No candidate is perfect.

In choosing who receives my vote and my support, I start with these questions:

1) Do the candidate’s values align with my own?
2) What about their prior jobs and life experience?
3) Can I trust the veracity of their actions and words?
4) Is the candidate viable?
5) Are they willing to do the work needed to win?
6) What about “the opposition”?

It starts of course, with values.

We’re all in this together, and putting people and the planet above profits, are foundational values for me.

Others will say, it’s every man for himself, only the strong survive, government is the problem, the free market “invisible hand” is the answer.

When I see someone living in their car, my thoughts go to the fact there’s no legal, safe, or affordable place for them to live or even park their car to sleep. Few jobs pay a living wage, and affordable rentals are nonexistent.

Others will see that same person, in the same exact situation, and say “It’s their own damn fault, they should get a job.” They’ll assume it’s because they’re on drugs, and the answer is for government to sweep them away – out of sight and out of mind.

Ditto on the core issue of government regulation.

Some see protection of health and environment. Others see “impediments to development”.

We each look at the same thing, but yet we each may see entirely different things.

A candidate’s occupation, hobby’s, and leisure time choices are also good indicators of core values.

Do they spend Saturdays testing the waters or cleaning the beach with Surfrider Foundation, volunteering with the FoodBank or homeless outreach programs, or coaching youth sports?

Do they work in real estate, business, banking, law enforcement, construction, or the hospitality industry? Or have they paid the bills in the past via employment in social services, healthcare, education, conservation or perhaps in the nonprofit world?

What about endorsements?

There are of course the construction trades, teachers, nurses, hotel workers, university professors, government employees (HGEA and UPW) and others who endorse candidates. Note: Additional endorsement links will be added in the days ahead.

In addition to labor union endorsements, many of the candidates I’m personally supporting, are being endorsed also by civic advocacy groups such as “Our Hawaii”, HULIPAC (Big Island), the Sierra Club of Hawaii, The Patsy Mink Pac, and/or are part of the “Moho ʻĀina slate”.

Veracity and trust is critical.

Is the candidate trustworthy, or do they too often stray into the realm of hyperbole and B.S.?

Can you take their words and actions at face value, or must they be double-checked?

Are they credible and can they win?

Do they have a purple mohawk? Are they new to the district? Are they unknown, untested, and unfunded, running against a “proven” incumbent with deep roots, strong networks, and lots of money?

Given enough effort, money, and time – all candidates can be considered viable but let’s be real. Does this candidate have any chance at all?

Are they willing to do the work needed to win?

Will they get up early, hold signs on the highway, go home and make fundraising calls, AND then go out and knock on doors and put up signs/banners in the neighborhood?

Or will they stay home immersed in social media, thinking that’s enough?

Who is the candidate running against?

If the opposition is the devil incarnate, the basic voting decision is easy. The question then becomes “How much time, energy, and money” should I be offering in support?

If it’s “sometimes they’re ok, sometimes they’re not” – the decision of whether to support a challenger is more complex.

Personally, I want to elect people who are better than “ok” and am always seeking to support high quality challengers willing to do the work of a real campaign.

Bottom line for candidate evaluation and selection:

Explore the fundamental questions listed above, then “follow the money”.

The campaign spending commission website will tell you who gives, how much, and even their occupation. It also shows the time, date, location, and ticket price of every fundraiser held by the candidate. https://ags.hawaii.gov/campaign/cc/cc-view-reports/

A review of these reports (after July 9 especially) will often tell you more about the values of the candidates than all of the question listed above.

There you have it.

But please, don’t just take my word for it.

Take the time. Do your own digging.

Our democracy and the health of our community will be better for it.

HEADS UP AND MARK YOUR CALENDAR! June 30th, Tuesday morning at 9am – Aria and I are going to dive into the 2026 Hawai’i Primary Election. Please tune in to Policy and Politics on YOUTUBE and also streaming on FACEBOOK and check it out. We’ll be doing our best to at least touch upon ALL the interesting races happening in EVERY County AND the State Legislature AND our two Congressional seats AND of course the LG race. Whew! Promises to be a jam packed 90 minutes. See ya then- Tuesday June 30 at 9am. I’ll bring the coffee! See less

Gary