2018 Primary Election Candidates

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CHIN, Doug S.
Name on ballot:

CHIN, Doug S.

Running for:

U.S. House

District (if applicable):

HI-01

Political party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

www.DougChin.com

Current occupation:

Hawai‘i Lieutenant Governor

Age:

52

Previous job history:

Hawai‘i Attorney General; Managing Director of the City & County of Honolulu; Acting City Prosecutor and First Deputy City Prosecutor of the City & County of Honolulu.

Previous elected office, if any:

N/A

What qualifies you to represent the people of Hawaii?

Washington already has more than its share of career politicians. I respect anyone who runs for and serves in public office. But this is a uniquely-challenging time when Congress needs the accountability of a prosecutor and the accomplishments of an Attorney General. I am the only candidate with a proven record and national credibility on critical issues like immigration, gun control, and climate change. I am also the only candidate in this race with a record of leadership at all levels of government and the executive branch as Acting City Prosecutor and Managing Director for the City and County of Honolulu, and as Hawai‘i Attorney General and Lt. Governor.

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

I know how hard it is for Hawai‘i families to make ends meet, pay the bills, and put food on the table. We are seeing families who have lived in Hawai‘i for generations being priced out and pushed out because they can no longer afford to rent or buy a home. That's why I believe making Hawai‘i more affordable for all families is the top issue facing our people and their representative in Congress.

Second, we must do everything we can to create new opportunities for the people of Hawai‘i to take home a bigger paycheck and succeed in today's global 21st-century economy. To me, that starts with giving every child – no matter where they live, or where they are from – the chance to get ahead with a quality public education and the benefit of more training and jobs programs. It also means that we must stop making the cost of college a barrier to a brighter future.

Finally, the people of Hawai‘i can count on me to continue being an advocate for action to address climate change and a champion for protecting Hawai‘i's natural beauty. In Congress, I will support investing in sustainable sources and new technologies so Hawai‘i can generate, store, and transmit the green energy of the future.

If elected, what will be your highest legislative priority?

Securing Hawai‘i's future by leveraging all available resources to create more affordable housing for the people of Hawai‘i. This won't solve all of our problems when it comes to Hawai‘i's outrageous cost of living – but it would go far in leveling the playing field for working families who, all too often, are just surviving when they should be thriving.

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

If I have the honor of serving you in Congress, I pledge to be your strong voice in Washington and to work closely with our federal delegation to bring home the crucial federal funding we need now, and for our future. I will never stop fighting to protect Hawai‘i’s values, our rich diversity, and our spirit of Aloha.

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

As a prosecutor, I spent my career protecting the civil rights of vulnerable people. As Attorney General, I prosecuted high-profile corruption cases, got loan forgiveness for students who were swindled by for-profit colleges, successfully inventoried the backlog of sex assault DNA kits, and I fought against discrimination by working to protect DACA grantees – DREAMers who came to this country as children.

Few in the country have done more to take on the Trump Administration’s hateful and hurtful policies. I stepped up to stop Trump’s divisive Muslim ban, I took on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to keep sexual assault protections on college campuses, and I stood firmly against many more of the Trump Administration's attempts to roll back the progress we made under President Obama.

I’m running for Congress because I believe, in times like these, Hawai‘i needs a representative in Congress with a proven track record of standing up to bullies like Donald Trump. Now, more than ever, Hawai‘i needs an Attorney General representing them in Washington, D.C.

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