Name on ballot:

LAM, Adriel C.

Running for:

U.S. Senate

Political party:

Republican

Campaign website:

www.lam4aloha.com

Current occupation:

Retired, US Army

Age:

53

Previous job history:

General and Pool Maintenance, Morrison Academy, 1984-1988
Lifeguard, Morrison Academy, 1986-1989
Transportation Technician, Washington State Department of Transportation, 1991-1993
Engineer Officer and Foreign Area Officer, US Army, 1994-2018
Program Manager, US Army Corps of Engineers, 2019-2022
Please see my LinkedIn profile for complete job history at www.linkedin.com/in/adriellam

Previous elected office, if any:

Vice Chair, Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, 2001-present Vice Chair, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, 2022-present Post Commander, VFW110 MIS Veterans of Hawaii, 2020-22, 2024-present 2nd Vice President, Lions Club of Kaneohe, 2024-present Board Secretary, Kaneohe Business Group, 2020-present Class President, Morrison Academy, 1985-86, 1988-89

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

The most important qualification of a US Senator are the votes of the 500,000+ resident citizens of Hawaii. Apart from four generations of family ties and 150 years in Kaneohe, 24+ years of military service, working and personal experience in 30 countries and 40 states, conducting business and interacting at all levels of government, and volunteering on multiple local, community, and state boards in Hawaii, it is the people’s vote and their voice that qualifies a US Senator to speak on behalf of the people of Hawaii.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Make Hawaii Home Again. Too many of our children, now even kupuna are making the hard decision to leave the islands due to the high costs of living in Hawaii. As a member of the federal Union, with full faith and credit given across the 50 States, Hawaii residents should not solely have to bear the financial burden of anchoring our strategic position in the Pacific but enjoy the same benefits as the 48 contiguous states. Federal reform is needed to improve shipping costs, transportation and market access to Hawaii and the non-contiguous territories.

What can Congress do to help Americans cope with the high cost of living?

Congress can stop its excessive taxation and spending which is causing inflationary pressures to drive up the cost of living. Overly ambitious energy policies are also artificially driving up energy costs with compounding effects across the supply chain and distribution networks which is passed on to the consumer. Congress needs to be more judicious in exercising its power to tax and spend, as well as rein in policy decisions that resulted in unintended consequences.

What actions, if any, should Congress take in regard to regulating access to abortion?

Abortion ends a human life. Congress should protect human life to the greatest extent possible. The Supreme Court has placed this issue back to the States where local laws and policy are more attuned to the level of the individual decision maker.

What can Congress do to help reduce gun violence and mass shootings in America?

Congress can uphold the Second Amendment and incentivize every citizen to exercise those rights in a safe and responsible manner. The political narrative of “gun violence” and “mass shooting” at the core is a mental health problem, and lack of criminal enforcement of existing laws. First, faithfully execute the laws on the books and address the mental and social health issues separate from the use of firearms and other common household items.

What laws should Congress pass to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise and climate change?

Sea levels rise and fall around the world. So does the climate make incremental changes in our own 10 major climate zones on the Big Island. Congress should fund and resource projects specific to regional conditions that can prevent, adapt, or mitigate shoreline issues to benefit local communities. A one-size-fits-all blanket policy benefits no one.

Should the U.S. continue to support Ukraine’s military efforts as it fights the Russian invasion?

Ukraine is secondary to the strategic challenges we face in the Pacific. We have a major adversary in the Pacific and a threat to freedom to our friends and allies. The relevance of the Ukraine only matters in its implication to whether the United States will have the necessary political will and resources to fight for and defend our friends and allies in the Pacific.

Should the U.S. continue to supply Israel with military aid in its war with Hamas?

Hamas perpetrated an evil act on Oct 7, 2023, and continues to be a threat and danger to their own people. The US should stand by its commitment to a treaty ally and provide aid to Israel where it is needed.

What is your position on the Jones Act, which supporters say protects the U.S. shipping industry, but opponents say inflates shipping prices and therefore costs to Hawaii consumers?

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) is an outdated federal law that presents an artificial barrier and adds an exorbitant cost for shipping to Hawaii. The Jones Act needs reform to not only open up Hawaii’s market, but continue to benefit our Gulf State and West Coast partners as well

What role, if any, should Congress have in regulating the artificial intelligence industry?

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be effective if based on true knowledge, facts and research. The problems begin when inputs are manipulated or omitted with a deliberate intention for a defined result. It is no different than the information challenges we face today, only quicker and more available. Congress should first seek to uphold the First Amendment and allow for the free flow of information. Truth wins out in the end, and AI is only a time accelerator.

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

Hawaii Revised Statute 16-42(b)(3) requires that the “chief election officer conducts a post-election, pre-certification audit of a random sample of not less than ten per cent of the precincts employing the electronic voting system, to verify that the electronic tallies generated by the system in those precincts equal hand tallies of the paper ballots generated by the system in those precincts;” To date, the chief election officer has not conducted a post-election, pre-certification audit in accordance with HRS 16-42(b)(3), and has admitted so in a court of law, Case No. 1 CCV-22-0001499, in front of Judge Gary Chang. I have brought this same issue up to the Elections Commission, multiple legislators and media outlets for the past three years to no avail. We can not have trust and confidence in our elections if the most basic safeguards and audit procedures for electronic systems are not properly executed.