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 Greg Guithues, nonpartisan candidate for U.S. House 2nd District, which covers part of Oʻahu and all the neighbor islands.

His opponents are Brenton Awa, Kirill Basin, Edward Codelia, Steven King, Jill Tokuda and Terry Randall.

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

At this specific moment in American history — marked by intense divisions and the politics of grievance — why are you the right person to represent the specific needs of Hawaiʻi’s 2nd Congressional District?

My background is communications technology, training and business. I understand how communication works. If we just talk at each other, we don’t communicate. If you say your piece, I’ll tell you what I heard. Then I’ll say my piece and you tell me what you heard. This back and forth builds rapport, so we each get what we really need. I will listen more than I speak, and take the time to understand. It requires respect. Trust. Love. And faith that America will persevere.

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

The biggest issue facing Hawaiʻi is ICE taking our neighbors. Trump has prioritized deporting people who are simply trying to care for their families. America is made of immigrants. These fascist tendencies target non-white populations first. I will push legislation requiring judicial warrants for all ICE arrests and searches. Administrative warrants are a clear violation of the 4th Amendment. I will fight the erosion of our civil rights and push for oversight of detention center conditions.

Here’s one question from your constituents: Will you stand up against the bullying corruption of the Trump admin?

I will introduce articles of impeachment against both Trump and Vance. If it doesn’t get scheduled for a vote I’ll do it again. Trump and Vance have both given us ample examples of high crimes and misdemeanors egregious enough to justify removal from office. This will be my mission.

For those who have held public office: What is one piece of legislation or policy initiative you spearheaded in the last four years that had a measurable, positive impact on Hawaiʻi? For challengers who have not held public office: What professional or community achievement best demonstrates your ability to navigate complex bureaucracies and deliver results?

My career. Twenty years in computer networking, then 25 years consulting and teaching in communications technology. American politics is mostly words without understanding. I bring expertise in A- getting my point across, and B- making sure I understand the other side. From there we can begin negotiations. It is easy to get caught up in being heard at the expense of listening. Vilifying the opposition is destructive. Effective communication is my strength.

With the Trump administration in its final two years, how specifically do you plan to ensure Hawaiʻi’s interests aren’t sidelined? Name one specific policy area where you believe you can find common ground with the administration or across the aisle to benefit Hawaiʻi residents.

Aside from doing my part toward removing the president and vice president from office, I will prioritize educating our children. The federal government needs to provide more funding for education. We can do this and more by taxing the wealthy. I will push to restore a higher marginal tax rate above a million. That is on the path to a more equitable society.

Hawaiʻi consistently ranks as one of the most expensive housing markets in the U.S. Beyond general support for HUD, what federal program or legislative mechanism would you propose to specifically address affordability and increase housing inventory on the islands?

My first priority will be to remove the financial incentive for single family homes and residential apartments to be used as vacation rentals. This is part of the affordable housing crisis plaguing all of America.

The Jones Act is a century-old cargo shipping law that some argue has a significant impact on Hawaiʻi’s cost of living. Do you support a full repeal, a specific exemption for Hawaiʻi or maintaining the status quo? How will you build a national coalition to change it? If you support maintaining the status quo, please explain why that’s necessary.

Nobody has properly studied what this law costs rural Hawaiian families and farmers specifically, the kind of homework Congress should be doing instead of taking shipping industry donations and calling it national security. At this point I think an honest look at the cost and benefit of using only U.S. built ships might be something we want to change, but we would need verification from shippers that costs actually go down.

National conservative groups have launched legal challenges against Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy and a federal program that provides Native Hawaiian health scholarships. Are you concerned about protecting those institutions and programs and, if so, what federal legislative action will you take?

To minimize taxes on the wealthy, we have gutted programs designed to help the exploited and under-represented. I will reverse that trend. I will fight for continuation of preferential admissions policies and scholarships, and cosponsor legislation affirming race-conscious remedial programs serving Native Hawaiians. Reparation programs are generally too little too late. I support the spirit of kōkua. We need each other. We need more focus on helping those who need help.

Climate change and ever more powerful disasters are facts of life in Hawaiʻi. How would you plan to address that issue in Washington on behalf of the state?

First of all FEMA must be better funded in order to respond quickly to disasters anywhere. We need to plan for multiple simultaneous disasters. The U.S. has been backpedaling climate science and sustainability since Trump’s inauguration. I support proven technologies like Solar and Wind energy as well as experimental ones, ocean wave/tidal energy is not yet cost effective, but may surprise us the way solar did.

Hawaiʻi aims for 100% renewable energy by 2045. Do you support Gov. Josh Green’s initiative to use liquefied natural gas as a bridge fuel until that goal is met?

I support every well-intentioned and well researched idea. The LNG project does not seem to meet this criteria. I’m generally against switching to another fossil fuel. And projects of this size don’t generally meet their scheduling and budget targets, so it looks like a money pit. Having said that, there won’t likely be one single path to meet our energy goals. I just don’t like that one.

As the headquarters of INDOPACOM, Hawaiʻi is central to U.S. strategy in the Pacific. How do you balance the need for a strong military presence with the environmental and social concerns of the local community?

The unchecked growth of the military industrial complex is a big part of the reason we are constantly at war. I will work to scale back our military budget. We have developed a trigger-happy mentality. Incidentally, the U.S. Defense Department is the worlds largest institutional user of fossil fuels. That’s not necessary.

How will your office be present for people who feel ignored/neglected by Honolulu-centric or D.C.-centric politics?

My home since 2014 is Ocean View, Kaʻū District, Island of Hawaiʻi. We are, indeed, a long way from Washington, D.C. I will support organizations serving rural Hawaiʻi: food banks, Hoʻōla Farms serving farmers, St. Jude’s in Ocean View providing showers and meals, USDA and NOAA programs for farmers and fishermen. I will schedule time on all neighbor islands to talk story with my constituents and use my position to provide relief as the law allows. This sounds like the best part of the job. Mahalo.