Aloha, I'm Bobby Pahia.
(Most people call me “Uncle Bobby”)
As a mahiʻai, family business owner, mentor, and champion for food security - I believe the answers to our hardest challenges lie in our collective voice and our shared relationship with ʻāina. I’m a farmer who has dedicated my life to ensuring our people have local food on the table. That means prioritizing policies that put our people and ʻāina first.
We are blessed to have raised our kids here and watched our 8 grandkids grow up here at home. Not everyone is so lucky. As we celebrated the birth of our first great-grandchild, I have been reflecting more about our collective legacy and the future we are planting today for her generation to harvest long after we are gone. What more can I plant today for the next generation to harvest?
We've witnessed the changes - said goodbye to too many people unable to survive here and pivoted our business to adapt to the waves of unprecedented times. I’ve watched young people grow from kolohe kids to mature leaders with families of their own. I have served this community for decades: feeding healthy cultural foods through our farming business, training new farmers, coaching canoe paddlers, cultivating seed banks, and mentoring youth — and from that, I’ve learned:
When Maui Nui paddles together, we can thrive TOGETHER.
It's the together part I'm most concerned about right now, and precisely how I believe I can help us steer this wa’a (canoe) / us cultivate a thriving and present future. Too many local families are moving away, kūpuna and seniors are struggling, and young people are losing hope. Working people deserve a seat at the decision-making table with representatives who will bring us together (despite our differences) to support local families and our shared values. That is why I’m fighting to be your Maui County Councilmember - to listen, find common ground, and identify achievable solutions to restore balance to the systems we rely on to survive and thrive.
Every policy I support must benefit Maui Nui’s working people and protect the kai, ‘āina, and wai that sustains us.
My values center on three guiding principles to nurture a quality of life where all Maui Nui residents thrive together.
PROTECT ʻĀina - Healthy land and healthy water means healthy people. Protecting and perpetuating the kai, ‘āina, and wai that sustains us all.
PROVIDE Cost of Living Relief - Putting our people's needs ahead of investor profits. Building a balanced economy that supports workers, provides stability to our small locally-owned businesses and economic viability for our community, and keeps benefits circulating within Maui Nui.
EMPOWER Collective Leadership - Empowering our community to lead, engage, and shape our own future. Government should be accessible, transparent, and responsive in order to encourage and empower our people to engage in political processes.
Read more about my values & priorities as your representative