Brian Schatz

CANDIDATE BACKGROUND

Senator Brian Schatz was appointed to Hawaii’s open U.S. Senate seat in late December 2012, to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Senator Daniel Inouye. In 2014, he was elected to fulfill the remainder of the term. Prior to 2012, Senator Schatz served as Majority Whip in the Hawaii House and as Lieutenant Governor. Senator Schatz helped create and implement one of the strongest clean energy plans in the country, which has a goal to meet 70% of Hawaii’s energy needs through energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2030. As the “clean energy czar” under Governor Neil Abercrombie, he advanced investment in smart grid technologies and facilitated renewable energy projects, including the largest wind energy facility in the state. Senator Schatz understands climate change is an urgent problem and consistently advocates for comprehensive action on climate change. Senator Schatz has earned an impressive 97% lifetime score on LCV's National Environmental Scorecard.