Tam worked in the
Hawaii Senate for
Senator Stanley Chang before running for public office in 2020. He defeated incumbent
Tom Brower in the
Democratic Party primary election, then won the general election for the 22nd district of the
Hawaii House of Representatives against
Republican Party candidate
Nicholas Ochs, who previously served as the vice chairman of
Donald Trump's
Hawaii campaign in the
2016 United States elections, had strong support from
Roger Stone and drew media attention for founding the Hawaii chapter of the
Proud Boys. After Tam was seated, he became the only openly gay member of the
Hawaii State Legislature. Following the
2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Tam and other Hawaii lawmakers signed a letter requesting rioters to be placed on the federal
No Fly List. Tam is a member of the Progressive Legislative Caucus. In December 2023, Tam was elected interim Chair of the
Democratic Party of Hawaii by the State Central Committee. His term ended on May 19, 2024, and was succeeded by Derek Turbin. In 2024, Tam was named the Chair of the House Committee on Tourism. In 2025, him and Senator
Lynn DeCoite passed SB 1571, a bill that downgraded the Hawaii Tourism Authority governing board to an advisory board following public distrust and mismanagement over the agency. ==Personal life==