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 Adriel Lam, Republican candidate for U.S. House 1st District, which covers urban Oʻahu.

His opponents are incumbent Democrat Ed Case and Green candidate Jordan Conley.

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 1st Congressional District?

Apart from divisions driven by media ratings and the grievance industry, Hawaiians and Americans are largely united by bonds of friendship in faith, family, and freedom. Most people want to live peaceable lives without the interference of others, especially the government, with reasonable expectations of a moral and just society. I bring a lifetime of service and experience, both nationally and locally, across the globe, with Aloha for Hawaiʻi, our friends, and neighbors.

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?

Cost of living is driven by multiple factors of shipping, taxation, excessive fees, housing, inflations and overall cost of doing business in Hawaiʻi. Many of these factors are addressed in the questions below, but eliminating federal income taxes and enacting a national dividend from tariffs would be a top priority.

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

I will stand up for Hawaiʻi and against the bullying corruption of oppressive left-wing ideology and their media enablers.

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?

I worked on a problem set of geopolitical significance with my team of talented and diverse professionals. We were recognized with a national award for our collaborative efforts across the interagency and multinational networks.

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.

Hawaiʻi remains the strategic center of the Pacific. National strategy is more than just military posturing but economic and social exchanges. Hawaiʻi is uniquely positioned to be a gateway and nexus across the Pacific. We are at the forefront and the face of engagement with the Asia-Pacific. We are essential to the vitality of the 50-state Union and only sideline ourselves by not engaging.

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?

Permitting and planning needs to be decentralized to allow the thousands of our Hawaiʻis engineering and technical professionals to apply their trade. Take the politics out of housing and development and let local jurisdictions manage within codes and standards. Local authorization answers best to local needs, with more immediate and timely response than a one-size-fits-all island-wide bureaucracy. This invariably reduces time and costs to long drawn-out programs.

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.

Jones Act reform must bring equitable access to markets. Amazon, USPS, and vehicle destination fees are examples of fair access shipping rates across the 50 states. Whether through interstate compact or federal exemptions/legislations, Hawaiʻi should benefit from access and shipping at no less costs than between the other contiguous states.

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?

Hawaiian Homelands, Kamehameha Schools, and other Native Hawaiian programs are threatened by home-grown corruption that value power over service to the communities they are intended to serve. Sometimes it takes nudging from our friends and neighbors to encourage our local constituents to stand up for our basic human and constitutional rights.

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?

Infrastructure maintenance and upgrades need to be based on observable and documented weather conditions and projections. We’ve wasted too much energy on 100-year climate dogma rather than focusing on the immediate weather and storm cycles that should have been driving planning and emergency preparedness.

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?

100% renewable energy by 2045 is measure of a failure to adapt to technology and the changing environment. Efficiency and affordability should drive our energy concerns, as well as innovating with the latest technology. Liquified natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel that readily allows for additional energy production in Hawaiʻi and alleviate energy demand.

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?

Members of the military are our fellow citizens and neighbors. The standards of living for our military communities should be no less than the standards we bring to our local communities. Military investment is also local investment to support the livelihood and functions of a thriving community.

Immigration is a cornerstone of Hawaiʻi’s history and culture, yet the Trump administration has taken an aggressive stance on enforcement. How will you represent Hawaiʻi’s values in Washington while balancing the federal government’s need to secure the nation’s borders?

Illegal immigration is a threat to national security, and birth tourism further threatens the sacred trust of integrating those seeking our way of life. Mass placement of 50,000 illegal migrants into Hawaiʻi broke that trust and invited violent alien cartels into our islands. Hawaiʻi welcomes new immigrants and new citizens, and federal enforcement is preventing further abuse of our openness.