Brendan Schultz

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Brendan Schultz

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 10, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Pitzer College, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Honolulu, Hawaii

Profession

Nonprofit executive director

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Brendan Schultz ran for election to the Honolulu City Council to represent District 5 in Hawaii. He lost in the primary on August 10, 2024.

Schultz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Brendan Schultz was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He earned a bachelor's degree from Pitzer College in 2019. His career experience includes working as the executive director of United by Love.

Schultz has served with the following organizations:

• Humanity in Action, fellow
• Miracle Corners of the World, fellow
• Hansen Leadership Institute, fellow
• Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study Alumni Association, board member
• Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, young entrepreneur mentor
• Kathryn Davis Fellows for Peace, fellow

Elections

2024

See also: City elections in Honolulu, Hawaii (2024)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Honolulu City Council District 5

Scott Nishimoto won election outright against Brendan Schultz and William Muneno in the primary for Honolulu City Council District 5 on August 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Nishimoto (Nonpartisan)	71.1	13,399
		Brendan Schultz (Nonpartisan)	18.6	3,506
	Submit photo	William Muneno (Nonpartisan)	10.3	1,934

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,839
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Dale Kobayashi (Nonpartisan)
• Nanea Lo (Nonpartisan)
• Mark Tamosiunas (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Schultz in this election.

2022

See also: Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Hawaii District 2

Jill Tokuda defeated Joseph Akana and Michelle Rose Tippens in the general election for U.S. House Hawaii District 2 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jill Tokuda (D)	62.2	128,407
		Joseph Akana (R)	35.3	72,874
		Michelle Rose Tippens (L)	2.5	5,130

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 206,411
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Hawaii District 2

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Hawaii District 2 on August 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jill Tokuda	57.6	62,275
		Patrick Branco	25.0	27,057
	Submit photo	Kyle Yoshida	6.1	6,624
		Brendan Schultz	5.7	6,115
		Nicole Gi	3.6	3,937
	Submit photo	Steven Sparks	2.0	2,137

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 108,145
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Tommy Waters (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Hawaii District 2

Joseph Akana defeated Joe Webster in the Republican primary for U.S. House Hawaii District 2 on August 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Akana	83.9	28,200
		Joe Webster	16.1	5,403

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,603
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Hawaii District 2

Michelle Rose Tippens advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Hawaii District 2 on August 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Rose Tippens	100.0	343

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 343
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Brendan Schultz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Schultz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born in Honolulu, I grew up in Hawai’i and throughout the United States as the child of a US Navy Captain. I proudly attended public schools and then college on the GI Bill. I have dedicated my entire professional career to caring for the world’s most vulnerable people in their times of greatest need as a humanitarian aid worker and international development specialist. Working in communities spanning five continents, I have led human rights education programs in the mountains of Macedonia, researched inter-ethnic violence on the sands of the Kalahari Desert, taught English in the valleys of Palestine, led food distribution programs during the height of the pandemic on the streets of Los Angeles, and developed youth empowerment initiatives here in Hawai'i.

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?

• Reduce Our Cost of Living to Keep Locals Local – Honolulu’s cost of living crisis is the result of years of inadequate housing and policies. The current epidemic of homelessness and unaffordable housing has no more obvious solution than to build homes. The Honolulu City Council must reexamine zoning to allow for more varied, dense, and walkable communities to be built within Honolulu’s urban core. While safety and historical preservation are important, permitting procedures should not take years and years. To support working families, property taxes should be lowered for locals who own and live in their homes, while property taxes should be raised on investment and vacant houses.
• Protect Our Community by Ensuring Holistic Safety – Public safety is far more than crime prevention. The people of Honolulu deserve a safe environment. With Hawai’i being second in the nation for pedestrian fatalities, we must lower our speed limit, build more raised crosswalks, and lengthen the city’s protected bike lane network. Furthermore, the city should have a comprehensive medical, non-police response to non-violent public mental health and substance abuse episodes. We need to also expand emergency and temporary housing with integrated employment, social, and medical services.
• Restore Integrity to Our City Government – When politicians work to serve their own interests instead of the people, they erode trust in public institutions and the democratic process. The Honolulu City Council’s recent self-awarded 64% pay raise to over $110,000 a year is extremely selfish and wholly unacceptable. I will return any portion of my salary greater than Honolulu’s average family income to the city’s general fund and introduce strict anti-corruption and transparency ordinances if elected.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Overall, my campaign’s three primary policies – reducing cost of living, ensuring community safety, and restoring government integrity – are designed to make Honolulu one of the most livable cities in the world where working families can thrive. Our island of O’ahu faces many challenges. These challenges are the result of poor policies implemented by past politicians and can be solved by electing leaders with integrity and foresight.

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

I look up to and try to emulate leaders who work to empower ordinary people to create extraordinary change and embody the values of a servant leader – people who may not be especially talented or gifted, but chose to act with courage and conviction when circumstances demanded them to.

One example of this type of leader is Carl Wilkens, who worked as a humanitarian aid worker in Rwanda and was the only American who chose to remain in the country after the Rwandan genocide began, a decision that helped save the lives of four hundred children from certain death.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The written works of philosophers Immanuel Kant and John Rawls would help others understand the foundation of my political philosophy. Both philosophers wrote about how morality – including our obligations to each other – arise from intrinsic human dignity and a social contract we form with each other. This philosophy greatly informs my understanding of the purpose – and the limits – of government.

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

Integrity, Passion, Foresight, Humility, and Empathy.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave an example of leadership in which a leader is seen as someone who can empower ordinary people to make extraordinary changes in their community.

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

The first historical event I remember clearly is of my mother, a US Navy Psychiatrist, being deployed in preparation for the Iraq War in March of 2003. I was five years old. I have always viewed the Iraq War as a grave injustice. This injustice had a profound impact on my family and ushered in my political awakening from a young age. Experiencing this also taught me the immense responsibility that political leaders have to serve in the best interest of the public.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"MVP*: Magellan Voyage Project" by Douglas Evans. The book is about a kid who is part of a competition to circumnavigate the world. The story planted the seed of my wanderlust that led to my career in international development and humanitarian aid.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

In addition to the policies I have pledged to advance if elected, one of the primary roles of a Councilmember is to serve as a communicator between constituents and city government. Should I be elected, one of my foremost responsibilities will be to be responsive and proactive in solving constituent concerns.

Note: 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.

2022

Brendan Schultz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Schultz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born in Honolulu, I grew up in Hawai’i and throughout the United States as the child of a US Navy Captain. I proudly attended public schools and then college on the GI Bill. I have dedicated my entire professional career to caring for the world’s most vulnerable people in their times of greatest need as a humanitarian aid worker and international development specialist. Working in communities spanning five continents, I have led human rights education programs in the mountains of Macedonia, researched inter-ethnic violence on the sands of the Kalahari Desert, taught English in the valleys of Palestine, led food distribution programs during the height of the pandemic on the streets of Los Angeles, and developed youth empowerment initiatives here in Hawai'i.

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?

• People - Prioritizing people over profit and uplifting the working class.
• Planet - Ensuring that the Hawaiian Islands and earth continue to be habitable.
• Peace - Reforming US foreign policy to become diplomacy-first and ending foreign wars.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My top five policies are establishing Medicare for All, protecting and expanding unions, sustaining Social Security, enacting a Green New Deal, and ending foreign wars.

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

I look up to and try to emulate leaders who work to empower ordinary people to create extraordinary change and embody the values of a servant leader - people who may not be especially talented or gifted, but chose to act with courage and conviction when circumstances demanded them to.

One example of this type of leader is Carl Wilkens, who worked as a humanitarian aid worker in Rwanda and was the only American who chose to remain in the country after the Rwandan genocide began, a decision that helped save four hundred children.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The written works of philosophers Immanuel Kant and John Rawls would help others understand the foundation of my political philosophy.

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

Integrity, Passion, Humility, and Empathy.

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

Integrity, Passion, Sincerity, Empathy, and Humor.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave an example of leadership in which a leader is seen as someone who can empower ordinary people to make extraordinary change in their community.

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

For my final year of high school, I served as a US State Department Youth Ambassador in Macedonia, a small county in Southeastern Europe. My year in Macedonia was the most transformational of my life and set me on the path of becoming a humanitarian aid worker.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"MVP*: Magellan Voyage Project" by Douglas Evans. The book is about a kid who is part of a competition to circumnavigate the world and planted the seed of my wanderlust that led to my career in international development.

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

Aang from the cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender

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

Heat Waves by Glass Animals

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

The greatest challenge for the United States over the next decade will be preserving the working class.

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

If elected, I will seek to join the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes. Two years gives a representative's constituents sufficient time to review if a representative is acting in their best interest or not.

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

I take inspiration from Bernie Sanders, Ro Khanna, Tulsi Gabbard, Ed Markey, and Kai Kahele.

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

Politicians should try to find policy solutions that they agree upon and pass legislation based on such solutions, but should not compromise on their values.

Note: 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.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Honolulu City Council District 5

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Personal

Instagram

LinkedIn