Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi elections to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from David Asing, Republican candidate for state House District 20 which includes Lēʻahi, Kāhala, Waiʻalae, Kaimukī and Kapahulu.

He is running against Democratic candidate and incumbent Tina Grandinetti in the Nov. 3 general election. Both are unopposed in the primary.

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? And why do you want the job?

With my experience of teaching high school students for 12 years, traveling the world experiencing different cultures, owning my own businesses, and being the president of several board associations, I believe I am a well-rounded person with good morals and strong work ethics. I would like the opportunity to use what I know to make our state government more efficient and transparent. I would also like to change the culture of our government to be more welcoming to the people we serve.

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

Cost of living. I would address it by finding different sources of revenue and improving the way we spend our funds. In addition, I hope this would ultimately reduce state income tax and property taxes.

Here’s one question from your constituents: Do you support maintaining a monopoly for interisland shipping?

No, I feel friendly competition is always healthy.

What do you think were the most important bills to come out of the 2026 Legislature? What failed that should have passed? What passed that you wish had failed?

No answer provided.

The 2026 session was also overshadowed by an issue of public trust: $35,000 in the brown paper bag given to an “influential” state lawmaker. What do you think the Legislature needs to do going forward to rebuild public confidence in state government?

The Legislature needs to be more transparent and make a better effort in serving the public and listening to their concerns.

In recent years, Hawai’i has experienced a series of damaging and dangerous weather events that have exposed weaknesses in our planning, preparation and response. What could you as a lawmaker do to help your district be better prepared?

Get the warnings out early with the proper information of preparations.

What would you do in office to address the here and now of climate change? And how would you address the costs to taxpayers, property owners and businesses to adapt?

I would encourage people to make small changes in their everyday life to reduce, reuse and recycle. I would propose bills on bringing back tax incentives for electric vehicles, solar energy, water-efficient toilets and faucets.

Over 3,000 bills are introduced every session and there is always frantic horsetrading in the final days of session. Do you think there should be a limit on the number of bills introduced to enable more meaningful debate?

Absolutely.

Hawaiʻi lawmakers are often in the dark about how much a piece of legislation will cost because the Aloha State is the only one in the nation that doesn’t require a fiscal analysis for bills. Should lawmakers be forced to put a realistic price tag on the legislation they introduce?

Yes, not just a fiscal analysis, but a whole picture analysis of the outcome of the bill being introduced.

There are no term limits for state legislators in Hawaiʻi, so incumbents tend to win. Would you seek to change that? Why or why not?

Yes. Not allowed to serve consecutive terms.

What would you do to help improve the state’s public school system?

I would want to allocate more funding to reduce class sizes and support teachers with teacher aides and resources. I would want to focus on fixing our system than creating organizations or programs that “band-aid” the current broken system.

Hawaiʻi is heavily reliant on tourism. What would you propose to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy?

We can better support our agricultural industry and possibly legalize marijuana.

An estimated 60% of Hawaiʻi residents are struggling to get by. It’s a problem that reaches far beyond low-income folks and into the middle class, which is disappearing. What would you do to help?

I would introduce a plan on reducing condo and home insurance. This would hopefully help lower the cost of rent and give homeowners a deduction on their home insurance. I have some ideas on creating a new source of revenue, which would hopefully allow us to reduce the state income tax. I would also like to see where our tax money is being spent so we can further minimize the wasteful spending.