Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi General Election on Nov. 3 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from John Choi, Democratic candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor.

His opponents are Della Au Belatti, Ku L. Bobby Cuadra, Derek Kawakami and Sam Puletasi.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of lieutenant governor? And why do you want the job?

I’m running because I’ve spent 30 years fighting the system both my opponents are embedded in. Hawaiʻi doesn’t need someone who learned to navigate that system. It needs someone who has no strings attached. As a civil trial attorney and former deputy attorney general, I built my career holding the powerful accountable, not benefiting from it.

Since the lieutenant governor’s office has few formal responsibilities, Hawaiʻi governors often designate duties to their lieutenant governors. What initiatives would you hope to take on as lieutenant governor?

The LG’s office can be a watchdog or a passenger. Because I don’t owe anyone in Hawaiʻi’s contracting ecosystem a thing, I intend to be a watchdog. I would focus on government accountability, economic diversification, and emergency preparedness, pushing for transparency in permitting, growing new industries through DBEDT, and strengthening disaster readiness after Lahaina.

Here’s one question from your constituents: How can we increase funds for public education and why don’t we prioritize it?

Public education suffers because too much government spending is wasted through inefficiency and politically connected contracting. Before asking taxpayers for more money, we must ensure education dollars reach classrooms. I support auditing waste, closing loopholes and making education a true budget priority. Investing in teachers, facilities and students should come before protecting special interests.

The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the top leader is unable to fulfill their duties. Why do you think you’re qualified to do the top job?

I’ve never been part of the political structure that damaged public trust in this office. I’ve spent my career holding the powerful accountable. That matters more right now than any resume. Nearly 30 years as a civil trial attorney and a former deputy attorney general means I am trained to make hard decisions under pressure, independent from the political networks that have compromised this office.

In prior administrations, the governor and lieutenant governor have sometimes clashed. Does the lieutenant governor’s role include standing up to the governor? Or should the LG simply carry out the governor’s priorities?

The lieutenant governor should support the administration when policies serve the public interest, but should not be a rubber stamp. Hawaiʻi voters elect the LG separately for a reason. Independent judgment matters. If the governor is wrong or special interests are influencing decisions, the lieutenant governor has a duty to speak honestly and put the public first.

The lieutenant governor’s office became the focus of public scrutiny this year as Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was drawn into a bribery investigation. What would you do to restore public trust in government? What specific changes would you propose for the executive and legislative branches to accomplish that?

The contractor donation loophole survived four straight years of reform attempts because certain powerful people needed it to. I’m not one of those people, which is why I can actually fix it. I support banning contractor contributions, strengthening ethics enforcement, increasing disclosure of permitting and contracting decisions, protecting whistleblowers and expanding publicly funded elections.

Hawaiʻi has no initiative or referendum process, yet some in the public are frustrated each year when the Legislature kills important legislation without explanation. Is it time for Hawaiʻi to join the 26 states that allow voters to institute policy through their ballot? Why or why not?

I support exploring a limited initiative and referendum process with strong safeguards. Too often important bills die without hearings or explanation, leaving residents powerless. Giving voters a direct voice could improve accountability. Any system must include strict disclosure rules and protections against dark money dominating ballot measures.

Do you support a temporary transition to liquefied natural gas as Hawaiʻi pursues a goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2045? Is that goal attainable?

I don’t support LNG. The government’s own economic case for it was found to be mathematically wrong, and I’m not beholden to the interests that pushed it. The path to 100% renewable runs through solar, storage and grid modernization, not new fossil fuel dependency. That goal is attainable and Hawaiʻi should stay the course

Questions have been raised about how the new Hawaiʻi green fee to mitigate climate change is being doled out. Do you share those concerns and how should they be addressed in the future?

Yes. Hawaiʻi residents deserve full transparency on how green fee revenues are spent. I support independent audits, public reporting, measurable outcomes and safeguards to ensure these funds are used for climate resilience and conservation rather than diverted into general government spending.

What would you do in office to address the here and now of climate change? And how would you address the costs to taxpayers, property owners and businesses to adapt?

Climate change is already impacting Hawaiʻi through wildfires, flooding, erosion and rising insurance costs. We need stronger wildfire prevention, resilient infrastructure, emergency coordination, water security and shoreline protection. I support using green fee revenues, federal funding and public-private partnerships to reduce costs on taxpayers while protecting communities and local businesses.

Lawmakers in 2026 largely preserved historic income tax cuts. Will you commit to protecting the tax cuts? Why or why not?

I support protecting tax relief for working and middle-class families because Hawaiʻi’s cost of living is already too high. At the same time, we should close loopholes and reevaluate tax advantages that disproportionately benefit large corporations and wealthy interests. Government should not balance its budget on the backs of local families.

In recent years, Hawai’i has experienced a series of damaging and dangerous weather events that have exposed weaknesses in our planning, preparation and response. What needs to happen for the state to be better prepared for these events?

Lahaina was a natural disaster that should have been prevented. It was a systemic failure that killed 102 people. Accountability requires someone with no interest in protecting the agencies that failed. Hawaiʻi needs stronger evacuation planning, upgraded warning systems, wildfire prevention and real coordination between state, county and federal agencies before the next disaster, not after.