When Democratic state Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson last won re-election, in November 2014, he was a Republican. Next month, voters in his district will head to the polls for the first time since he switched parties.

Johanson’s opponent, Eric Ching, said a big reason he opted to run this year was that he believed District 31 had voted to send a Republican to the state Capitol. The region includes Fort Shafter, Moanalua Gardens and Aliamanu.

“This district has been held by Republicans for over 20 years,” said Ching, who’s running for office for the first time. “It’s important to bring a balance to Hawaii’s Legislature.”

But the Republican Party grew too extreme for Johanson to stay put, the lawmaker said in an interview last week.

“I think most voters in our district know (I’m) committed to common-sense policies … and working to find common ground” regardless of party, said Johanson, who previously served as a White House official under President George W. Bush and a Treasury Department official under President Barack Obama before winning his state House seat in 2010.

“While (my) label has changed, the party is undergoing some change itself,” he said.

Johanson became a Democrat about two months after the 2014 election, trimming the House Republican membership to seven out of 51 seats.

He touted a measure he authored that provides a larger tax credit to those who care for dependents — House Bill 1702, which Gov. David Ige signed into law this year. Local groups that advocate for low- and moderate-income residents such as Catholic Charities Hawai‘i and Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice supported the bill. Johanson also called state procurement reform a priority, to better protect taxpayer dollars.

He further said that he helped secure more funding for the state Health Department to better inspect the Navy fuel tanks at Red Hill.

Views on Red Hill

Both candidates described the Red Hill tanks as a key issue affecting District 31. In early 2014, the Navy disclosed that some 27,000 gallons of fuel leaked from one of its tanks there, and media investigations revealed that the aging facility had a long history of leaks.

Ching, who grew up in Kaneohe and owns an Aiea-based landscaping and equipment-repair business, CC Repair & Maintenance Service, said he could bring expertise and experience to the Red Hill issue because he’s installed about 50 underground tank leak-detection systems across the state. He’s also had to seal various monitoring wells, such as the ones being used around Red Hill, so that they don’t lead to aquifer contamination.

The military has yet to clean up the spill or commit to long-term remedies for improving the 18 active World War II-era tanks that sit just 100 feet above a critical aquifer that supplies Oahu drinking water.

Ching supports double-lining the massive tanks, and he said that microbes would eventually consume what’s already been leaked. “My concern is how do we move forward” to make sure “it’s almost fail-safe.”

Ching further said that the Navy should do a better job communicating to the public, because confusion over the issue has led to fear in the community.

The candidates differed slightly on proposed road and rail taxes. Gov. David Ige has said he will once again propose increases to the state gas tax, vehicle weight tax and state registration fees to help pay for state road projects.

Both said they oppose any proposal to increase all three road taxes and fees simultaneously.

If there were proposals to raise any of those individually, or in some other combination, Johanson said he’s not sure whether he would be in support. “We need to find other ways” to help fix roads and highways, he added.

Ching said he would “absolutely not” vote to raise any of them.

In 2015, Johanson was among 12 House lawmakers to vote against the rail general excise tax surcharge’s five-year extension. “I thought it was lacking a clear plan and accountability,” he said last week.

Neither he nor Ching said they would commit to a position on another rail tax extension if it comes before the Legislature again next year. Both candidates said they need to see more budget and finance details from rail leaders.

Both candidates also said there needs to be a better balance of city and state funds going toward the island’s rail transit system. The city should help pay for the project’s shortfall by issuing bonds, Ching said.

“I would need to see the numbers to justify that expense … I’m really skeptical of what they’re telling me,” he said of rail and city leaders.

“It’s just easiest to rely on the general excise tax, which is why everyone goes to that one first,” Johanson said. “I would just rather pursue other options.”

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Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Sophie Cocke contributed to this report.