Mark Takai is running against Republican Charles Djou for the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional District 1. This district covers urban Honolulu, from Hawaii Kai in to Waipahu in west Oahu and Mililani in central Oahu. The district also includes Aiea, Pearl City and Waimalu.

Supporting Affordable A College Education
If elected, one of Takai’s priorities will be to create better paying jobs by closing the gap between the 1% and everyone else by raising the minimum wage, by making college more affordable, and by strengthening the middle class.

He is a proud University of Hawaii alumnus. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s of public health degree in health education, both from the University of Hawaii.

As chair of the House Committee on Higher Education in the State Legislature, Takai was instrumental in creating the Hawaii College Savings Program to make college more affordable for Hawaii’s working families. The 529 College Savings Program allows parents to save money for their children’s college education and earn tax-free interest on the savings.

Working Across Party Lines
During his 20 years of service as a State Legislator, Mark Takai showed that he can work collaboratively across the party lines to promote bipartisan legislation that result in policies that benefit Hawaii residents. If elected to Congress, he has pledged to be a voice of reason in search of practical solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems. He believes too many in Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, are placing partisan rhetoric ahead of national interest.

Reducing Our Nation’s Deficit
Takai believes that Congress must make hard decisions about the nation’s increasing deficit. He proposes a multi-faceted approach to restore the nation’s economy that includes reducing government spending, identifying additional savings opportunities and creating an equitable system that will balance the budget and forge a sustainable fiscal path.