About

Our Candidate

Intelligence and Integrity

His commitment is simple: intelligent leadership, ethical independence, and laws that put people first.

James Forrest is an experienced attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience dedicated to ethics, civil rights, and accountable government. Born and raised in the small country town of Lubbock, Texas, Forrest learned early the values of hard work, fairness, and standing up for people who don’t have powerful interests behind them.

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Forrest has spent his career working inside government to make it work better for the public. His service includes service as an Attorney with the Hawaii House of Representatives, the Maui County Council Office of Council Services, the Texas Ethics Commission, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office, where he focused on ethics, open records, campaign finance, and public accountability.

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Throughout his career, Forrest has fought corruption, defended civil rights, and helped draft and interpret laws meant to protect the public—not powerful insiders. He believes Maui County needs an experienced attorney on the Council who understands how legislation is written, enforced, and sometimes abused, and who will fight for laws that serve local families rather than luxury hotels and luxury developers.

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Forrest refuses campaign donations from luxury hotel corporations and luxury developers, has signed the Our Hawaiʻi Pledge, and is proud to be supported by the Maui Pono Network as an ʻOhana Candidate, with an endorsement from the Kānaka Movement in 2024.