Hawaii State Representative Cedric Gates started in politics at the suggestion of his former principal and mentor. 

In his Know Your Electeds interview, he shares that one of his biggest accomplishments is passing a careers pathways bill, which allows schools to pay students to get business experience. Improving housing and highway traffic are among his top priorities this legislative session. 

Growing up, Gates wanted to be in the private sector, so his career path is very different to what he expected. If he could visit any place in the world, it would be to his mother's homeland, Samoa.