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 Chris Lee, incumbent Democratic candidate for State Senate District 25 in the Aug. 8 primary election.

Senate District 25 includes Kailua, Waimānalo and Hawaiʻi Kai on Oʻahu. His primary opponent is Bobby Silva.

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 was born and raised in our community. I ran for office to be a champion for local families, make it easier for our kids to live here and protect our home. I’ve successfully passed laws to reduce the cost of living, forgive medical debt, and help families. I created new protections for special places like Maunawili and the Kaiwi Coast. I’ve fought corporations exploiting residents, and passed laws to stop corruption and get money out of politics. There’s more to do, and I ask for your support.

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?

Cost of living and economic insecurity. This year I passed a law cancelling $91 million of medical debt owed by 50,000 local residents. I’d expand that to more families, especially our kūpuna. I also created two new programs that help families with rebates to lower the costs for transportation. I’d expand those. And I passed a bill through the Senate to eliminate housing taxes for most first-time home buyers, and create more affordable housing. I’d reduce the cost of housing for even more people.

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

Pretty sure this question is focused on neighbor island legislators, not Oahu. That said, I’ve passed bills to enable additional cheaper, cleaner, options for interisland shipping. Several companies have since begun working on commercial rollout such as electric sea gliders and electric and hybrid-electric tugs that replace costly fuels with modern electric technology to substantially reduce operating costs and the price of shipping.

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?

Our bill making Hawaiʻi the first state to get corporate money out of politics by blocking corporations from dumping millions into elections is a huge win that will help return power to the people, and not Super PACs. My bill cancelling $91 million of medical debt for 50,000 people will be life-changing many families in our community. I introduced another bill that almost passed to reduce the cost of insurance by enabling insurance companies to sue big oil for climate damages driving up insurance rates.

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?

Corruption cannot be tolerated. Period. In my first year in office I passed an amendment to stop pay-to-play politics by barring state contractors from making political contributions. I led negotiations and passed a bill barring governors and mayors from being paid by outside interests to ensure their decisions benefit everyone, not their employers. And I’ve passed others boosting criminal penalties. Hawaiʻi should also look at proven strategies in Singapore that have reversed corruption.

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?

There are zero adequate short- or long-term disaster shelters in our area. I recently added $8 million to begin planning and designing the first of several new disaster resilience hubs in our communities, beginning with one that will be incorporated into the upcoming Kailua Library renovation project. These will provide safe shelters, food storage, medical supplies, communications, and power for families and first responders for weeks in the event of hurricanes and disasters such as Lahaina.

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 feel fortunate to have worked with our community to pass many of Hawaiʻi’s most important climate measures. I wrote our laws mandating 100% renewable energy, a carbon-neutral economy, zero-emissions transportation, establishing Hawaiʻi’s clean fuel standard, creating what is now the State Climate Commission and others. These strategies have already helped reduce our reliance on costly imported fuels, and lower the cost of electricity. The more we do now, the less costly it will be later.

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?

While it sounds easy, in reality limits on bills won’t change end-of-session debate or outcomes. First, the House already has limits. Second, by the final days of session bills are already narrowed to just a few hundred. There are 76 legislators, so bill limits won’t decrease that number further unless each legislator is limited to two or three bills. Yet, I’ve had dozens of community bill requests some years, so in reality all it would do is disenfranchise community members asking for help.

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?

More information is always helpful! That said, those who are most prepared going into session already ask an appropriate agency for an analysis and price tag for a bill they are pushing. Without knowing the cost, it’s nearly impossible to expect others to support it. That said, if it means doing an analysis for every bill, rather than focusing on those that are likely to pass, the Legislature would definitely need a lot more staff to do the work in time to meet the legislative calendar.

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’ve introduced bills establishing term limits before. However, in states that have adopted them, term limits have often made the status quo and corruption worse. Lobbyists and unelected staff end up the only ones with the institutional knowledge to navigate the political process, and outmaneuver legislators. Term limits also incentivize legislators to favor special interests who might hire them when termed-out. This is why the special commission on stopping corruption was split on term limits.

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

I’d start by paying teachers a whole lot more to match the value placed on education. The most successful schools in the country usually aren’t most successful because of the structure of the institution, or access to certain kinds of technology. They’re successful because of the people and their dedication to the job. I’d also try Japan’s immensely successful strategies, in which students learn responsibility and discipline by working together to clean their classrooms, bathrooms and campus.

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

We export $8 billion each year to import costly energy and food. To replace imports with local jobs, I passed Hawaiʻi’s laws catalyzing clean energy investment, which made renewables the fastest growing sector of our economy. To expand jobs in local food production, I created the nation’s first program providing local farmers with up to $50,000 to help grow organic food, and I created grant programs to expand the production of fresh compost on farms and in public schools. We must keep going.

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 economy is fundamentally broken. The structure of our tax code and capital markets keep shrinking earnings for most people, despite working full time, often multiple jobs. It’s why homelessness and petty crime have grown. Increasingly costly for-profit healthcare and for-profit higher education, has meant less access to both. I passed legislation making Hawaiʻi the first state to commit to ensuring basic economic security for all local families. We must act swiftly on that plan.