Civil Beat Staff

Chad Blair

Chad Blair has been a writer, editor and teacher in Honolulu for more than 25 years. His job as reporter and editor is to cover Hawaii, especially how political decisions impact people and communities.

Chad has worked as a journalist for Pacific Business News, Hawaii Public Radio and Honolulu Weekly. He has taught at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu Community College, Hawaii Pacific University and Chaminade University of Honolulu.

A “military brat,” Chad was born on an Army base in Alabama and later lived with his family in Germany, Illinois, Nebraska and Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where he edited the school newspaper. He also minored in Spanish and studied for a semester in Mexico.

Chad worked for a year on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where he tracked satellites for the U.S. Air Force/NORAD. He then earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in American studies from UH Manoa. His dissertation, “Democracy in Hawaii: Class, Race and Gender in Local Politics” (1996), was published as “Money, Color and Sex in Hawaii Politics” (Mutual Publishing; 1998).

You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @chadblairCB.

Hawaii Senate President Remains Mum On The Turmoil In His Caucus Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Hawaii Senate President Remains Mum On The Turmoil In His Caucus

Sen. Ron Kouchi isn't talking about whether longtime members of his caucus are bullying their peers over a political appointment.

Senate ‘Bullies’ Are Creating Chaos At The Capitol This Year David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Senate ‘Bullies’ Are Creating Chaos At The Capitol This Year

Donovan Dela Cruz and Michelle Kidani have taken political strong-arming to an alarming level as they work to control business and financial issues, their colleagues say.

Chad Blair: This Little Known Office Hears Citizen Gripes About Government Screenshot/2023

Chad Blair: This Little Known Office Hears Citizen Gripes About Government

Hawaii State Ombudsman Robin Matsunaga has served in the position since 1998.

Chad Blair: In The Year 2525, If Bills Are Still Alive

Chad Blair: In The Year 2525, If Bills Are Still Alive

Why do Hawaii lawmakers place “defective effective dates” in legislation? To make sure that they do not pass without agreement from both chambers.

Chad Blair: Dozens Of Sunshine Bills Survive Session’s Halfway Mark David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Chad Blair: Dozens Of Sunshine Bills Survive Session’s Halfway Mark

But two-thirds of the more than 200 bills designed to restore trust in government or open up public information are probably dead.

Legislature Looks To Tweak Internal Rules To Accommodate Ethics Reform David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Legislature Looks To Tweak Internal Rules To Accommodate Ethics Reform

The Senate has committed to livestreaming hearings while the House looks to clarify conflicts of interest for its members.

Chad Blair: Legislature Finally Seems To Get It On Session Fundraising David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Chad Blair: Legislature Finally Seems To Get It On Session Fundraising

Too bad it took a bribery scandal that ensnared two of their former colleagues.

Chad Blair: Are House And Senate Leaders Taking Ethics Reform Seriously? David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Chad Blair: Are House And Senate Leaders Taking Ethics Reform Seriously?


Speaker Scott Saiki and President Ron Kouchi explain where they stand on restoring public trust at the Capitol.

Hawaii House GOP: Government Reform Is A Priority Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2023

Hawaii House GOP: Government Reform Is A Priority

The minority’s package of bills adopts all the proposals of a special commission, including term limits.