Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi General Election on Nov. 3 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Michelle Costello, nonpartisan candidate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs at-large trustee.

Her opponents are Adrian Kealiʻi Akina, Ikaika Anderson, Karl Baker, Shelby Billionaire, Jackie Burke, Kanekoa Crabbe, Brickwood Galuteria, Clifford Kauaula, Brendon Kalei’āina Lee, Philip Martin, Ronald Nihipali, Kalena Parish, Keoni Souza and John Waiheʻe IV.

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 OHA trustee? And why do you want the job?

Let’s stop pretending experience doesn’t matter. OHA manages hundreds of millions of dollars in trust assets. This is not a position to learn on the job. For over 30 years, I have managed complex assets, multimillion-dollar projects, fiduciary responsibilities and portfolios exceeding $500 million. I am running because the status quo has had its chance. Native Hawaiians deserve experienced leadership, accountable stewardship and results that honor both our ancestors and all future generations.

What do you see as the most pressing problem facing Native Hawaiians, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

Families across Hawaiʻi are waiting for promises that should have been fulfilled generations ago. The dream of returning to ancestral lands has become a lifetime of yearning. In my first six months, I will focus on three priorities: creating a path to resolve the Hawaiian Homelands waitlist, fighting to eliminate the artificial cap on ceded land revenues owed to Hawaiians, and restoring accountability at OHA. Beneficiaries have waited long enough. It is time to turn promises into real results.

Here’s a question from a constituent: What are your plans to economically uplift more Hawaiians? Protect the ʻāina?

You cannot protect the ‘aina if Native Hawaiians are being priced out of it. My goal is to create pathways for families to stay and thrive in Hawai’i through housing, education, workforce development and more support for Hawaiian-owned businesses. OHA must put its assets to work by generating revenue, creating opportunities and investing in our people. Economic strength and environmental stewardship are not competing priorities, they are partners in securing the future of the lāhui.

OHA Trustees received a salary increase of 62% last June. Do you support the raise, and what will you do to ensure you are worth the money?

OHA has spent millions buying expertise. Maybe it’s time we started electing it. I support a fair pay raise that’s in line with elected officials. This helps attract qualified candidates. With more than three decades of relevant trustee experience in land use, development, revenue generation and business operations, I bring many of the expertise skills OHA hires consultants to do, saving money, strengthen decision-making and keeping trust dollars focused on beneficiaries not paid consultants.

What should OHA advocate for as negotiations continue over Army training land leases?

One dollar. That’s what Hawaiʻi received for leasing thousands of acres of public trust lands to the military for 65 years. As those leases expire, I would advocate for environmental cleanup, removal of unexploded Army military ammunition, Native Hawaiian co-management, protection of archaeological and burial sites, fair market lease value compensation, and accountability. National security matters, but so does the security of our Hawaiian ancestor’s sacred places for future generations.

OHA dropped two lawsuits last year over Mauna Kea and decided that those resources would be directed to stewardship of that mountain. What types of activities or programs should those funds support?

Mauna Kea is too sacred to be reduced to lawsuits and endless conflict. It is where we feel the presence of our ancestors and our responsibility to generations not yet born. OHA’s programs should focus on cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, education and workforce development, responsible scientific partnerships, and community-based programs. Every dollar should honor those who came before us and leave future generations a Mauna Kea that is fully protected, respected, and sacred.

A new 12-member authority that includes members of the protest movement who opposed the TMT, as well as astronomers is set to take over stewardship of Mauna Kea by 2029. Could the new management structure help resolve long-standing disputes? And how do you see OHA working with entities that have interests in Mauna Kea, including major landowners at lower elevations?

When our grandchildren stand on Mauna Kea, they will not ask who won the arguments. They will ask whether we protected the mountain. The new 12-member authority offers an opportunity to move beyond division and build trust through shared stewardship. OHA should be a bridge-builder, working with cultural practitioners, major landowners, educators, conservation groups and scientists to protect Mauna Kea and ensure its future is guided by respect, collaboration and responsibility.

For decades, OHA believes the state has shortchanged its beneficiaries on payments from the use of public lands. The Legislature has cleared a way for a working group to determine an annual amount of revenue due to OHA. What do you want to see come out of that process? And what should OHA allocate any additional revenues toward?

Too many Native Hawaiians have died waiting for promises that were never fulfilled. That is why ceded lands revenues are not just a financial issue, they are a matter of justice. I want a fair and reliable revenue framework that delivers what beneficiaries are owed. Any additional revenues should prioritize Hawaiian Home Lands infrastructure such as new roads, water and utilities, that move families off the waitlist and onto the land. Generations of families have waited long enough.

OHA has attempted to develop residential towers in Kakaʻako Makai. However, those efforts have been repeatedly rejected by the Legislature, stalling any development for the last 20 years. How should OHA move forward on lands it owns in this area?

For 20 years, OHA has been asking for permission. Our beneficiaries have been waiting for results. After repeated legislative setbacks with millions of dollars spent, OHA must focus on what it can actually legally do today. Kaka’ako Makai is a valuable asset that should be generating cultural, educational, and economic benefits now and not another decade from now. It’s time to stop chasing unrealistic legislative rejection and start delivering realistic options available in zoning.

Last year, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled that OHA trustees are subject to the state ethics code that governs the conduct of state employees and is intended to prevent things like nepotism, fraud and conflicts of interest. How would you, as a trustee, uphold the ethics code and ensure transparency at OHA?

If beneficiaries cannot trust OHA, nothing else matters. Every dollar lost to waste, conflicts of interest or poor decisions is a dollar that never reaches a Native Hawaiian family in need. That is why I strongly support holding OHA trustees to the State Ethics Code. If elected as a trustee, I will embrace transparency, disclose conflicts, uphold and follow the law, and welcome accountability. Trust must be earned, integrity must be demonstrated, and beneficiaries deserve nothing less.

There has often been tension between the Board of Trustees and OHA administrators. In just the latest example, the current chief executive officer has sued the board. What can be done to ease those tensions between administrators and trustees?

Every day OHA spends fighting itself, is another day a Native Hawaiian family waits. The lawsuit is not the real problem, it is a symptom of the broken governance from within. Trustees govern; administrators manage. When those roles blur, conflicts follow. We need clear lines of authority, strong protocols, defined communication channels and formal dispute resolution processes. OHA must stop choosing sides and start focusing on beneficiaries. The future is too important for internal conflict.

Are there ways for the office to work more collaboratively with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to address the housing shortage for Native Hawaiians?

The Hawaiian Homes waiting list is not a housing problem, it’s a failure beyond measure. OHA and DHHL must become true partners in getting beneficiary families homes. OHA can help by securing the additional ceded lands revenues, leveraging investments and advocating for infrastructure funding, while DHHL focuses on project delivery. By working together, they can accelerate roads, water systems and utilities that unlock homestead lots, and finally clear a waiting list that spans generations.