2018 Primary Election Candidates

Click to select a candidate

Name on ballot:

KAYES, Andrew

Running for:

State House

District (if applicable):

Political party:

Nonpartisan

Campaign website:

www.kayesforhouse.com

Current occupation:

Medical Doctor, Radiologist

Age:

Previous job history:

Medical Doctor, Medical Director at Maui Diagnostic Imaging, Kahului, Hawaii

Previous elected office, if any:

None

What qualifies you to represent the people of Hawaii?

I will listen and represent the people of my district. I am smart. I am independent and will not answer to any political party. I am a husband, a father, a doctor, and a small businessman. I understand a lot of the challenges people in Hawaii face, because I face them too. You can't choose where you are born, but if you are lucky, you may be able choose where you call home. I am certainly lucky in this regard and I am so happy to call Maui home; I love Hawaii and Maui and I want to see us thrive as a community and state.

What are the top three challenges facing the voters you seek to represent?

My first priority would be to help promote a culture that respects life. I worry our young people our getting the wrong message about the importance of their lives and others as they grow up. If our state lawmakers do not respect life, then why should our young people? My hope is to help foster a culture where young people in Hawaii develop a core belief that all life is sacred, and all life special. For young people with those convictions, it would be unthinkable to hurt himself /herself or others. I am running to be a voice in the Hawaii State Legislature that stands up for life. If one person stops and considers the sanctity of life because of my campaign, I will consider myself a success.

I also want to help ensure equal opportunity for excellent education for all students. Maui High School is at 120% capacity. Continuing Kihei High School development is crucial to help alleviate this overcrowding. I will always support students having an equal opportunity for a great education.

Continued support of affordable housing solutions is also important for my district. It is a struggle to afford to live on Maui and in Hawaii, and creative solutions are necessary to prevent our residents from feeling like they have to leave for the mainland to afford a house or to do better for their family.

If elected, what will be your highest legislative priority?

Introduce a bill to repeal the recently passed Physician Assisted Suicide. (ACT
002, HB2739 HD1 4/5/2018).

If elected, what can you do to improve the lives of your constituents?

I will be a voice that stands up for life in our legislature. I can be a voice that lets young people know that there is a legislator who values all life, and to continually let them know that no matter what situation they may find themselves in, that their life matters. I think if people truly start to believe this, we can make inroads not just in preventing and repealing physician assisted suicide, but also in other areas. Young people who value life would not be so quick to take their own life if they found themselves in an extremely tough situation. Young people who truly value life would not commit such terrible acts of violence like those that we see repeatedly over and over in our schools nationwide. And everyone who values life can help and be a voice for those who are most vulnerable, including the unborn and the terminally ill. By simply being in the legislature, and standing up for life, I believe I can make a difference.
On top of that, I would always listen and respond to, and work with the people of my district so their concerns were brought to the legislature in Honolulu. My constituents always would have a voice.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

While the main focus of my campaign is to be a voice supporting and defending the majesty of life, I am smart and versatile and I would strive to help make true progress for my district and my state and work with those who disagree with me. I have multiple other interests, including to help improve public health and support and grow a great statewide education system. We have such a great state with such great people. I think we have gotten a few important things wrong recently, most importantly the passing a physician assisted suicide law which denigrates the inherent value of human life. However, I think if we can educate our residents on the importance of their own lives and their own efforts, we can accomplish an incredible amount of good going forward.