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 Tina Grandinetti, Democratic candidate and incumbent for state House District 20, which includes Lēʻahi, Kāhala, Waiʻalae, Kaimukī and Kapahulu.

She is running against Republican candidate David Asing in the Nov. 3 general election.

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?

I want this job because I believe in a future where working families can afford to stay here and raise our keiki with the resources they need to mālama the place that we love. Before running, I worked toward this future in my roles as a community organizer, educator and a policy researcher. Now, I bring all of those skills with me to the Capitol keep my constituents informed, introduce best practice policies and empower my community to participate in the decisions that impact their lives.

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?

The biggest issue impacting my district is affordability. Housing, healthcare, insurance, groceries, utilities and transportation costs are all going up. There’s no silver bullet, but my focus on addressing affordability has been to reign in corporate abuse, strengthen consumer protections, advance policies that target benefits to low and middle income families, and advocate for a fairer tax code. I introduced legislation on all these fronts, and will continue that work if re-elected.

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

Given Young Brothers’ performance over the last few years, I think it’s time we consider whether competition or public ownership of our inter-island shipping market would better serve local people. Regulated monopolies can prevent the duplication of costly infrastructure and support economies of scale, but they require aggressive oversight and consumer protection. I don’t think we’ve met that challenge. Last session, I voted against automatic inflationary rate increases for Young Brothers.

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?

The most important bills passed were SB2471, pushing back on Citizens United, and SB3125, the tax bill which prevented cuts to services while expanding tax relief for working families by creating a marginal tax on income over $1M a year. The conveyance tax should’ve passed. It would’ve curbed speculation in our housing market while providing dedicated DHHL funding. We shouldn’t have repealed the solar tax credit, which was a critical tool for local families to reduce their energy bill.

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?

Rebuilding trust demands structural change. I support continued campaign finance reform and stronger conflict of interest laws. I also support public financing of elections to limit the power of influential donors and amplify the voices of everyday people. On a personal level, I signed the Our Hawaiʻi Pledge to reject campaign contributions over $100 from corporate PACs and lobbyists, and executives of developers, major landowners, hotel conglomerates, energy monopolies and military contractors.

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?

I’m focused on developing my constituents’ understanding of our emergency response infrastructure so that people know who to look to when need arises and so that we understand how agencies should work together in coordinated response. I’m also trying to identify, develop and empower neighborhood and community networks, acknowledging that disaster response and recovery should always be community-led. I hosted a town hall on disaster resilience to kickstart that long-term work in my community.

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?

We need to work to decarbonize our economy, invest in ʻāina-based solutions, fund long-term community-based resilience, and address impacts equitably. And we have to remember that the climate crisis is making our affordability crisis worse. I introduced legislation to allow the state and insurers to sue fossil fuel corporations for damages caused by climate-driven disasters, because the people of Hawaiʻi shouldn’t have to pay the price for climate change while fossil fuel companies profit.

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?

The House already implements a bill introduction limit, and while I do think it promotes more thoughtful bill packages, the main driver of the frantic pacing of the legislative session is the length of our legislative session. I support extending session by incorporating more recess days between deadlines, committee hearings and floor votes so that legislators can delve more deeply into bills and testimony, spend more time meeting with stakeholders, and ultimately, make better policy.

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?

I support fiscal notes and I think most legislators would appreciate having that information and analysis to support our policymaking. The House Finance committee piloted fiscal notes on select bills last session.

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?

I support reasonable term limits. However, we should also recognize that it takes time to learn how to be an effective legislator, and institutional knowledge can enrich a legislative body. Reasonable term limits should balance the need to allow for new voices with the need to ensure that we have effective lawmakers. We should also support campaign finance reforms to ensure that we do not have to wait for incumbents to term out before new candidates feel empowered to run.

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

There are many things we can do to improve our public school system, but I think the most important thing is to improve recruitment and retention of qualified educators so that we can reduce class sizes and improve learning. We can do this by paying teachers more and treating them as the professionals that they are. I also love the community school model, which develops schools as a place to support the whole child, their family and, by extension, the community at large.

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

Developing our agriculture industry will not only diversify our economy, but build our resilience in the face of an increasingly volatile global economy. I was in high school when I learned that we import 80-90% of our food. There’s been little improvement since. We need to invest in regenerative agriculture, support producers and develop our food system from farm to table. I also want to grow our creative and knowledge industries and create jobs through the transition to renewable energy.

An estimated 60% of Hawaii 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?

We need to invest in public services, support small business, empower workers, strengthen consumer protections and implement ground up – not trickle down – economic policies. I introduced bills to tackle the cost of medicine, rent, property insurance and groceries. I co-chair the Working Families Caucus, which focuses on these issues. Last session, our package aimed to preserve public services and put money in the hands of working families by asking the top 1% in Hawaii to pay their fair share.