Civil Beat has asked candidates for the primary election to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Matthias Kusch, Democratic incumbent for state House District 1, which includes Hāmākua, part of Hilo and Kaūmana.

He is running unopposed.

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? And why do you want the job?

I’ve spent my adult life serving this community: as a Hawai’i Fire Department firefighter, a farmer, a nonprofit leader and an affordable housing advocate. That gives me a firsthand view of the problems families face, from emergencies to housing, schools and healthcare. After two years in office, I’ve built strong relationships across agencies, county leadership and the Capitol. I want to put that experience to work for a more affordable, healthier, resilient Hawai’i island.

What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

I’ve already started to work on them: Mauna Kea: balancing culture with science. Banyan Drive (Makaoku Peninsula), invasive species, DKI/Saddle Road safety is being addressed as we speak, affordability on many fronts (example: this session’s tax package), healthcare with an emphasis on rural and at ‘stay in your home’ healthcare solutions. Spanning my past, present and hopefully future legislative time: Creating the right mix of opportunities for young families to stay and thrive

Here’s one question from your constituents: Do you support maintaining a monopoly for interisland shipping?

No. In fact, I was working with a woman from Kaʻū who was interested in bringing in small (~250′) container ships they use on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico that hold roughly 25 full size containers. I don’t know much about the economics of interisland shipping, but I have been a small boat commercial captain for 34 years: If pier improvements are already in place, why can’t we support several models of transport?

What do you think were the most important bills to come out of the 2026 Legislature? What failed that should have passed? What passed that you wish had failed?

Tax bill, Citizens United bill, Mauna Kea bill, Medical debt purchase bill, Banyan Drive bill. Failed: HB2424, HB2423 and SB3028 (all 2026 legislative session bills)

The 2026 session was also overshadowed by an issue of public trust: $35,000 in the brown paper bag given to an “influential” state lawmaker. What do you think the Legislature needs to do going forward to rebuild public confidence in state government?

I think the Legislature has made huge gains, especially the House. Since Speaker Nakamura started it’s more open, she is trying new things, collaborating more, none of which ever gets much notice. Basically, nobody in Hilo or District 1 writes or speaks with me about these issues. I only hear from lobbyists that represent “Good Government” about this. From my perspective, it’s a stain on the Legislature that we are working hard to remove.

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 could you as a lawmaker do to help your district be better prepared?

Hawai’i island has done well over the years with emergency planning and response. The breakthrough here was collaboration amongst state, county, feds and NGOs: Regular planning, drills and maintenance of that web of interoperability. We have also done extensive training with our community groups: The first response is always going to be local, and providing that training and equipment, so we have legions of ‘first in’ responders that has been key. That model needs to expand statewide.

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?

I think grid scale solar, geothermal and quick start biofuel generation (for peak demands) are the first step forward. After the grid is net(ish) zero, we can look at more transportation infrastructure to address electric cars. Simultaneously with the prior two items, better application of our mass transit (right sizing). And of course, my favorite, more bike and pedestrian options!

Over 3,000 bills are introduced every session and there is always frantic horsetrading in the final days of session. Do you think there should be a limit on the number of bills introduced to enable more meaningful debate?

Good question. My perspective is that from bill introduction to the last minute of conference, it is Darwinian. Only the strongest survive: That means bills that are impactful, able to have meaningful input and compromise, that are supported broadly (by the public, stakeholders, agency, House and Senate) and are championed throughout the process, make it. People who introduce too many bills have most die right away, they simply can’t champion them through.

Hawaiʻi lawmakers are often in the dark about how much a piece of legislation will cost because the Aloha State is the only one in the nation that doesn’t require a fiscal analysis for bills. Should lawmakers be forced to put a realistic price tag on the legislation they introduce?

That is not necessarily true. Often legislators have a pretty good idea of the cost of a bill. It might be an approximation, but enough to provide valid input whether a program is worth it. The Finance Committee started some in-house experimenting with it to see how time intensive it might be. I think it will be discussed this upcoming session as an option on certain types of legislation. Not all, that is not cost or time effective, but some targeting of bills.

There are no term limits for state legislators in Hawaiʻi, so incumbents tend to win. Would you seek to change that? Why or why not?

No. Incumbents tend to win because they are either doing a good job, or no one is doing a good job challenging them. The analogy might be a new car out there with great marketing but no performance record; do you part with your Tacoma? Your Accord? What if you end up with a Trumpcar, just because you were unhappy about a single issue? How do you feel now? It’s the same for a person who represents you in government.

What would you do to help improve the state’s public school system?

1. Continue to roll out free preschool. 2. Continue to expand Ka Papahana Kaiapuni. 3. Right size existing schools to meet multiple needs: Shrinking schools can be partially repurposed for needed offices and/or employee housing. 4. Continue to expand the Academies program. 5. Ban cellphones in school (done!) 6. Limit or eliminate social media to kids under 16. 7. Create dedicated funding streams for R&M. 8. Streamline administrative layers at the statewide level 9. Financial ed in high school

Hawaiʻi is heavily reliant on tourism. What would you propose to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy?

Salvage Astronomy, incentivize Agtech/vertical farming, continue to support our budding healthcare education and retention pipeline, aerospace engineering projects, Aquaculture.

An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by. It’s a problem that reaches far beyond low-income folks and into the middle class, which is disappearing. What would you do to help?

Continue to lower costs through energy, healthcare, housing and land use (reasonable) regulatory relief, local agriculture and its related value-added sector. Support and attract young families with free preschool, economic opportunities (see previous question) that pay well. In sum, decrease expenses, increase income.