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

The following comes from Max Hanna, nonpartisan candidate for state Senate District 18, covering Mililani Town, Waipio Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, a portion of Waipahu, Village Park and Royal Kunia.

He will face incumbent Democrat Danielle Bass and Republican Kelly Kitashima in a special election to replace Sen. Michelle Kidani who retired. The election is to be held on Nov. 3 alongside the general election.

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

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

I am running on a platform of Ideas, meaning I ask as many people as possible what their biggest issues are and how they think it should be fixed and if I agree I add it to my platform because my ultimate goal is to pass laws that benefit everyone as much as possible.

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 biggest idea is a Flat Income Tax, that only taxes 15% on income made over $40,000 while income below $40,000 won’t be taxed, allowing minimum wage workers to keep more of their check because I believe they need it more then the government. I also want to eliminate property taxes because if someone spends 30 years paying down a house they shouldn’t need to pay rent to the government.

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

No, monopolies lead to high prices with subpar service but competition drives innovation and that should apply to all business sectors.

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 Anti-Corruption Bill, the Senate version passed which allowed convicted public servants to receive 50% of their pensions. I would rather have passed the House version which would have taken all of their pensions and amend to include investigations on who is giving the money and how it influences the politician in question.

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?

The Ethics Committee should take bigger action by looking into which law makers are receiving money and how it’s influencing their vote, I would also move to pass campaign finance reform to prevent this type of influence from having a negative impact on government action.

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?

By demanding that HECO update the power grid to ensure the power stays on during the roughest storms. I would also add more disaster shelters by repurposing unused bunkers from the Cold War.

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?

The best way to achieve green energy is to reintroduce nuclear energy and bring forward proposals to build a nuclear power plant as it is the most effective energy solution that is also the cleanest, with the ability to power the entire island while cutting carbon output 95%.

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 I agree that debate is important, I think putting a limit on bills would make omnibus bills more common, which I don’t agree with. Single issue bills are better because it will be easier for the public to understand what is being voted on in the State Capitol.

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?

Yes, price signals is a great way to prevent deficit spending and helps the government figure out where money needs to be spent or not.

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, Government by nature is slow, it takes time to advance laws and term limits would make it more difficult. Also term limits could increase the influence of lobbyists. Instead we should increase voter awareness so that they vote for different candidates. As far as legislation, I would be in favor of an age limit where once someone reaches retirement age they can no longer run for election.

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

Shift the power dynamics from administration to teachers, match teachers salaries to college professor’s with bonuses for student performance thus encouraging teachers to be the best. Shift school funding from local property taxes to a statewide tax fund making it more fair. Schools should also emphasize the value of human life and morality to kids, which in the long term will lead to a better society.

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

I think the best way to find a way to export more then we import so that in the event of a tourism crash we have a stream of income.

An estimated 60% of Hawaiʻi 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?

There is no one answer on solving this problem but one way to solve it is abundance. There is a shortage of everything which leads to high prices and also prevents greed by not letting the rich squeeze out people trying to invest in the future without draining their wallets.