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.

The following comes from Bulla Eastman, Democratic candidate for state House District 24, which includes Waikīkī.

His primary opponents are Democratic candidate and incumbent Adrian Tam and nonpartisan candidate Jonathan Clausen.

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’m born and raised in Honolulu and am a proud graduate of Kamehameha and the University of Hawaiʻi. For the past 20 years I’ve worked in Waikīkī hotels and condominiums as a director of safety and security, risk management and loss prevention. I have worked with governmental agencies and private organizations over the years and am able to get many to collaborate for the common good. I want this job to make Hawaiʻi better for our keiki.

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?

One of the biggest issues is safety and we should be more assertive and solution-oriented when dealing with homeless. Expand assisted community treatment in Hawaiʻi. HPD has no tools. Hospitals have no beds. Shelters are full. People cycle through the ER and back to the sidewalk. My first bill gives Hawaiʻi the authority and the funding to actually get people with severe mental illness into care.

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

No, we need competition especially with the recent passage of Young Brothers automatic annual increase approved by the governor.

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?

Senate Bill 3125 protected some broad based tax relief for taxpayers and was instrumental in assisting the solar industry. Senate Bill 2057, House Bill 1870 and House Bill 1839 place some guidelines for federal enforcement for immigrants in Hawaiʻi. We needed legislation that would address specifically the ‘affordability’ issues in Waikīkī for residents, public safety issues for Waikīkī, and more diversifying of our economy in a time-sensitive presentation/plan.

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?

Accountability is a major concern but we need an attorney general independent of the governor’s office.

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?

In the Waikīkī district we should work with the Hawaii Hotel Visitor Industry Security Association, Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism and Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority to provide an informational digital presentation as the guests check in. Also more impactful training with the staff at the hotels should be provided.

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?

Climate change has different definitions depending whom you speak with.The assessments should be across the board and should have a committee explore this further before making blanket changes.

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?

I support extending the closing date of the Legislature. That would be very helpful in allowing the legislators ample time to make better decisions.

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?

In Hawaiʻi every project that the government has coordinated has never come in alignment with their budget projections. The lack of accountability is incredible and there should be a better way of grasping the “costs” of doing business or at least an estimate on our “ROI” or return on investment.

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 term limits.

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

Currently I believe that the DOE is very top heavy. We need certified teachers in the classroom who speak English and have the training and knowledge to be impactful educators. We don’t just need to put “nice people” in our schools but accredited and educated instructors across the board.

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

Tourism is a major economic force for Hawaiʻi and has been for many years. One of the most plausible ideas for economic diversification is agriculture. If we could better support and coordinate with local producers to meet the needs of the “big box” stores that would decrease our dependency on shipping everything we consume from the mainland. This should reduce the costs of goods and better support our economy. This is not an either/or answer but one that could coexist.

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 believe that number is higher. One of the challenges to the accumulation of wealth is lack of home ownership. If more families could own their home instead of renting it, that would create an opportunity to accumulate some wealth in the increased value of their home. As long as we “rent” we will never be able to improve our economic status.