Hi, I’m Nani Brown.
I am a Native Hawaiian mom, born and raised in Hawaiʻi, with deep kuleana to our people, our ʻāina, and our future. I am running for State Senate, District 17 (Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, and Whitmore Village) to restore accountability to government, strengthen community safety, and protect local food systems so our keiki can thrive.
I aged out of the foster care system in the 1990s, an experience that shaped my commitment to systems that truly serve our communities. I volunteered with the Youth Challenge Academy, where I created the Building, Maintenance, and Construction Class to provide “at promise” youth with practical pathways to be productive members of society. Learning differently does not make you a “bad kid” and it’s important that our keiki can learn and strive to succeed in their own ways.
In 2009, I founded Electrix LLC and have worked as a Journeyman Electrician since 2010. I became a Certified Fire Investigator in 2011 and led fire safety training for first responders during the early lithium battery crisis.
I am also active in animal rescue, caring for over 100 dogs, and since 2022 have served as a Garden Club director at a Wahiawa Elementary School, sharing aloha ʻāina, food security, and sustainability with students Pre-K through 5th grade.
In 2025, I graduated from Kuleana Academy, Cohort 8, where I sharpened the skills needed for effective public service. As a populist, I can understand the peoples’ disappointment in our current government, and I have made the decision that being Kānaka ʻŌiwi is more important than being a Democrat or Republican; however, the Progressive Democrat Party aligns closest with my values.
What began as a calling has become my kuleana. I stand grounded in aloha ʻāina and accountable to the people of this district—not to mainland corporations or special interests. This campaign is about pono governance, laulima, and putting community first, always. In Hawaiʻi, we don’t let big business dictate our values or our future. We listen to our people, protect our ʻāina, and make decisions that feed our families, keep our neighborhoods safe, and ensure fairness for all. How we govern should reflect who we are: rooted in relationship, guided by responsibility, and committed to leaving no one behind.
My Approach
Simple ideas
Through every step, we've focused on staying true to our values and making space for thoughtful, lasting work.
Lasting impact
We build with clarity, act with integrity, and always stay curious.
My Platform
Aloha ʻĀina
Food sustainability and biosecurity rooted in the land.
True food security means working with the ʻāina, not against it. I support curbing harmful pesticide use, strengthening farm-to-table systems, and protecting Hawaiʻi’s biosecurity.
For our DOE schools, locally grown food should go directly from farm to table—skipping unnecessary centralized food hubs that cost more and disconnect keiki from local producers.
Housing for Locals, Not Speculators
Tax fairness, accountability, and a housing market that serves Hawai'i's people. Hale no nā kama'aina — not for corporate profit.
Hawai'i is home, not a commodity. Raise property taxes on non-resident and foreign owners, and ban corporate ownership of residential homes.
Lower rents, free up housing. Build truly affordable housing, stabilize rents, and keep military housing on-post to open homes for local families.
Reinvest here. Those who profit from Hawai'i must give back-use that revenue to support local communities and eliminate the General Excise Tax burden on small, locally owned businesses.
Mãlama 'aina, malama känaka. Hawai'i should work for the people who live here.
Clean Elections and Government Accountability
No corporate money. No legalized bribery. Real democracy.
Our democracy should not be for sale. I support increasing public funding for elections, banning corporate donations, and closing loopholes that allow moneyed interests to influence policy.
Companies may keep existing tax incentives-but they should have zero ability to fund elections, candidates, or political influence.
I also support term limits to ensure fresh leadership and real accountability. I do not accept money from PACs.
Housing with Dignity
Permanent transitional housing that actually works.
Sweeping people who have nowhere to go is not only cruel-it's more expensive and less effective. I support permanent transitional housing solutions that provide stability, services, and pathways forward.
When people have safe places to live, our communities are healthier, safer, and more cost-effective for the State.
An Economy Beyond Tourism
From mauka to makai, let Hawaii heal.
Hawai'i cannot survive on tourism alone. I support diversifying our economy to expand local food production, strengthen community-based industries, and reduce over-extraction of our land and resources.
By restoring balance from mauka to makai, we allow our 'aina-and our people-to thrive.