2018 Primary Election Candidates

Click to select a candidate

Name on ballot:

LAM, Adriel C.

Running for:

State House

District (if applicable):

Political party:

Nonpartisan

Campaign website:

www.facebook.com/lam4kaneohe

Current occupation:

Retired military veteran

Age:

Previous job history:

US Army

Previous elected office, if any:

N/A

What qualifies you to represent the people of Hawaii?

My most important qualification is being a resident of Kaneohe. You can find out more about my professional background and experiences at www.facebook.com/adriel.lam.2018 and www.linkedin.com/in/adriellam.

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

The Kaneohe Neighborhood Board hosted a Candidate Forum on July 19. You can see my answers to questions asked of the candidates in preparation for the forum at http://kaneohe-neighborhood-board.siterubix.com/questionnaire-results.

Apart from the hot button issues that are talked about daily, I’d like to highlight our Kaneohe streams. They are the lifeblood of communities defined by the ahupua’a. Let’s make the Kaneohe streams safe and usable spaces again. Let’s interconnect our communities with walking, biking and wheelchair accessible paths that cross and utilize the paths of the streams. Let’s take ownership of the maintenance and care of our streams and break down the barriers that divide our communities. Let’s make Kaneohe more than just a place to hang your hat to sleep for the night. Let’s make it the thriving community that cooperated and brought the first night of electricity to Kaneohe. We can do so much together as a community, when more of us are able to take responsibility for our neighborhoods.

You can also see my responses to the League of Women Voters, Vote411 Voter Guide at http://www.vote411.org/ballot#.UFoDEFHh-Sp.

If elected, what will be your highest legislative priority?

Bringing more self-governance to the people of Hawaii. Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole helped institute the City & County system as the territorial bureaucracy could not effectively manage many state-wide systems. That was appropriate in the early 20th century for a population and education level of that time. We are now into the 21st century with exceedingly higher levels of education and professionals in the workforce, along with technology unheard of even a few years ago.

Many small towns in the United States are able to effectively provide municipal, education, security, and even social services, for populations as small as 35,000 residents. Let’s allow more decision-making at the local level and provide the opportunities to develop our next generation of elected leaders.

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

Reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and the people; promote more efficient government services to residents at the local level; and advocate for innovative, adaptive, as well as traditional Hawaiian solutions for our environment and infrastructure.

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

I’m a fourth-generation Kaneohe resident; my great-grandfather came to Hawaii nearly 150 years ago in search of a better life and in the early 1900s established his rice farm in Kaneohe; my grandfather worked at Pearl Harbor, brought back groceries and supplies from town for friends and neighbors, and helped start a church in Kaneohe; my father graduated from Castle in ’53, and by faith journeyed across the US mainland to attend seminary in South Carolina, then called by God to be a missionary overseas in Japan and Taiwan. I’ve been blessed to call Kaneohe home for the last 12 years; having lived overseas in Taiwan for 16 years; served in the military for 24 years; lived, worked, and traveled to 47 States and 32 countries; completed graduate degrees in engineering, business and Asian studies; and most importantly marrying my wife, Melissa, Castle grad ‘89, and raising our four kids here in Kaneohe.