Name on ballot:

Kevan Jun Wah Kamakana Wong

Running for:

State House – District 20

Political party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

www.kevanwong.com

Current occupation:

Legislative Liaison

Age:

35

Previous job history:

State House of Representatives, Office of Representative Scott Nishimoto, 2012-2019
Office of the Mayor and Managing Director, Legislative Liaison, 2019-Current

Previous elected office, if any:

No answer submitted

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people in your district.

After completing my undergraduate degree in business administration, I spent the last 12 years of my life in public service, learning about as many aspects of government and its procedures as possible. I will use this background to work on policies and legislation to benefit District 20 as well as harness government resources to improve the community.

I spent 7 years working in the State House of Representatives with Representative Scott Nishimoto. There, I learned not only about many of the issues in the Kapahulu area, but also about higher-education issues, the State budget, the judiciary system, and the State’s Grant-In-Aid Program.

At the same time, I furthered my education at the William S. Richardson School of Law at UH.

After graduating and passing the Hawaii Bar, I began working in the Mayor and Managing Director’s Office. I have spent the last 5 years there drafting and discussing State legislation that has an impact on the County and its operation and services.

I was assigned additional duties as part of the team that setup the Office of Economic Revitalization and the Back on the Wave Program focused on educating businesses so they could operate and comply with Covid-19 restrictions. I also served as the administrator for the Act 57 Eviction Mediation Program, which provided funds for tenants who could not pay rent due to pandemic impacts.

I currently serve on the City’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Committee managing the distribution of federal relief funds to complying projects and programs like the Rental and Utility Relief Program, mobile triage and shelter sites like HONU, and CORE, which focuses to provide medical, mental, and social needs of houseless individuals. I am also the administrator for the Honolulu Youth Commission and the Elections Accessibility Needs Advisory Committee.

Furthermore, I have served as the Governor’s Oahu appointee to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) Corporate Board which oversees the State’s public hospitals, including Leahi Hospital. Serving as a voice for the community, I lead discussions on policies as the Chair of the HHSC Policy Committee and served on the Executive Committee and the Personnel and Compensation Committee.

I have also been an active member of the Democratic Party of Hawaii for many years, serving as this district’s representative to the State Central Committee, the County’s Region Chair for this district, the Co-Chair of the County’s Legislation Committee, and the Assistant Treasurer of the Oahu County Democrats. I currently serve as the Vice-Chair for Oahu County Democrats.

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

The biggest issue facing the district is homelessness and the issues that come with it. Our high cost of living and lack of affordable housing means more local residents and families are slipping through the cracks into homelessness. As this growing number of homeless individuals are pushed out of Waikiki and other areas, we have seen a significant increase in the homeless population here in House District 20.

In order to address the many community concerns that this creates, programs that address the different types of challenges that homeless individuals face are crucial to solving the issue. This includes mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation services; increasing access to services that provide housing and job opportunities, including help to obtain various documents required to apply; and increasing enforcement of current rules and regulations that have gone unenforced, which allow intentional wrongdoers to remain in the community and thrive without repercussions.

Hand-outs or a hand-up alone do not provide stability for these individuals. Instead, we should be offering a combination of wraparound services which provide a path toward stable recovery and productivity.

What would you propose to be done at the state level to help residents cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living?

Cost of living is something that will continue to be a challenge with our geographical location and limited land. One way that we can support residents is focusing on education from financial literacy to make the best decisions and maximize their dollars to trade or continuing workforce development opportunities so that people in the workforce will continue to improve and move to better paying jobs.

Our worker shortage has touched all industries, from teachers and nurses to engineers and laborers. To keep our families here, we need to ensure that our residents have the education and training to access these jobs while ensuring that these workers are paid the prevailing wage for that industry. Otherwise, we will continue to see our residents struggle and leave for out-of-state work.

What can the state Legislature do to help Hawaii home and condo owners with rising property insurance rates?

This is a very complex issue, which I would like to research more. I see many problems and the possibility of insurance companies leaving entirely if heavy restrictions are imposed. Furthermore, I have concerns with the State getting into the business of providing insurance. Providing subsidies to either insurance companies or residents will be a complex and expensive endeavor riddled with opportunities for abuse on both sides.

I would look forward to the opportunity to discuss all possible solutions for this issue.

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

Tourism has been a staple for our economy for decades, the main attraction for this part of the economic portfolio is the bringing in of out-of-state funds and resources.

Our focus should be to reduce reliance on tourism and increase the quality of tourists coming to our islands. At the same time, we need to continue to push for programs and initiatives that will bring other out-of-state funds here and provide jobs for residents. One good example of this is the film industry, which brings massive amounts of money into the state from foreign producers and provides payment to local workers and allows additional money to be spent in the State.

What would you propose to help increase affordable housing in Hawaii?

One of the biggest barriers to increasing the supply of affordable housing is the cost of construction. I believe there are two big things that we can do which would serve as a good starting point to help keep costs down and increase our supply.

First, with the increase in work-from-home job options, a number of large office buildings have become vacant. I would support bills to encourage and allow for the conversion of these existing structures to affordable housing units.

In addition, while the intention is good, there have been a number of additional requirements imposed on new construction, many of which are not, and should not be, necessary when it comes to an affordable living space. For example, the reality is that most people in need of affordable housing may not have the income to purchase an electric vehicle in today’s market. However, new construction projects require the installation of EV-ready stalls, which will never be used unless the units are no longer reserved for low-income residents. With estimated costs for installation and maintenance nearing $10,000 per stall, or $100,000 for fast charging stations, this dramatically increases the costs for any affordable unit.

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

Students and teachers have faced many difficulties, especially over the last few years. As we saw with online classes, a good learning environment is essential. For years our schools and other state facilities have suffered because of deferred maintenance at our facilities.

Just like in an office, we can’t expect our students and teachers to succeed in an environment with failing infrastructure and outdated equipment. I would hope to encourage projects that bring our education facilities into the modern era, providing an opportunity for our educators and students to thrive.

Should the state continue to pursue building a replacement for Aloha Stadium in Halawa? Please explain.

As a season ticket holder for UH basketball and fan of UH athletics, I see the need for an appropriate venue. “How” and “where” are questions I think need to be discussed. Issues with the current placement at Ching Field include: the current space does not allow for the fan capacity we should be aiming for, we lack the adequate parking, and the facility is not designed to handle a large number of fans entering and existing the grounds on a regular basis.

At the same time, a new facility similar to Aloha Stadium may be more than is needed given the types of events that have been hosted there recently, and the location could be used for other things. This is something I think we will have time to talk about since the water and sewer infrastructure in the area will need to be updated before any actual building starts, a process that typically takes years to complete.

Should members of the state Legislature have term limits like Honolulu’s mayor and City Council members?

I understand the concern regarding term limits. However, I also have concerns about creating a future where our elected officials lack experience and knowledge as decision-makers.

I spent the last 12 years in various government positions listening, learning, and collaborating in pursuit of a better quality of life for our residents. While I have learned more than most people, it took time – more than the eight years that governors, mayors, and council members are allowed by their term limits.

While those positions are often filled by people as their second or even third elected office positions, this is not the case when it comes to the House of Representatives and the Senate. Many people elected to these positions are dealing with real issues for the first time in government service and require time to find their footing.

Residents should not have to suffer along the learning curve of their elected officials. As such, I put my faith in voters holding their elected officials accountable, rather than an arbitrary number that could hurt the community in some cases.

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

As someone who has been working in and adjacent to the Legislature for 12 years, I think the Legislature has made great strides in making the process more transparent and accessible to the public, especially during the pandemic.

When I started as a staff member in 2012, and during my seven years at the Capitol, the building and all hearings, including conference committees, were open to the public. However, you did have to be physically present in the building.

During my five years working in the mayor and managing director’s office, that openness has expanded, allowing for remote testimony and live and recorded viewing of every hearing, including conference committees. I have found these improvements very useful in my current role and have made testifying, tracking and understanding amendments infinitely easier.

Furthermore, the Legislature has implemented additional requirements for lobbying and lobbyists, effective Jan. 1, 2025. For now, regarding any additional rule changes, I think it is imperative to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of these new requirements before making additional changes. Then we can see which areas continue to be of concern and work toward further improvements.

What will be your top priority if elected?

My top priority will be working to give locals the opportunity to live here comfortably. I have seen many friends leave for better paying jobs, more affordable housing, and the hope for more opportunities to build a better life.

In all honesty, I would probably be one of those people if I didn’t have the support of my grandparents. They have allowed not only me, but my brother, uncle, and cousin to stay with them in the home they built nearly 70 years ago.

We must find a way to allow our residents to actually compete with outside investors who have been able to outbid and raise the price of housing here because of higher pay and lower cost of living elsewhere.

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

I feel I have been successful in my career mainly because of one thing, my willingness to listen, learn, and collaborate. I am committed to continue that practice as your State Representative. I will always listen and be available to you, I will always continue learning about the different views and ideas for the issues facing our community, and I will always collaborate in an effort to ensure that any action taken leaves the community in a better position than before.

I am thankful for everyone who has taken the time to speak with me as I go door to door. I have enjoyed all of our conversations and I look forward to having many more with you as we work towards a better future for our community.