campaign manager.

Yukimura read her five-page announcement to several dozen supporters at noon in the Kaua'i County Council chambers.

"Because I've been in the mayor's office before — in good times and bad times — I have the experience to get the job done better than any other candidate," the 58-year-old attorney and county council member said.

Yukimura cited her 30 years of community service, which includes six years as mayor during a period when Kaua'i was recovering from Hurricane Iniki, and 14 years as a county council member.

Three hours later, Carvalho walked from his county parks director's office across Eiwa Street to the Historic County Building.

Before going inside to fill out his nomination papers, Carvalho, 46, hugged almost every one of more than 100 supporters waiting on the lawn.

Among them was Annette Baptiste, widow of the late mayor. "I can see no other candidate that would continue what my husband started," she said.

"I'd like to thank the Heavenly Father for this great day. I'm so happy to see all of you, all of your happy smiling faces," said Carvalho, a former University of Hawai'i football player.

Carvalho said his campaign will be "about the people of our island — how we're going to move forward as a community."

Carvalho said yesterday that his experience working for the county beginning in 1985, as well as work in the tourism industry, will enable him to bring people together to tackle issues such as infrastructure and solid waste.

Carvalho said he wants to look at ways to help people cope with the high price of gas, such as creating vanpools or providing some county services in outlying communities.

Yukimura's co-campaign manager, Gerald Hirata, said yesterday that she was "a very dedicated public servant" who is best equipped to handle "the many issues we face that will determine what this island will be like in two, five or 10 years. I think we need visionary leadership."