When state Rep. Brian Schatz announced he was running for the U.S. House this year, many of his colleagues asked him why he was giving up a "safe" seat.

Leaving the state House seat he has held for eight years to run for Congress puts a lot at stake for him. It also has become one of the points Schatz highlights in his campaign to help distinguish himself from his Democratic competitors, all of whom either don't hold political office or can return to their elected seats.

"I believe that politics is an important way to serve, but that my seat in the state House is not a possession to be jealously guarded and protected," Schatz said. "Over the last year, as I've seen what's happened with foreign policy and (Hurricane) Katrina and the budget, I realized it's time for me to make a difference on that level."

At 33, Schatz is one of the youngest candidates running to represent the 2nd Congressional District, and his greatest challenge arguably is name recognition in a race that includes candidates who have run statewide campaigns. Some political observers have said that even if he loses, the exposure will position him for higher office later.

Schatz dismisses those comments. He's in the race to win, he said, and his campaigning has elevated his visibility among voters.

"When we sent Patsy Mink to Congress when she was 37, and when we sent Dan Inouye to Congress when he was 34, we weren't thinking about what position they held in the Legislature until then, or how long they had served," said Schatz, CEO of the nonprofit Helping Hands Hawaii. "We were thinking in terms of their potential for service to Hawai'i over a period of decades. And that's how we should look at this race."

Schatz is competing against nine other candidates for the Democratic nomination in the Sept. 23 primary. Two Republicans are vying for their party's nomination. The winners will advance to the general election in November.

Schatz, a Punahou School graduate, began a career in public service relatively early. After graduating from Pomona College with a philosophy degree in 1994, he founded and directed the nonprofit Youth for Environmental Service, which connected young volunteers with community service projects.

He was elected to the state House in 1998 at 26. Despite being the youngest member, Schatz was eager to make a difference.

"I think what struck me about Brian when he first got elected was that he was independent and he wasn't afraid to make decisions," said Rep. Scott Saiki, Schatz's friend and political ally. "But over the eight years that he was in the House, I think he learned to temper himself and to really look at both sides of an issue. I think he developed really well in the House."

Schatz's colleagues in the state House describe him as an intelligent, energetic lawmaker who studies the issues and makes clear arguments. He's known as a vocal advocate for environmental issues, including last year's so-called Legacy Lands Act, which increased the conveyance tax and directed part of the revenues to land conservation and affordable housing.

Schatz has been effective not just for his vote but in "convincing his colleagues that it's the right thing to do," said Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club's Hawai'i chapter, which is endorsing Schatz and Democratic candidate Gary Hooser. Mikulina said Schatz didn't always agree with the Sierra Club, but said that speaks to Schatz's independence.

"He's very sharp, he's strategic, he's a good chess player — he does think a few moves ahead," Mikulina said. "But what I appreciate most is he has a good sense of humor and he understands the realities in politics."

As chairman of the House Economic Development and Business Concerns Committee, the tech-savvy Schatz — he admits he's addicted to his Blackberry — played a key role in extending and tightening eligibility for controversial technology tax credits under what was Act 221.

The high-tech sector has grown, but critics of the legislation say it's unclear how much of that growth resulted from the tax credits because the identity of the companies that receive the credits are confidential and the state doesn't track how many jobs these companies create.

Schatz's time in the House wasn't without its conflicts. He was part of the House majority leadership when he and other lawmakers unsuccessfully tried to remove Calvin Say as House speaker after the 2004 election. Schatz wound up outside the leadership, although he said he has no regrets and learned a lesson: "Never underestimate anyone."

"I think every legislator should have some experience as an insider and some experience as an outsider," he said. "I've demonstrated that I can get things done from the inside or from the outside."

In the end, Schatz and Say said they were able to continue working together.

"Brian is easy to work with," Say said. "He's a very fair and I would say a pragmatic individual who raises his point of view and lets members think about it. That's the approach Brian's always taken."

Schatz's priorities in the U.S. House would include bringing Hawai'i more federal money for roads and rural healthcare. He also said he wants to wean Hawai'i and the country off "addiction to oil" by steering federal dollars toward agencies that help renewable-energy companies in Hawai'i.

Another major issue is pushing for diplomacy to stabilize Iraq.

"The first thing is to hold a peace summit and to work with the international community," he said. "In broad terms, the idea would be to stabilize the country and to recognize that the problem is no longer terrorists fighting Americans but sectarian violence that's bubbling over."

Schatz lives in Makiki — part of the 1st Congressional District — with his wife and 2-year-old son. He said they're house-hunting in Kailua and that his campaign has included 45 Neighbor Island visits and nearly 100 coffee hours in the 2nd District.

"I have not just heard about the rush hour from Kahului to Lahaina — I've sat in it several times," Schatz said. "I haven't just been informed about the need for a Kapa'a bypass — I've internalized it. Nobody is from every island, and so the best you can hope for is a representative with the humility and the energy to spend time everywhere."