Name on ballot:

Cedric Asuega Gates

Running for:

State Senate – District 22

Political party:

Democratic

Campaign website:

CedricForHawaii.com

Current occupation:

State Representative, District 45 (Makua, Makaha, Wai’anae)

Age:

31

Previous job history:

Teacher Assistant | Makaha Elementary School

Market Consultant |Honolulu Community Action Program

Chief Operating Officer | Active Hawaii Organization

Legislative Assistant | Honolulu Council

Legislative Assistant | Hawaii State House of Representatives

Special Assistant | U.S. House of Representatives

Hawai’i State Representative, District 45 | Hawaii State House of Representatives

Previous elected office, if any:

Hawai’i State Representative, District 45 | Hawaii State House of Representatives and Board Member, Chairman | Wai’anae Coast Neighborhood Board

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

My qualifications for the role as the next Hawai’i State Senator for the Westside include being a lifelong native of the Wai’anae Coast in addition to being very active in advocating for my community’s well-being for over half my life. I have a strong background in civil service and community outreach, combined with a passion for improving our communities through nonprofits, the city, state, and federal partners in Hawai’i, which is why I am confident in my ability to contribute effectively to the betterment of our community if elected.
My extensive experience as a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at the Active Hawai’i Organization has equipped me with the skills necessary to lead and manage impactful projects and events that serve those in need. I have successfully spearheaded numerous community outreach efforts, such as the Stay Active Family Fun Fest and Hire Leeward, which have positively impacted the lives of thousands of individuals in the Wai’anae Coast community.
In my current role as a Hawai’i State Representative, I have had the opportunity to work closely with constituents, address their concerns, and develop policies that aim to address decade-old challenges in 96792. Since being elected to the Hawai’i House of Representatives, I have secured over $250 million in funding for 96792 and passed legislation every year to improve our quality of life. Additionally, my experience as a Legislative Assistant and Special Assistant has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the legislative process and government operations.
I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to serve the people of Hawai’i in the State Senate District 22, because this is where I was born and raised. I believe this position is where I can leverage my skills and expertise to advocate for policies that address key societal challenges and promote community development. I am dedicated to fostering collaboration and building strong relationships with residents and all stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for our community.

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

The cost of living is the most important issue for the Westside. The sentiment in my community is that locals are being priced out of paradise, and I feel it in my own ‘Ohana. My oldest brother moved to the mainland several years ago because he had to do the best thing for his family and his children’s future.

We must continue to cut taxes on food and medicine, help all our residents access low-cost renewable energy, lower the vehicle registration tax and meet our housing needs across O’ahu.

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

I am a proud advocate and supporter of HB2404, which I helped pass this year – this bill cut income taxes at a rate of 70 plus percent for middle-class families. The average family of four with a median income of $88,000 will save nearly $20,000 on their tax bill through 2031. This is real cash in the pockets of local people, and will show up directly in their take-home pay. Additionally, we must continue to cut taxes on food and medicine, help all our residents access low-cost renewable energy, lower the vehicle registration tax and meet our housing needs across O’ahu.

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

We must work with the insurance industry to develop strategies to address the rising property insurance rates and look at ways the State of Hawai’i could potentially offer a form of of State Insurance to combat the outrageously high property insurance cost.

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

Eco-tourism is the way of the future, we want informed and respectful tourists that are willing to give back to our community. We need to promote a new wave of tourism that sustains our small local businesses, so that the money spent in Hawai’i stays in our local communities instead of flowing to foreign owned hotel conglomerates. With so many residents moving out of Hawai’i for better opportunities, we need to continue to offer career pathways for agriculture, technology, healthcare, and additional emerging industries.

As the House Chair of the Agricultural Committee, I have focused on value-added products such as coffee, chocolate, and macadamia nuts. The new labeling laws that I passed will ensure that Hawai’i labeled products will truly be the product of our local growers and producers. This is the fastest and most efficient way to keep our local economy moving in the right direction. We must protect our brands, products, and identity so we can keep Hawai’i as authentic as possible.

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

The hard truth is that it’s becoming increasingly harder to develop housing in Hawai’i given the red tape and over regulation on building anything. People in my district have waited years to get simple permits for an ADU, single-family home, a wall, etc. This has caused loss wages, contracts, time and ultimately hurts the end-user, Hawai’i residents. We need to streamline DPP and State processes to allow for homes to be built expeditiously while maintaining oversight on our natural resources and culturally sensitive sites. I support using artificial intelligence to help fast-track community approved projects and hiring more staff to help review applications. Lastly, the State and City need to heavily invest into our communities infrastructure such as our roadways, water and sewer to allow for homes for Hawai’i residents to be built faster.

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

We must continue to adapt with the changing times we are living in by keeping our curriculum and school environments updated so our students, teachers and staff remain engaged at school. I support including more financial literacy programming and teaching our students life skills to succeed in the real world. Place-based learning can also connect our students with their community to learn about where they come from. I believe charter schools have done a great job with this and including Olelo Hawai’i along with Hawai’i history into curriculum and I think we need to incorporate these types of teaching into all public schools. Lastly, we must create career pathways for high school and college graduates through partnerships with local businesses and unions.

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

I believe the state should continue to pursue building a replacement for the Aloha Stadium in Halawa. As a lifelong resident on O’ahu the Aloha Stadium has hosted some of my greatest memories as a child along with now being an adult and continues to do that for many of our residents. Here in Hawaii we are lacking a large venue to host events that are residents would love to enjoy. Being that I’m a strong supporter of our University of Hawai’i’s football team I believe they deserve to play in a stadium we can all be proud of. I like the Halawa location because it’s central, and coming from the Westside to the University of Hawai’i would be a nightmare given the major traffic problems at UH that would only be compounded by placing the stadium at that location.

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

Yes. I entered the legislature at the age of 23, one of the youngest ever elected in the state, but I don’t think anyone should do this job for their entire adult life. New blood is necessary for the health of our democracy.

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

Over the past three years the House of Representatives has taken serious and immediate action to curb corruption, passing 22 of the 31 recommendations of the Campaign Spending Commission. Nothing is ever perfect, and we can’t always prevent people from unethical or illegal behavior, but we have put serious guardrails on our jobs that will make it less likely in the future. I support introducing more measures to address any additional loopholes that we need to close.

Ironically thanks to COVID-19 our Legislature has become more accessible than ever, with every hearing, floor session, and conference committee available via Zoom. Residents from Wai’anae and Nanakuli no longer have to give up a day of work and make the nearly 30 mile commute to the Capitol and testify, and I am heartened and grateful for this new reality. I support additional measure that we can put in place as a state to increase accessibility and transparency for residents to participate.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Addressing our extremely high cost of living so more residents don’t have to make the tough decision to uproot their lives and ‘Ohana from Hawai’i.

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

Awarded 2013’s Hawaii Outstanding Children and Youth Advocate by Gov. Abecrombie and the Hawaii State Legislature in recognition of community outreach efforts targeting at-risk youth.
• Certificate of Recognition from the Honolulu City Council for community outreach efforts, totaling 50+ events hosted with 10,000 community members served and in attendance.
• Certificate of Recognition by Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on behalf of U.S. Congress for community improvement success and advocating for transportation and public infrastructure improvements in rural communities on Oahu such as Waianae.
• Recognition at Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s 2016 State of the City Address for the revitalization, renovations, repairs and facility improvements of Makaha Community Park, under the City and County of Honolulu Hoa Paka (Adopt-a-Park) Program.
• Featured on the cover of Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2015 May issue to highlight accomplishments achieved in the community and personal hardships overcome in the process.
• Spearheaded numerous wide-reaching and impactful community projects targeting unemployment, environmental advocacy, community health and family support such as the Stay Active Family Fun Fest, Hire Leeward, and Malama Makaha.
Please visit CedricForHawaii.com for more information.