Meet Daniel

I am a local boy from Waiʻanae whose life has been shaped by both privilege and adversity. I am the grandson of Dr. Fred Dodge, the first director of the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and was raised on one of the last kuleana kalo farms in Waiʻanae by my stepmother, Gwen Poe, daughter of Eddie and Miriam Poe. Abandoned at age one by my birth mother, I learned early that resilience is not something you are born with, it is something you build through family, community, hard work, and faith.

My childhood was spent commercial fishing with my father, Vince Dodge, working in the loʻi, and exploring Hawaiʻi Island with my extended ʻohana in Keaukaha. Like many kids growing up on the Waiʻanae Coast, I was kolohe, restless, and often tested boundaries. Those experiences taught me hard lessons about responsibility, perseverance, and the importance of purpose.

After attending school in New Hampshire and returning home to earn my GED, I worked my way through Hawaiʻi’s restaurant, construction, and architectural industries. Through dedication and leadership, I rose from entry-level positions to helping build successful businesses and eventually became one of the pioneers of the modern Native Hawaiian fine art movement. From 2005 through 2009, I helped elevate the careers of renowned Native Hawaiian artists including Solomon Enos, Dalani Tanahy, and Hanale Hopfe, helping bring contemporary Hawaiian art to national and international audiences.

When the 2008 economic collapse disrupted the art market, I returned to the land to raise my family and pursue a deeper commitment to food security and cultural sustainability. That journey led to the creation of a paʻiʻai business and ultimately the statewide movement that helped legalize paʻiʻai in Hawaiʻi. Building upon that success, I helped establish Hui Aloha ʻĀina Momona, a nonprofit dedicated to food sovereignty, cultural practice, community resilience, and environmental stewardship.

Over the years, I have been blessed to contribute to efforts that legalized traditional hale building, serve on the State Taro Purity and Security Task Force, and advocate for policies that strengthen Hawaiʻi’s agricultural and cultural future.

For more than two decades, I have also helped organize and support the annual La Hoʻihoʻi Ea commemoration at Thomas Square, helping grow public awareness and community participation in honoring Hawaiʻi’s sovereignty restoration. Those collective efforts contributed to the eventual recognition of La Hoʻihoʻi Ea as an official State of Hawaiʻi holiday, ensuring future generations understand the significance of July 31, 1843, and the enduring value of ea—life, sovereignty, and self-determination.

From 2006 through 2023, I served as a primary organizer of Kuʻi at the Capitol, creating opportunities for tens of thousands of students, families, farmers, and community members to engage in civic participation grounded in culture, food security, and aloha. Through these efforts, I have worked to bridge the gap between government and community while empowering people to take an active role in shaping Hawaiʻi’s future.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our family faced the possible loss of our farmstead. What could have been the end of a chapter instead became a testament to the power of community. Friends, family, supporters, and countless people who believed in our mission came together to ensure the farm would continue to serve future generations. That experience strengthened my conviction that Hawaiʻi’s future will be built not by waiting for solutions, but by neighbors working together to create them.

Today, my wife and I continue to farm, raise our family, host educational workshops, and lead community-based initiatives focused on food security, cultural practice, and environmental stewardship. Most recently, our work has focused on protecting Hawaiʻi’s coconut trees and food systems from the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle through natural, community-driven management strategies that are safe for people, the environment, and future generations.

I am not a career politician. I am a husband, father, farmer, entrepreneur, and community organizer who believes leadership begins with service. My life has been dedicated to strengthening Hawaiʻi’s food systems, preserving our cultural traditions, and creating opportunities for future generations. As a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, I bring that same commitment to public service, believing that together we can build a Hawaiʻi that is more resilient, more self-sufficient, and more rooted in the values that make our islands home.