Hawaii's governor won re-election and laid out plans to tackle housing costs and energy prices in his second term, good news for residents struggling with the state's high cost of living.

• Housing is the top priority, with new team hires coming soon and a plan to fix up abandoned housing near the rail line, giving young families cheap loans to repair homes and build wealth.
• He wants to build new housing villages with the Honolulu mayor and plans to use bonds to pay for infrastructure like water and sewage lines, which he says should lower overall housing costs.
• He's also pushing hard to bring down electricity costs, with a mediation between the power utility HECO and a solar/battery company set for the coming weeks.
• Hawaii's Democratic congressional delegation gained seniority and committee power after the election, which he expects will help bring federal money to the state.
• On FEMA aid for wildfire survivors, he said the state will cover a gap of about $14 million for households that didn't qualify for individual assistance, so people aren't forced to leave the state.

Outlook: Expect more housing and energy announcements in the coming weeks, plus a more outspoken governor who says he'll "speak his mind" more in this term.