Elle Cochran pledges to stay close to the pulse of the community with an open door for constituents.

WEST MAUI — Aiming to magnify issues Maui County is facing and bring more resources back home for the community to benefit, Elle Cochran is running for the Tenth House District seat.

Cochran served as West Maui’s County Councilwoman for eight years before running for mayor in 2018. She advanced to the General Election but lost to Mayor Michael Victorino.

“I want to serve in a new capacity in government and bring the voice of the Maui County Council to the state level,” Cochran explained.

“My priorities are community, environment and circular economy. With Maui emerging from COVID-19, battling for water, managing tourism in a new direction, facing skyrocketing real estate… I feel called to serve and support our local people to continue to call Hawaii home.”

Talking to people in West Maui, Cochran identified some of the biggest issues this election year: continuing the Lahainaluna High School Boarding Department, the homeless population, affordable housing, water rights, injection well issues, the West Maui Hospital, climate change and shoreline issues, tourism management and extending the Lahaina Bypass north.

Cochran has met with legislative members and visited the Hawaii Legislature over the years to gain an understanding of how the session works and how to move legislation forward.

“Beyond the day-to-day work, I will focus on building respectful relationships, so we can collaborate and build a better Hawaii,” Cochran explained.

“Beyond the difference of governance between state and county level issues, my approach to how I do my job will not change. I will seek to build relationships to support the priorities of our community. I will always fight for truth and transparency. I will continue to move forward with what may be deemed progressive issues that protect our environment and way of life.”

The last few years, Cochran has taken personal time to deal with family illness and members who passed away. She also found healing by returning to gardening and getting back out to the ocean.

Over the last two years, she took time to care for her house and ventured to do a DNA test. Although Cochran grew up understanding she was part-Native Hawaiian, she is actually Filipino.

Cochran also took a job in the visitor industry.

“Through this interim, I returned to work with the Marriott ohana as a concierge. Now that I am back in the workforce, I see the pains that ohana must go through just to make ends meet and am inspired more than ever to serve,” she said.

There are several state issues that interest Cochran, starting with education. Next month, she plans to participate in a town hall meeting to discuss the Lahainaluna High School Boarding Department.

“Our schools need better support. For me, of critical importance is Lahainaluna High School in keeping the boarder program up and running. To lose our boarding program is to lose a special part of Hawaii’s history,” Cochran added.

She feels that infrastructure and highways are critically important on Maui.

“From our rural areas on Maui to unsafe intersections, we must make improvements for everyone’s safety,” Cochran added.

The water rights of Native Hawaiians are essential for the community to thrive, and Cochran believes Kanaka Maoli should receive better support from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

“While in the legislature, I will work with these agencies to find solutions to get more families off of waiting lists and encourage business growth for kanaka communities and a circular economy,” Cochran explained.

She believes environmental enforcement needs greater support, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources should be provided with more resources to protect Hawaii’s precious environment. Action is also needed on Climate Change.

“Climate Change is here. We need to prepare and act on solutions that will work. We have had years of studies, and now is the time to act. We are already seeing homes and condos at risk of being swallowed by the ocean,” Cochran explained.

Additional priorities include diversifying the economy, stomping out corruption in politics and finding ways to make housing affordable.

“Though this is a federal level item based on HUD guidelines, we must find a way to make housing truly affordable to local families. For example, we have all heard of ‘responsible growth’ and community plans with ‘affordable housing.’ At the end of the day, we find affordable homes all too often fall out of affordability and get sold at the open market rate. I will work to find ways to address this complex issue, so we can find a way to truly bring affordable housing to our local families,” she said, noting that housing is an issue that impacts everyone here.

Cochran, 57, attained her GED, took some college classes and earned certification as a Court Mediator. Her husband, Wayne, owns the Maui Surfboards store in Honokowai.

The founder of the Save Honolua Coalition, Cochran volunteers with Maui Friends of the Library, Hawaii Wildlife Discovery Center, and Na Mea ‘Ike ‘Ia. She also serves as Dame Commander, Royal Order of the Crown, for Her Royal Highness Owana Salazar.

Cochran hopes to bring her eight years of County Council experience to the Hawaii House of Representatives. She said her strengths include knowledge of infrastructure and federal, state and county government, team building and collaboration skills to create solutions and a well-rounded perspective for county and state issues.

Learn more about her campaign on Instagram (@voteellecochran) or at www.facebook.com/Voteellecochran or www.voteellecochran.com.