Hawaii State Representative, Dist 21
Duties: The Hawaii State House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The Hawaii House of Representatives is a part-time body.Areas Represented: Wilhelmina Rise, Maunalani Heights, a portion of Kaimuki, St. Louis HeightsHow Elected: The house consists of 51 members elected from an equal number of respective representative districts. A Representative must be a Hawaii resident not less than three years, is at least 18 years old, and is a qualified voter of the representative district from which the person seeks to be elected. Candidates for state legislative offices who are nominated in the primary election and are unopposed in the general election will be deemed elected to the office sought after the primary election regardless of the number of votes received by that candidate (Hawaii State Constitution, Article III, Section 4).Term: Two years, not subject to term limits.Base Salary (FY2024): $72,348 plus $225/day if living outside Oahu, $10/day for members living on Oahu; Speaker of the House - $81,024
Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.
-
SEASHELL, Joelle
(Rep)
-
SAYAMA, Jackson D.
(Dem)
Please provide a brief Candidate Statement describing why you are running for this office and why you are qualified to hold this office.
What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?
Hawai`i's economy is still heavily reliant on tourism. What, if anything, should be done differently about tourism and the economy?
What steps would you take to ensure that the state has resources to meet emergency needs in addition to supporting the state's annual budget?
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Education
Punahou School (2015), NYU Shanghai (2019), UH Manoa PUBA (2024)
Community/Military Service
Neighborhood Board #5 (2020), Hawaii State House of Representatives (2020-Present)
Campaign Phone
8087726145
As a fourth generation Japanese American born and raised in this district, I am proud to call District 21 my home and am honored to serve as its representative for four years. Driven by a vision to build a Hawaii where local families can stay and thrive, I’ve advocated for legislation to grow affordable housing for locals, increase funding for public education programs and infrastructure, and eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies. If reelected, I look forward to working with my community to address issues in my district and state.
While condominium governance is not a top of mind issue for my district, it is a critical problem that is poised to exasperate Hawaii’s already serious housing crisis. Recent news have highlighted the rising costs for condominium insurance, but these increases are a symptom of an unsustainable condominium governance regime. In coordination with the condominium governance task force, I hope to introduce a series of legislation to address the short and long term challenges of condominiums. These reforms include property management licensure, a state enforcement entity, and reserve requirements.
I feel Hawaii has made significant progress on adjusting its tourism industry to meet local needs. In the few years I’ve been in office, I’ve seen HTA adopt a Destination Management Plan for each county, DLNR adopt entry fees for non-residents, and increased restrictions on short term vacation rentals. As tourism is the backbone of Hawaii’s economy, I would continue to coordinate with industry and community to find a healthy balance that benefits Hawaii.
The past two legislative session, I’ve voted to support budgets that increased appropriations to the state’s Rainy Day Fund. These investments, while often criticized, ensures the State has resources for emergencies and a robust bond rating. This legislative session, I also supported a budget that increased investments into acquiring additional emergency response equipment. These investments would increase response time and capacity for emergencies like wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding.
To make a selection for a candidate you must first find your races. Would you like to find your races now?
You have already selected the maximum number of candidates for this race.
You must uncheck an existing selection before making another selection.