Fred Fogel

Fred Fogel served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1971 to 1976. Fogel earned a high school diploma from North Augusta High School, a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1971, and a graduate degree from the University of Southern California in 1975. As of 2026, Fogel was retired.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born Buffalo, New York. Raised North Augusta, South Carolina. BS Industrial Engineering, Penn State. MS Systems Management , USC. Moved to Hawaii 1972. Aviator, F4 Phantom jet, USMC and Hawaii Air

National Guard. Service writer, Sandy Brodie's Motorcycle Shop. Engineer Peal Harbor Naval Shipyard. Advisor to the Adjutant General, Hawaii National Guard, in the areas of process improvement, quality and strategic planning.

Married a local lady (half Samoan, half Puerto Rician). Two daughters living on the mainland. Moved to Big in 2005. Have run for various offices (County Council, State House and State Senate) every two years since then.

Former member Volcano Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - now called the Volcano Emergency Response Team (VERT), Friends of Volcanoes National Park, and Friends of Puna's Future. Volunteer `O Ka`u Kakou. Former president, HOIE Community Association. Presently vice-president.

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?

The state government is Hawaii's biggest employer. It is too big and spends too much of your money. Its debt load is too high. My primary focus will be to improve the way state government functions, and transfer more

power to the individual county level.The myriad of state regulations stymies individual productivity, commercial enterprise, and increases the cost of everything. Nationwide it is estimated that governmental regulations increase the cost of a house about 25%. In Hawaii the figure is even higher. Local farmers and mom-and-pops are often hamstrung by regulations that are Oahu-centric. The least cost

alternative is often an afterthought in governmental planning. It's time to change things for the better.Our youth deserve to be better prepared for future endeavors, and there should be more local opportunities for rewarding careers. We spend far

above the national average on K-12 education, but the performance of our students on standardized tests leaves much to be desired. Not everyone is slated for higher education. Trades should be an educational option. Parents should have a say in which schools are performing best for their keiki - school vouchers. Time to curtail our greatest export - our people.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Term limits for the state legislature. Longer annual legislative session - from five to ten months - with no increase in legislative salary. More power to the individual counties - each has a different smell.

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

Dad - he was a good man.

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

Honesty

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

Integrity

What legacy would you like to leave?

Change for the better.

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

Mowing lawns - 2 yrs.

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

Marriage

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Listen to each other.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Balanced budget.

Economic viability.

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

Yes

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

none

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

Vietnam

Note: Fogel submitted the above survey responses to [the profile publisher] on July 9, 2026.

Show past responsesHide past responses

July 2 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born Buffalo, New York. Raised North Augusta, South Carolina. BS Industrial Engineering, Penn State. MS Systems Management , USC. Moved to Hawaii 1972. Aviator, F4 Phantom jet, USMC and Hawaii Air National Guard. Service writer, Sandy Brodie's Motorcycle Shop. Engineer Peal Harbor Naval Shipyard. Advisor to the Adjutant General, Hawaii National Guard, in the areas of process improvement, quality and strategic planning.

Married a local lady (half Samoan, half Puerto Rician). Two daughters living on the mainland. Moved to Big in 2005. Have run for various offices (County Council, State House and State Senate) every two years since then.

Former member Volcano Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Friends of Volcanoes National Park and Friends of Puna's Future. Volunteer `O Ka`u Kakou. Former president, HOIE Community Association. Presently vice-president.

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?

The state government is Hawaii's biggest employer. It is too big and spends too much of your money. Its debt load is too high. My primary focus will be to improve the way state government functions, and transfer more power to the individual county level.The myriad of state regulations stymies individual productivity, commercial enterprise, and increases the cost of everything. Nationwide it is estimated that governmental regulations increase the cost of a house about 25%. In Hawaii the figure is even higher. Local farmers and mom-and-pops are often hamstrung by regulations that are Oahu-centric. The least cost alternative is often an afterthought in governmental planning. It's time to change things for the better.Our youth deserve to be better prepared for future endeavors, and there should be more local opportunities for rewarding careers. We spend far above the national average on K-12 education, but the performance of our students on standardized tests leaves much to be desired. Not everyone is slated for higher education. Trades should be an educational option. Parents should have a say in which schools are performing best for their keiki - school vouchers. Time to curtail our greatest export - our people.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Term limits for the state legislature. Longer annual legislative session - from five to ten months - with no increase in legislative salary. More power to the individual counties - each has a different smell.

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

my dad

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

integrity and honesty

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

serve the people

What legacy would you like to leave?

made things better

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

mowing lawns - 2 yrs.

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

spelling

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

cordial understanding

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

reducing the deficit, eliminating onerous regulations

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

yes

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None

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

Vietnam

Fred Fogel did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Fred Fogel did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Fred Fogel did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1) Political reform

2) Education

3) Taxes[13][14]

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

Political reform - we need to make government more responsive to the people.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[14]

[the profile publisher] also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Fred Fogel answered the following:

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

My father, because he was my father (and was a pretty akamai guy).[14]

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else that best describes your political philosophy?

Anything you want to read - better than TV![14]

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

Compromise.[14]

What qualities do you possess that would make you a successful officeholder?

I am not a politician, but rater a pragmatist.[14]

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

Listen to everyone. Throw out the shit.[14]

What legacy would you like to leave?

Listened to everyone. Threw out the shit.[14]

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at that time?

Landing on a carrier. 21.[14]

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

Plumber's helper. 2 months.[14]

What happened on your most awkward date?

It escapes my mind.[14]

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

All. They are holidays.[14]

What is your favorite book? Why?

The last one I read. It was the last one.[14]

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?

Hulk.[14]

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

Cats. They are different every day.[14]

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The last one that was playing.[14]

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

Making it up the stairs.[14]

(For non-Nebraska candidates) What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

Age.[14]

(For Nebraska candidates) What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Simplicity - Infeasibility.[14]

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

No.[14]

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

More than one political party.[14]

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Cooperation - sometimes.[14]

What process do you favor for redistricting?

None - everyone should know where their "district" is.[14]

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

All.[14]

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

N/A[14]

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Sure. The only Libertarian.[14]

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No.[14]

Are you interested in running for a different political office in the future?

Perhaps.[14]

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

No.[14]