Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi General Election on Nov. 3 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Jordan Nakamura, Democratic candidate for State Senate District 13, a diverse Honolulu district that extends mauka of Chinatown through Liliha and Nuʻuanu including Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, and Iwilei.

His opponents are Lei Ahu Isa, Wallyn Kanoelani Christian, James Logue, Tricia Kwai Lin Nakamatsu and Lynn Vasquez.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job? And why do you want the job?

A state should exist to protect the land and meet the needs of working class people – which I am and have been all my life. We’re the experts in navigating real life here. We feel and diagnose where government is or isn’t in our favor. When I see a need, I apply myself directly. We need education so I got a master’s degree and I teach. We need food security so I farm. We need rights, so I organize. We need local government to help keep Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi, so I work to represent us at the Capitol.

What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

Growing up near Chinatown, I’ve always known homelessness was an issue, and it remains a primary concern. Today the conditions that lead to homelessness are intensifying: high cost of living, high property taxes and rent, and low wages. Related to this is an increase of “monster homes.” Central to remedying these issues is addressing understaffing at the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting. I’d work to help support better pay and retention through appropriate state agencies like the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Here’s one question from your constituents: Do you support maintaining a monopoly for interisland shipping?

I don’t support any monopoly which is what we have now with Young Brothers as the sole interisland shipping company. A lack of competition leads to exploitative pricing. The oil crisis will intensify operating costs, but a monopoly creates pressure to satisfy the company’s requests. Despite opposition, especially from islands that would be disproportionately affected by rate increases requested by Young Brothers, bills like SB2694 gain pressure to get passed, and locals pay the price hikes.

What do you think were the most important bills to come out of the 2026 Legislature? What failed that should have passed? What passed that you wish had failed?

Senate Bill 2471 requires political donations to be from human individuals, and equips Hawaiʻi to curb corporate political influence. This historic bill can help repair damage brought on by the Citizens United ruling that claims “corporations are people.” I was disappointed SB1166 died in committee, a long overdue bill designed to hold Big Oil companies accountable and improve local insurance costs. HB2592 shouldn’t have been fused with HB2593 and SB2003 which had conflicting purposes to the first bill.

The 2026 session was also overshadowed by an issue of public trust: $35,000 in the brown paper bag given to an “influential” state lawmaker. What do you think the Legislature needs to do going forward to rebuild public confidence in state government?

Fix how power is unfairly concentrated. Right now, a few select legislators can unilaterally kill a bill by declining to hold hearings, and any bill can be thrown to the finance committee. This easily allows “pay-to-play” politics that plagued Hawaiʻi for years. Adopt a more transparent, effective method of culling bills to even out power distribution. Electees shouldn’t be able to vote on their own raises without adequate public input. Refine and strengthen the Sunshine Law and the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Committee.

In recent years, Hawai’i has experienced a series of damaging and dangerous weather events that have exposed weaknesses in our planning, preparation and response. What could you as a lawmaker do to help your district be better prepared?

The Kona low storms, Lahaina fires and tsunami warnings exposed how deadly gridlock traffic can be during a small evacuation window. Downtown traffic for example is already a clear vulnerability, and the waterways throughout this district are potential flood zones. Emergency public transit repurposing should be planned and trained, as well as prioritizing the evacuation of kūpuna and other vulnerable populations. I will work to support harbor infrastructure while reducing our dependency on imports.

What would you do in office to address the here and now of climate change? And how would you address the costs to taxpayers, property owners and businesses to adapt?

We are in the largest oil crisis in history, meaning a global shortage of fertilizer. It’s estimated we have less than 50 years of oil left at current usage rates. I’d support transitioning to agroecological farming, which saves costs and aligns with the ʻāina. I’d support the transition to renewable infrastructure, improving public transportation and walkability/bikeability, increasing clean energy incentives for residents and businesses and funding preventative measures for extreme weather.

Over 3,000 bills are introduced every session and there is always frantic horsetrading in the final days of session. Do you think there should be a limit on the number of bills introduced to enable more meaningful debate?

Possibly, yes. A limit on bills could help address the issue of committee chairs failing or refusing to give hearings to worthwhile bills. That said, a good amount of horsetrading occurs during or just prior to conference committees, not just at the end. As important as the amount of bills allowed to be introduced is the amount that ends up being totally changed from their original intent. If we entertain bill limits, we should reconsider the entire method of doing business in the Legislature.

Hawaiʻi lawmakers are often in the dark about how much a piece of legislation will cost because the Aloha State is the only one in the nation that doesn’t require a fiscal analysis for bills. Should lawmakers be forced to put a realistic price tag on the legislation they introduce?

Yes, realistic pricing should be included in bill proposals. This is a step toward improving public transparency and effective lawmaking. However, the legislative budget should also include funds specifically for hiring fiscal analysts to meet the new demand this requirement would create.

There are no term limits for state legislators in Hawaiʻi, so incumbents tend to win. Would you seek to change that? Why or why not?

I don’t advocate for or have plans to overstay reasonable terms, and limits for legislators sounds promising, but without examining chamber rules and curbing corporate influence, arbitrarily increasing turnover in a system ripe for corruption won’t fix it. Corporate lobbies don’t have term limits either, and they plan to stay around as long as possible, but with the direction we are headed with SB2471, we can start comprehensively putting the power to choose legislators in voters’ hands alone.

What would you do to help improve the state’s public school system?

The heart of our public schools are the teachers in the classrooms, and I strongly support legislation that secures living wages for teachers and special education staff, safe working environments, paid family leave and public pensions, housing subsidies and a teacher tax credit. I’d support funding Hawaiian language, history, cultural education and increasing buses and provision of free transportation for every keiki. Besides funding, I would examine incentives for the Department of Education to improve its operations.

Hawaiʻi is heavily reliant on tourism. What would you propose to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy?

Our most pressing needs should drive our economics, and we owe it to ourselves to create an economics in sustainability: local agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure development and bioremediation technology are all sectors that can not only be locally owned and definitely benefit us in the short and long term, but also will create opportunities to collaborate with international partners and create jobs, since the whole world faces the same questions these sectors are built to address.

An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by. It’s a problem that reaches far beyond low-income folks and into the middle class, which is disappearing. What would you do to help?

Some immediate actions would be drastically reducing or removing entirely the general excise tax on essentials like groceries, medicine and healthcare supplies, and other goods locals need for basic dignity. Working people shouldn’t have to pay extra for their basic needs. Let’s also pass capital gains and wealth taxes so the ultra-rich and corporations will pay their fair share. Washington state has seen a lot of revenue from a capital gains tax, and Norway has had a lot of success with their 1% wealth tax.