2018 Primary Election Candidates

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WARD, Gene
Name on ballot:

WARD, Gene

Running for:

State House

District (if applicable):

17-Hawai’i Kai

Political party:

Republican

Campaign website:

gene-ward.com

Current occupation:

Small Business Development Specialist

Age:

Kupuna

Previous job history:

-Peace Corps Country Director, East Timor
-Presidential appointee USAID
-United Nations Advisor, Malawi, Africa
-Retailer, Royal Hawaiian Hotel
-Exec Dir. Hawaii Entrepreneurship Development Institutr

Previous elected office, if any:

State House of Reprrsentatives, Hawaii Kai Neiighborhood Board

What qualifies you to represent the people of Hawaii?

I bring private and public sector and national and international experience to the legislature. I learned how to think earning a Ph.d. at UH and l learned how to serve the community being a Peace Corps Volunteer and a Country Director.

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

My overall goal of being in office is to make Hawaii and Hawaii Kai a better and more affordable place to live. We need an “entrepreneurial renaissance “ in Hawaii to upgrade our tourism economy and we need solve our housing crisis which will in turn get a handle on the grossly embarrassing homeless problem in Hawaii.

If elected, what will be your highest legislative priority?

Hawaii needs to come to grips with the fact that the US Congress in 1921 passed the Hawaii Homes Commission Act and still 100 years later there are only 9,700 homesteads on the 203,000 acres provided and with still 27,000 Native Hawaiians on the waitlist. See www.BuildMoreHawaiianHomesWorkingGroup.Org if you would like to get involved righting this wrong.

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

I will push for an entrepreneurial renaissance by pushing for the unleashing of our local small businesses, and I will continue to speak out loud and clear as one the leaders of the loyal opposition to keep this one-party state replete with checks and balances. I am 1 of 5 Republicans in the House who loves this state dearly and I will do my best to see this state succeed regardless of who gets the credit.

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

I have a “Beer Summit” the first Thursday of every month where I deal with constituents’ concerns and have a guest speaker who is a leader and of interest to our community. Recent speaker was Mark Dunkerly of Hawaiian Airlines; coming soon is Police Chief, Susan Ballard. (No alcohol consumption required - please join us! )

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