2018 Primary Election Candidates

Click to select a candidate

Name on ballot:

KING, Samuel Wilder, II

Running for:

OHA trustee

District (if applicable):

Oahu

Political party:

Nonpartisan

Campaign website:

www.VoteSamKing.com

Current occupation:

Attorney

Age:

Previous job history:

Graduated 2002 from Punahou, 2006 from Georgetown, 2013 from UH Law School;
Construction project management database consultant to the Pentagon Renovation Program;
7 month internship at US Senate;
GIS Relationships Manager for the USAID Strengthening Iraq

Previous elected office, if any:

Boardmember of my AOAO serving 78 units from 2014-15, VP from 2015-16, President from 2016 to present.

What qualifies you to represent the people of Hawaii?

For someone of Millennial generation, I have extensive experience with government contracts, procurement, fiduciary duties, and Hawaii land use, property, healthcare, and contract laws. I have a wide-breadth of experience with different kinds of people and governing structures, having worked or volunteered in 6 different countries and traveled to over 40. I believe OHA requires a fresh perspective and I offer a wide range of very relevant skills and experiences without being bogged down by years of political in-fighting.

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

Housing, housing, and housing. Native Hawaiians need affordable houses. But that doesn't mean housing mandated by government fiat and subsidized by taxpayers. It means more houses. Period. Of every shape and size, but especially higher density high rises in Hawaii's urban core. If you want to keep the Country Country, you gotta make the City City!

OHA's land in Kakaako Makai should be developed immediately with dense residential high rises that are sold in fee simple to all buyers. Native Hawaiians can be targeted in the marketing of the sales, and a master declaration of covenants can be placed on the lands requiring expenditures by an association on Hawaiian cultural events and creating a Hawaiian sense of place. But it should not be racially exclusive. And the only affordability requirements should be that different size houses should be built, targeting various income groups by size. Alternatively, 801 South Street’s workforce housing should also be considered a model. Either way, the point should be to maximize revenues from Kakaako Makai.

Education is another area that should receive attention. But housing is the issue the sucks all the financial oxygen out of the Native Hawaiian community.

If elected, what will be your highest legislative priority?

Restoring accountability at OHA by voting to replace CEO Crabbe immediately and to make Kelii Akina chairman of OHA. My next priority would be to restructure OHA’s research division so it can start collecting its own data. Then I would focus on developing Kakaako Makai.

I will not focus on governance, federal recognition, or sovereignty questions. These have been a multi-million dollar distraction to OHA, resulting in a situation where OHA has spent a lot of money on trustee's suing each other, but not a lot of money gathering data on the impact of its programs on Native Hawaiians, as I explain here: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/05/campaign-corner-oha-uses-misleading-data-about-hawaiians/.

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

My push to clean up OHA will help Native Hawaiians by ensuring that a significant source of funding for Native Hawaiian programs is spent effectively. That will mean more money invested with Native Hawaiian families, keiki, and entrepreneurs. I would leverage OHA's advocacy arm to push for more home building in Hawaii, which will help Native Hawaiians by providing a greater supply of homes so the next generation doesn't need to move to Vegas to survive.

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

I have received many blessings in life and I believe that as a result I have a responsibility to do all that I can to have a positive impact on my community. I believe that getting an education, working hard, and raising a family are all ways to improve my community, and I have been doing all of those things. I am now in a place where I can also engage actively in the public sphere. I believe the I can have the greatest possible positive impact on my community by bringing change, reform and accountability to OHA. OHA's mission is vital to Hawaii. Native Hawaiians are suffering and OHA has the ability to help if it spends its money wisely. And helping Native Hawaiians thrive helps Hawaii thrive. You can find out more at VoteSamKing.com, and by following our campaign @VoteSamKing #TimeToFIXOHA!