Maxwell Frazier

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Maxwell Frazier completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Frazier's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-361944-2025-09-20\" id=\"heading-bio-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-361944-2025-09-20\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-361944-2025-09-20\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI’m Maxwell Frazier, a Navy veteran, builder, and lifelong advocate for service and community. I grew up learning discipline and teamwork through scouting, where I first understood the importance of leadership and service above self. As a kid, I threw myself into just about every sport you could imagine — from American football to what the rest of the world calls real football, to martial arts and even go-kart racing. Those experiences taught me resilience, strategy, and the value of perseverance.\r\n<p>I studied at Daytona State College and plan to continue my education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where I’ve applied to begin in Spring 2026 while I campaign. At Daytona State, I wasn’t afraid to stand up for what I believed in — from joining Greenpeace in protest to organizing for clean oceans and environmental accountability.\r\n</p><p>My Navy service cemented my commitment to duty, honor, and defending the freedoms we all share. Today, I carry those lessons into my work as a builder of communities — not just through finance and policy, but through showing up for people.\r\n</p>\nI’m running for Congress because I believe Hawai‘i deserves leaders who put people first — leaders who will fight to bring down the cost of living, protect our environment, and ensure that Washington respects the sovereignty and voice of Hawai‘i in shaping our future.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-361944-2025-09-20\" id=\"heading-key-message-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-361944-2025-09-20\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease 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?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-361944-2025-09-20\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Children can’t learn if they’re hungry or if the food they eat makes them sick. I will fight for the Honest Education Act to ensure our schools provide honest, world-class education — and pair that with reform of the FDA so families can trust the food on their tables. While Europe and Mexico require clear warnings — like the black octagon labels that alert families to high sugar, salt, or fat — the U.S. too often allows corporations to decide what’s safe. Our children deserve better. I will fight for stronger nutrition standards, fair food pricing, and policies that make healthy meals affordable. Building strong families begins with honest education and food security that protects kids, not corporate profits.</li><li>We all deserve leaders who are accountable, visible, and unafraid to let the people see how decisions are made. I will use social media to enforce transparency, posting votes, budgets, and explanations so the public can hold me accountable in real time. Washington’s TikTok ban is more than a tech issue — it’s about silencing a platform they cannot control, echoing restrictions we’ve seen in countries like Nepal. That is not democracy. Free expression and open information are vital to a healthy republic. I will fight against censorship, end pay-to-play politics, and ensure government remains answerable to the people, not hidden behind closed doors.</li><li>As a Navy veteran, I know Hawai‘i is the front line of both opportunity and responsibility. Protecting our future means investing in renewable energy, defending our oceans, and making sure your culture and sovereignty are never treated as afterthoughts. Washington must respect Hawai‘i as more than a base — you are a people, a history, and a living culture. I will push for policies that strengthen our defense while also securing our environment and economy. That includes sustainable infrastructure, support for local agriculture, and protecting Pacific partnerships. Hawai‘i’s voice matters, and I will ensure it is heard and respected at every level of government.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-361944-2025-09-20\" id=\"heading1-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-361944-2025-09-20\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-361944-2025-09-20\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am passionate about constitutional reform, accountability, and fairness. The Constitution was meant to be amended as our nation grows — not weaponized by entrenched politicians to block change. We need serious conversations about amendments that protect voting rights, limit corruption, and set ethical guardrails on those in power. Our republic suffers when leaders treat office like a lifetime post, shutting out new generations of voices. I also believe in reshaping how we conduct business, ensuring transparency and fair practices that serve people, not just corporations. As a natural-born citizen, I see it as my civic duty to correct the wrongs of past administrations and help build a government that earns the trust of its people.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-361944-2025-09-20\" id=\"heading2-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-361944-2025-09-20\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is something that has been a struggle in your life?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-361944-2025-09-20\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tOne of my greatest struggles has been finding my place in society and in history. On one side of my family, my great-grandparents immigrated from Ireland through Ellis Island. They came with hope and in doing so gave my grandfather the foundation to build a big family, which allowed my mother to raise and support her own family. That immigrant story is part of the American fabric.<br/><br/>\n<p>On the other side, my history is less certain. There are family tales of Native American heritage, along with deep Scottish roots tied to early immigration to the Americas. Unlike the Irish side, this history feels more distant, less recorded, and harder to claim as my own. That uncertainty has often left me searching for where I belong — as though part of my real story remains hidden.<br/><br/>\r\nThis tension — between what I know and what I do not — has shaped my outlook. I was raised as a typical American, yet as a young man I found meaning in the teachings of Haile Selassie, and I have long felt drawn to indigenous rights and sovereignty movements. Their fight for dignity and recognition resonates with my own search for identity. All of our histories are connected, but too often we are taught them separately, as if they do not converge in us.<br/><br/>\r\nI also struggle with how far behind our republic has fallen compared to what it could achieve. NASA had the knowledge to take us to Mars decades ago, but politics denied the vision. The space industry has already given us countless advances that shape daily life, yet most people remain unaware of the scope of its contributions. To imagine what might have been if vision had matched ability is both inspiring and heartbreaking.<br/><br/>\n</p>\nMy struggle, then, is finding my place in today’s history — honoring the sacrifices of those who came before me while helping correct the wrongs of the past. My hope is to build a republic that values every story and every people, so no one feels lost in their own history.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-361944-2025-09-20\" id=\"heading3-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-361944-2025-09-20\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-361944-2025-09-20\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tYes and no. History shows us what happens when politics becomes the domain of the entrenched. The Roman Republic fell in part because leaders treated politics as their profession, protecting their own power instead of the people. Entrenched elites wielded procedure as a weapon and hollowed out the republic they claimed to serve. We should not repeat those mistakes.<br/><br/>\n<p>Experience in government can be useful for understanding process, procedure, and the mechanics of lawmaking. It can help a representative navigate committees, negotiations, and drafting legislation. But politics was never meant to be a profession reserved for insiders, nor should prior office be treated as a prerequisite for service. The Constitution does not require a degree or political résumé — only age, residency, and citizenship. That was intentional. Public office was meant to be rooted in civic duty, not locked away as a career path.<br/><br/>\r\nA healthy Congress requires balance. Experience can provide wisdom and institutional memory. But fresh voices bring accountability, energy, and perspectives missing when the same people hold office for decades. True representation means citizens from all walks of life — teachers, veterans, small business owners, parents, workers — stepping forward to serve. Government works best when it reflects the people, not a permanent political class.<br/><br/>\n</p>\nFor me, public service is not about careerism. It is about civic duty — stepping up when called, correcting the wrongs of past administrations, and ensuring the Constitution serves the people rather than entrenching the powerful. Whether a representative has years of experience or none at all matters less than whether they are honest, accountable, and committed to service above self.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-361944-2025-09-20\" id=\"heading4-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-361944-2025-09-20\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-361944-2025-09-20\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-361944-2025-09-20\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe greatest challenge facing the United States over the next decade is restoring trust and protecting sovereignty — both our own and that of our allies. When the people lose faith in the republic, and when our government fails to defend sovereignty abroad, we open the door for instability and exploitation. In Hawai‘i, we see this clearly: rising costs push families away, imports define our food supply, and politics in Washington can disrupt trade, shipping, and even the free flow of information. When the republic allows gridlock to choke commerce, we all pay the price.<br/><br/>\n<p>Globally, the stakes are rising. Nations like Nepal face revolution, yet the world often looks away. Ignoring these struggles signals weakness and abandonment of responsibility. Hawai‘i, at the heart of the Pacific, will be the proving ground for whether the United States remains a republic that defends sovereignty and builds partnerships, or whether it yields to complacency. Protecting sovereignty abroad is inseparable from protecting it at home.<br/><br/>\r\nWe must also correct the wrongs of past administrations, which too often favored special interests over the people. Our children still face classrooms without resources, food shaped by unsafe practices, and an economy distorted by corruption. Entrenched politicians weaponize procedure instead of solving problems, weakening the republic they swore to serve. The Constitution was designed to be amended as the people grow, not frozen as a tool of the powerful.<br/><br/>\r\nMeanwhile, advances in artificial intelligence and biotechnology will test whether the republic remains a government of, by, and for the people, or one captured by elites. Oversight, ethics, and transparency are essential.<br/><br/>\n</p>\nThe greatest challenge is clear: to restore faith in the republic, protect sovereignty at home and abroad, and recommit to civic duty. If we meet that challenge, America will endure not as an empire of power, but as a republic of service.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nMaxwell Frazier completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Frazier's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I’m Maxwell Frazier, a Navy veteran, builder, and lifelong advocate for service and community. I grew up learning discipline and teamwork through scouting, where I first understood the importance of leadership and service above self. As a kid, I threw myself into just about every sport you could imagine — from American football to what the rest of the world calls real football, to martial arts and even go-kart racing. Those experiences taught me resilience, strategy, and the value of perseverance. I studied at Daytona State College and plan to continue my education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where I’ve applied to begin in Spring 2026 while I campaign. At Daytona State, I wasn’t afraid to stand up for what I believed in — from joining Greenpeace in protest to organizing for clean oceans and environmental accountability. My Navy service cemented my commitment to duty, honor, and defending the freedoms we all share. Today, I carry those lessons into my work as a builder of communities — not just through finance and policy, but through showing up for people. I’m running for Congress because I believe Hawai‘i deserves leaders who put people first — leaders who will fight to bring down the cost of living, protect our environment, and ensure that Washington respects the sovereignty and voice of Hawai‘i in shaping our future. 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? Children can’t learn if they’re hungry or if the food they eat makes them sick. I will fight for the Honest Education Act to ensure our schools provide honest, world-class education — and pair that with reform of the FDA so families can trust the food on their tables. While Europe and Mexico require clear warnings — like the black octagon labels that alert families to high sugar, salt, or fat — the U.S. too often allows corporations to decide what’s safe. Our children deserve better. I will fight for stronger nutrition standards, fair food pricing, and policies that make healthy meals affordable. Building strong families begins with honest education and food security that protects kids, not corporate profits. We all deserve leaders who are accountable, visible, and unafraid to let the people see how decisions are made. I will use social media to enforce transparency, posting votes, budgets, and explanations so the public can hold me accountable in real time. Washington’s TikTok ban is more than a tech issue — it’s about silencing a platform they cannot control, echoing restrictions we’ve seen in countries like Nepal. That is not democracy. Free expression and open information are vital to a healthy republic. I will fight against censorship, end pay-to-play politics, and ensure government remains answerable to the people, not hidden behind closed doors. As a Navy veteran, I know Hawai‘i is the front line of both opportunity and responsibility. Protecting our future means investing in renewable energy, defending our oceans, and making sure your culture and sovereignty are never treated as afterthoughts. Washington must respect Hawai‘i as more than a base — you are a people, a history, and a living culture. I will push for policies that strengthen our defense while also securing our environment and economy. That includes sustainable infrastructure, support for local agriculture, and protecting Pacific partnerships. Hawai‘i’s voice matters, and I will ensure it is heard and respected at every level of government. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I am passionate about constitutional reform, accountability, and fairness. The Constitution was meant to be amended as our nation grows — not weaponized by entrenched politicians to block change. We need serious conversations about amendments that protect voting rights, limit corruption, and set ethical guardrails on those in power. Our republic suffers when leaders treat office like a lifetime post, shutting out new generations of voices. I also believe in reshaping how we conduct business, ensuring transparency and fair practices that serve people, not just corporations. As a natural-born citizen, I see it as my civic duty to correct the wrongs of past administrations and help build a government that earns the trust of its people. What is something that has been a struggle in your life? One of my greatest struggles has been finding my place in society and in history. On one side of my family, my great-grandparents immigrated from Ireland through Ellis Island. They came with hope and in doing so gave my grandfather the foundation to build a big family, which allowed my mother to raise and support her own family. That immigrant story is part of the American fabric. On the other side, my history is less certain. There are family tales of Native American heritage, along with deep Scottish roots tied to early immigration to the Americas. Unlike the Irish side, this history feels more distant, less recorded, and harder to claim as my own. That uncertainty has often left me searching for where I belong — as though part of my real story remains hidden. This tension — between what I know and what I do not — has shaped my outlook. I was raised as a typical American, yet as a young man I found meaning in the teachings of Haile Selassie, and I have long felt drawn to indigenous rights and sovereignty movements. Their fight for dignity and recognition resonates with my own search for identity. All of our histories are connected, but too often we are taught them separately, as if they do not converge in us. I also struggle with how far behind our republic has fallen compared to what it could achieve. NASA had the knowledge to take us to Mars decades ago, but politics denied the vision. The space industry has already given us countless advances that shape daily life, yet most people remain unaware of the scope of its contributions. To imagine what might have been if vision had matched ability is both inspiring and heartbreaking. My struggle, then, is finding my place in today’s history — honoring the sacrifices of those who came before me while helping correct the wrongs of the past. My hope is to build a republic that values every story and every people, so no one feels lost in their own history. Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? Yes and no. History shows us what happens when politics becomes the domain of the entrenched. The Roman Republic fell in part because leaders treated politics as their profession, protecting their own power instead of the people. Entrenched elites wielded procedure as a weapon and hollowed out the republic they claimed to serve. We should not repeat those mistakes. Experience in government can be useful for understanding process, procedure, and the mechanics of lawmaking. It can help a representative navigate committees, negotiations, and drafting legislation. But politics was never meant to be a profession reserved for insiders, nor should prior office be treated as a prerequisite for service. The Constitution does not require a degree or political résumé — only age, residency, and citizenship. That was intentional. Public office was meant to be rooted in civic duty, not locked away as a career path. A healthy Congress requires balance. Experience can provide wisdom and institutional memory. But fresh voices bring accountability, energy, and perspectives missing when the same people hold office for decades. True representation means citizens from all walks of life — teachers, veterans, small business owners, parents, workers — stepping forward to serve. Government works best when it reflects the people, not a permanent political class. For me, public service is not about careerism. It is about civic duty — stepping up when called, correcting the wrongs of past administrations, and ensuring the Constitution serves the people rather than entrenching the powerful. Whether a representative has years of experience or none at all matters less than whether they are honest, accountable, and committed to service above self. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? The greatest challenge facing the United States over the next decade is restoring trust and protecting sovereignty — both our own and that of our allies. When the people lose faith in the republic, and when our government fails to defend sovereignty abroad, we open the door for instability and exploitation. In Hawai‘i, we see this clearly: rising costs push families away, imports define our food supply, and politics in Washington can disrupt trade, shipping, and even the free flow of information. When the republic allows gridlock to choke commerce, we all pay the price. Globally, the stakes are rising. Nations like Nepal face revolution, yet the world often looks away. Ignoring these struggles signals weakness and abandonment of responsibility. Hawai‘i, at the heart of the Pacific, will be the proving ground for whether the United States remains a republic that defends sovereignty and builds partnerships, or whether it yields to complacency. Protecting sovereignty abroad is inseparable from protecting it at home. We must also correct the wrongs of past administrations, which too often favored special interests over the people. Our children still face classrooms without resources, food shaped by unsafe practices, and an economy distorted by corruption. Entrenched politicians weaponize procedure instead of solving problems, weakening the republic they swore to serve. The Constitution was designed to be amended as the people grow, not frozen as a tool of the powerful. Meanwhile, advances in artificial intelligence and biotechnology will test whether the republic remains a government of, by, and for the people, or one captured by elites. Oversight, ethics, and transparency are essential. The greatest challenge is clear: to restore faith in the republic, protect sovereignty at home and abroad, and recommit to civic duty. If we meet that challenge, America will endure not as an empire of power, but as a republic of service.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}]