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 Stanley Chang, Democratic candidate and incumbent for State Senate District 9, which includes Hawaiʻi Kai, Kuliʻouʻou, Niu, ʻĀina Haina, Waiʻalae-Kahala, Diamond Head, Kaimukī and Kapahulu.

He is running in the Aug. 8 primary election and will face Republican David Croswell in November.

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 have lived in the district my entire life, and I have represented the district for 14 years in the city council and state Senate. I believe in tackling the major issues that affect our community every day. I work hard to research innovative models that have succeeded elsewhere and adapt them to our unique needs, such as the Singapore housing model. I have also championed improvements to our district’s physical infrastructure, from road maintenance to our schools.

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?

My parents came to Hawaiʻi from China. My father had one job as a UH professor, and was able to buy a house, put my brother and me through school, and retire comfortably. It would take over 30 years of my entire salary to buy the house he bought in 1983. It is no longer possible for young people to work one job, buy a home, raise a family and live a good life. Devoting greater state resources to the revenue-neutral, income-blind housing will restore the opportunity that Hawaiʻi once offered.

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

Yes. There are good reasons for a regulated monopoly like our current system. With a monopoly, the state can require that the shipping carrier serve small, unprofitable ports in addition to profitable ports. Without such a requirement, these smaller communities would lose their lifeline, and the state would likely be asked to subsidize service to them. On the other hand, a monopoly does not face competition on price or service reliability, and these have been difficult problems to address.

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?

The preservation of income tax cuts for 95% of Hawaiʻi households, prohibiting corporations from spending unlimited amounts of money on political causes, and automatic, opt-out voter registration are some of the most important bills. On housing, we expanded the buyer pool for the ALOHA Homes program, prioritized funding for perpetually affordable housing, and created a Hawaiʻi Builds pilot program to accelerate housing projects

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 am looking forward to the release of the Attorney General’s report on the investigation, including all pertinent evidence and documents. It will shed light on a situation that has only been partially revealed for the last several years. I believe that a continuous legislative session without the arbitrary, high stakes deadlines of the current calendar will improve transparency, reduce the power of key chairs and increase public participation and access.

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?

Our district has been proactive in addressing issues like fire and flooding, but much more attention is required. I have championed mobile phone-based disaster alert systems. Some states have offered low-cost loans for home improvements that will enhance disaster preparedness and resilience. The state should also play an expanded role in disaster insurance.

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?

Rising sea levels and the increasing intensity of natural disasters are already impacting Hawaiʻi’s neighborhoods. The state should promote growth near transit stations to minimize carbon emissions from car use. The state should undertake improvements of critical infrastructure in affected communities. The state should prevent coastal hardening that exacerbates erosion.

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?

No. Doing so would limit the ability of our constituents to propose ideas and engage in necessary discussions on the broad range of issues affecting our state. Instead, the legislative session should be continuous so there is more time for the Legislature to schedule hearings, refine legislation and deliberate on issues. Doing so would also eliminate the arbitrary, high-stakes deadlines that give unaccountable power to a handful of powerful members.

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?

No. The Legislature already holds the power of the purse and funds programs to whatever level the state can afford. A proposed new program might cost a large amount, but it will often be watered down by the Legislature into a much cheaper pilot program. It could scale up later, if successful. The Legislature currently seriously considers testimony on cost from the agencies responsible who are the subject matter experts.

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?

I can see both sides. Term limits help bring in new ideas and new energy. On the other hand, a Legislature composed of only short-term members will not be able to build up the subject matter expertise to hold the executive branch accountable. Term limits will empower both the executive branch and lobbyists, who will be the only participants with the institutional memory and nuanced knowledge of the state’s many programs.

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

If we create a selective, tested cohort of students in a public high school like Kaiser (which already boasts the rigorous IB diploma program), we will create the best school in the state, public or private, overnight. The best schools in the country are selective public schools such as Stuyvesant in New York and Lowell in San Francisco. Because most smart students aren’t rich, such a school would very quickly attract a critical mass of the top-performing students in the whole state.

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

I believe that if we start producing reasonably priced housing at scale local people will no longer have to move elsewhere to survive. If they remain in Hawaiʻi, they will start new businesses, create jobs, work remotely and spend more money. Inevitably, new sectors of the economy will grow, attracting further growth. Hawaiʻi should also accelerate its transition to renewable energy, increase research at UH in fields unique to our state and offer targeted investments in promising sectors.

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?

The state should establish a sovereign wealth fund to invest revenues such as the Green Fee or the rainy day fund into stocks. The stock market appreciates faster than wages, which are currently the basis for Hawaiʻi’s tax collections. Over time this fund can help local people pay for necessary services like childcare, higher education and down payments. New Mexico recently started paying for childcare for its residents through its sovereign wealth fund.