The struggle for affordability today has been broadened by persistent income inequality decades in the making, born of mainland policies favoring the rich and exacerbated by Hawaiʻi’s geographic isolation. We are uniquely challenged, but we can and need to do better. Working families should not be counting their dollars for groceries, gas, or basic home utilities.

Local working families spend on average 42% of their incomes on adequate housing, yet are being priced out by foreign investors and buyers with mainland incomes, not to mention the growing flock of millionaires and billionaires cutting out slices of personal paradise. Hawaiʻi has always been a land of the people. We need determined and innovative solutions to help keep it that way, and we have no time to lose.

The housing market is not going to fix itself. We require substantive action to ensure residents can find affordable housing in Hawaiʻi over the long term.

As a legislator, I will propose innovative solutions that will affect change over the long-term like nonprofit led land trusts (more affordable housing), public-private partnerships (faster construction) and zoning reform (responsible building), which have been done in states like California to substantially increase the supply of affordable housing.

Further, I will draft legislation and work with my colleagues to increase taxes and fees for housing properties used for investment speculation, as well as vacant and second homes. Freeing up revenues to be used to fund tax breaks for residents who need it the most.

To adequately address our affordability crisis, we must examine the structural foundations that are holding us back over the long-term. Public education is the engine of economic sustainability long neglected in Hawaiʻi. Improving public education across all islands means raising the floor of possibility and prosperity for local people, touching every industry and sector of the local economy. This reinforces our resilience as a state and builds our sense of self-reliance from the mainland.

I believe each generation can ultimately be judged by how much or how little we invest in our youth. Let’s invest heavily in our keiki and their futures, and sow the hope that they pass this spirit on. A passing generation can rest easy knowing the next one will leave the world better than they found it.

Lawmaking in Hawaiʻi means thinking carefully about how we resolve the issues that affect our lives, while balancing our approach with the health of the ʻāina and ocean ecosystems. It is our collective responsibility to be stewards to the islands we call home.

At the same time, the effects of climate change are upon us. It fills me with dread knowing that the flooding and fires will only get worse as the years progress. The State is gravely responsible for delivering bold initiatives that will best prepare Hawaiʻi for the changes to our climate that threaten properties, infrastructure, and lives.

Policy in this area must be crafted with sufficient diligence and care, drawing from the wealth of resources in the form of policy groups and experts, to minimize the damage caused by climate change and the costs to our residents and state budget. This means exploring novel approaches that are unique to our island ecosystems, and to make the investments early that will protect our lives and livelihoods.

A 2025 Hawaiʻi Food Bank report found that 32% percent of Hawaiʻi households were food insecure, and 45% of households with keiki. That means every third person or child isnʻt having dinner tonight.

Hawaiʻi also depends heavily on the food suppy from the mainland, importing over 90% of its food. While it may be difficult to imagine reducing this dependence over night, the State has begun investing in local agriculture and thinking creatively about how to produce food locally while keeping costs low.

With my experience working in agriculture, this is an area where I feel passionate about delivering results. Similarly to housing, the food security issues we face as a state is partially brought on by our geographic limitations, but there is plenty of room for improvement. I have the background to understand how bills might be implemented and have worked closely with farmers in the past to ensure legislation meets reality on the ground.

Kānaka have called these islands home for well over a thousand years. And yet, more and more are disproportionately incarnated or forced to leave for the mainland to find a steady job or a more affordable lifestyle.

Itʻs no secret that the Hawaiian Kingdom was stolen by a band of insurrectionists in 1893. I believe its is our moral responsibility as citizens, as descendants of a unjust history, to do right by the Kānaka ʻŌiwi. Practically, that means proposing policy and funding that will minimize time on the waitlist for people waiting for Hawaiian home land leases, teaching Hawaiian in schools and honoring the sanctity of native Hawaiian lands and rights to the preservation of those lands.

History is not over. We are living it now. As a legislator I will not tolerate an inch of further injustice towards the native Hawaiian people or their communities, as I work diligently to pave a path home for those that wish to return.

Like much of the nation, voter turnout in Hawaiʻi has been on a steady decline‍ since the 1960s when turnout ranged between 80-90%. Today, 30-60% of registered voters vote depending on the election.

While the State does a good job ensuring people have ample opportunities to register, more often than not it takes compelling candidates to galvanize the people to participate. Candidates that speak to the everyday experiences of people, and are authentic and true in their ambitions to solve the problems that affect us all, can help us believe our votes count for something.

Still, every vote matters. Opting out of the the political process leads to a system free to organize around the interests of those that participate without the views of entire portions of our community.

While we live in a world of increasing distractions designed to capture our attention, lawmakers must do what they can to capture the imagination of working families, to meet them where they are, and to listen, because every point of view matters.

In an era of conspiracy theory, blatant corruption and rampant distrust of government, our elected officials are called to increase government transparency and weed out corruption wherever possible. Our government is obligated to be honest with its people and must be held to account when they fall short. Otherwise, what’s the point?