Civil Beat has asked candidates for the primary election on Aug. 8 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected. There are 10 candidates on the primary ballot and the top two finalists will go through to the General Election ballot in November.

The following comes from  Callahan Welsh, nonpartisan candidate for Maui County Mayor.

Her primary opponents are incumbent Richard Bissen, John Dunbar, Justin Herrmann, P. Denise La Costa, Travis A. Liggett, Joseph Moses, Amy Petterson, Yuki Lei Sugimura and Laurent Zahnd

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of mayor? And why do you want the job?

As a Marine combat veteran, stand-up comedian and local Maui boy, I bring composure under pressure and absolute honesty. I want this job because I am tired of seeing my friends priced out of their own birthright. I am running a grassroots campaign under $1,000 to prove you don’t need corporate backers or a career in politics to stand up and fight for the working-class people of our home.

What is the biggest issue facing Maui County, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

There is no ONE biggest issue. I see a handful of issues that need to be addressed in a timely manner and as effective as possible. Overpopulation and local families being priced out. In my first six months, I would like to audit outside development and push to protect local workers. I will champion a $100,000 living wage for our emergency first responders, nurses and teachers. If the people raising our keiki and saving our lives cannot afford to live here, our entire community collapses.

Here’s one question from a constituent: What is your position on upcountry speed humps? Would you remove them? Why or why not?

This is difficult to say. I know speed bumps are a pain in the rear-end, but if we are going to slow down drivers, one of my ideas is to remove speed humps and roundabouts, but it will have to be met with perhaps traffic cameras and a harsh $10,000 fine. 1. I would like to think this will make everyone think twice about speeding and possibly taking a life because of ignorant driving. 2. This is one way we can bring in extra taxes for educational purposes.

The county has been moving forward with plans to bring much more of Maui’s water supply under public ownership instead of private. What are the obstacles to achieving that goal, and what is the cost?

This is what we residents have been wanting forever. All aquifers need to be made public for residents first. Since the population growth is rampant and the obstacles are corporate resistance and endless litigation from giant landowners, then the county must build massive municipal water reservoirs in our main urban centers to collect rainwater. Water does NOT belong to mega-hotels and outside corporations.

Overtourism can degrade the environment, contribute to wear and tear on infrastructure, generate traffic and disrupt neighborhoods. What do you think about the amount of tourism on Maui and how it’s managed?

As a Kīhei resident, I cannot stand how much traffic there is. The negative domino effect creates tension amongst drivers in our communities, and could lead to road-rage incidents. Our roadways and resources simply cannot support unlimited growth. Tourism is heavily mismanaged, favoring outside corporate profits. I want to see a cap on transient growth. Residential areas must be kept for residential people; hotels were invented to house visitors, not our local neighborhoods.

There are thousands of cesspools on Maui that must be removed by 2050. With an average cost of $15,000 to $30,000 to convert to septic, many homeowners say making the transition is not affordable. What should the county do to help with the conversion?

We cannot mandate a massive environmental fix and expect working-class families to foot the bill alone. I am not a sewage engineer, but I know a $30,000 bill is impossible for a local family. The county needs to secure federal funds to completely subsidize these conversions. Taking care of the ʻāina shouldn’t mean pricing locals out of their homes.

Maui has been targeted for enforcement by ICE agents. What will be the position of your office to requests for more cooperation by county law enforcement and federal authorities?

My priority is the safety and unity of our local community. County police resources should be focused entirely on local public safety, combating crime, and protecting our neighborhoods. I do not support diverting our limited county police resources to do the job of federal agencies. It breaks down the trust we need to keep everyone safe.

There is a growing mental health crisis on Maui, which faces a huge shortage in adult psychiatrists as well as primary care doctors. Outline what steps you will take to support efforts to meet that gap in services.

So this is near and dear to my heart, as I have seen my younger brother neglected by the state of ALL his life. So we have to pay a living wage to attract and keep medical professionals, because the high cost of living hits them just like us. I’ll support county-backed tuition stipends and housing incentives for medical students who commit to serving Maui County, alongside expanding telehealth infrastructure to bridge the immediate gap for our residents.

The $1.6 billion federal Community Block Development Grant is the largest disaster loan in U.S. history, but it falls far short of the estimates for recovery from the 2023 wildfires. What is the county doing to ensure those dollars are spent wisely and efficiently?

To be completely honest, I don’t know how to budget $1.6 billion out of my head. Anyone who says they do is lying. As mayor, my plan is to hire independent financial experts who actually care about Maui and can’t be bought. We will make every dollar transparent online. My absolute priority is taking care of the fire victims first — getting roofs over their heads — and then dealing with whatever comes next.

What is your assessment of programs combating invasive species in Maui Nui and what other measures would you advocate for in office?

Current programs are totally underfunded for the scale of the threat. Invasive species destroy our ecosystems and threaten our water. I advocate for increasing county funding for groups like the Maui Invasive Species Committee and creating a localized “Conservation Corps” job program to employ young locals in restoring our ʻāina. The funds can come from visitors and public infractions.

The county now has a law on the books to phase out several thousand vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts starting in 2029. The companion measure to grandfather in more than half of those properties has since been rejected by all three planning commissions. What should be done about this unresolved issue?

This is a very difficult task to address. But I feel we need to get rid of Airbnb, VRBO and short-term rentals completely. We already have hotels and motels for tourists. I completely support the planning commission’s decision to reject the grandfathering measure. No loopholes. Our housing must be 100% reclaimed for local families starting now, not just in 2029. We need a permanent, long-term roof over the heads of our local workforce, period.

How would you make the county administration more transparent and accessible to the public?

I will eliminate the political deflection. I would implement regularly scheduled, at convenient times, where the community can actually attend, not when they are working, to attend live-streamed town hall meetings, where residents can ask questions directly, without screened filters. Furthermore, I will ensure county budget tracking is published online in a clear, easy-to-read format. Actions speak louder than words. I can only do my best to re establish trust between government and residents.