Ben Fatula

Ben Fatula served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2010. He earned a high school diploma from Oak Grove High School and an associate degree from the Culinary Institute of America in 2014. His career experience includes working as a chef.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Ben Fatula, a working chef and veteran of the US Army. I'm here to bring practical solutions for the problems we face in Hawai'i every day.

We've been represented by lawyers and career politicians long enough. Its time for a representative for the rest of us.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, yet we continue to elect the same kinds of politicians and they continue to not represent every day people.We need to get money out of politics. When you take thousands and thousands of dollars from rich donors, you owe something in return. My opponents take money from the richest in Hawai'i and then represent those interests to the detriment of the everyday people of the state. We need to change this, and we need to change it now.Get involved, get registered and vote.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Affordability and accountability. We are a country governed by the rule of law and not the rule by law.

It is becoming harder and harder to make it in Hawai'i today. Costs are spinning out of control and our state and federal government are doing next to nothing to fix this.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Bernie Sanders, Smedley Butler

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Representing their constituents and not just moneyed interests

What legacy would you like to leave?

Real meaningful improvements for everyday people

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a cook at a small restaurant for a year

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Surviving financially in a world that continues to increasingly benefit those in society who have the most while taking from those that have the least.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Overcoming authoritarianism and fascism and reckoning with racism

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely. No one is in this alone

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The first gulf war.