Name on ballot:

Daniel Holt

Running for:

State House – District 28

Political party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

www.VoteDanielHolt.com

Current occupation:

Legislator

Age:

37

Previous job history:

Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, Hawaii State Senate
Legislative Director, Senate President Donna Mercado Kim
Legislative Aide, Senator Gilbert Kahele
Bills Researcher, Senate Ways & Means Committee
Operations Supervisor, Horizon Lines
Equipment Control Operator, Horizon Lines

Previous elected office, if any:

Hawaii State House District 29 – 2016 to current

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

I am qualified to represent the people of Hawaii because in my almost four decades of living here I have lived and faced the same problems and issues as the rest of my fellow residents. My background in and knowledge of the legislative process, as well the relationships that I have built in this community makes me the best candidate to represent our district.

What is the most pressing issue facing residents in your district and how would you address the problem?

As I have been talking to residents around the neighborhood, a topic that keeps arising is safety. To ensure our resident’s safety many steps need to be taken and it first starts with enforcement. We can make many good laws at the legislature but they need to be enforced in order to keep our residents safe. Although Honolulu Police Department is under City jurisdiction, I have always been and will continue to be an advocate to fund some of their very vital projects such as the cameras in Chinatown.

Rising inflation has significantly worsened Hawaii’s already high cost of living. What can be done at the state level to help Hawaii residents cope with high consumer prices?

Times have been especially tough during Covid but the State has many resources out there for people in need. There are resources for rental relief and housing assistance as well as for child and elderly care. The Department of Human Resources website has a lot of good information and can be found at humanservices.hawaii.gov

Hawaii’s rising gasoline prices are among the highest in the nation. Should Hawaii lower or temporarily suspend state taxes on gasoline to help ease the pain at the pump?

Yes, we should look at temporarily suspending the state taxes on gasoline.

Do you support or oppose efforts to slow or limit the number of tourists to Hawaii? Please explain.

I am in full support of efforts to slow down the number of tourists to Hawaii. I believe that we should implement a per visitor fee upon arrival and use the funding collected to protect and restore our most precious natural resources across the state.

Can Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy be diversified, and, if so, what can state government do to support the effort?


Yes, our economy can be diversified. We have a few up and coming industries in Hawaii and as the Vice Chair of the Economic Development committee one of our focus’ is on the film industry, which has been huge for us even though out Covid. We are paradise so tourism will never go away but we need to manage it better and continue looking for high paying industries for our local residents.

What is your plan to increase affordable housing in Hawaii, and to help the counties deal with homelessness?

We need to ensure our agencies and developers are working together to get these projects out as fast and efficient as possible. We have allocated hundreds of millions of dollars over the past few sessions and I look forward to following though and making sure we get our residents into homes as soon as possible. I am always looking for solutions with homelessness and work very closely with the Institute for Human Services which just received around $2M in grant funds from the State this year to better manage their operation.

What would you propose to help protect Hawaii residents’ health during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic?

We all need to look out for ourselves and each other. We know that this pandemic is far from over and we need to have respect for each other’s views but also for each other’s health. I do not foresee the government implementing any mandates going forward so it will be up to us to be responsible.

Hawaii isn’t likely to see a repeat of this year’s $2 billion revenue surplus which allowed higher-than-normal spending on state programs and projects. If elected, what will your top spending priorities be?

Ensuring our keiki have adequate spaces to learn is always at the forefront of my mind and that is why I am constantly in contact with the principals of my district schools. Funding to update our antiquated schools is always a priority as well as funding for many of the non-profits who receive small grants and do such great work for our community such as Palama Settlement & Adult Friends for Youth just to name a couple.

What, if anything, should state government do in response to the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs Wade?

In the legislature we should take our lead from the Women’s Legislative Caucus and also consult with the Commission on the Status of Women. We need to reevaluate the protections put in place decades ago to see if we can strengthen them and also see if there are safe and viable opportunities to provide women from other states access to safe and affordable health care.

What should state government do to support and improve public education in Hawaii?

We have recently passed a measure to reward teachers for their years of service by fixing the problem with their pay schedule compression which will result in higher pay for our most valued educators. We all know that teacher pay has been an issue for a long time and this is a great first step. Also, as I had mentioned earlier, increasing funding to fix our outdated and aging schools to ensure our keiki have the best educational opportunities.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make local government more transparent to the public?

The House has passed a resolution to establish the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct which is currently going through the hearing process and will have a report with findings and recommendations prior to next session. I look forward to the report and taking up proposed actions next legislative session.

Do you support or oppose the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island and why?

The state is committed to removing the unused telescopes and I am proud that the Hawaiian Caucus made it a priority and received the appropriation to remove the Hoku Kea telescope from the summit which is currently underway.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

No answer submitted