Senate Seats
Sen. Ron Kouchi (D)
District
7 (Kauai and Niihau)
Sen. Kouchi was recently
appointed interim senator as result of a vacated seat created by the
resignation of Sen. Gary Hooser, who ran for lieutenant governor.
Sen. Kouchi supports the right to collective
bargaining and union contracts. He also believes high school students should
have the opportunity to attend the UH.
He served for 22 years (11 terms) as a Kauai County Councilman, including 12
years as Council Chair. Currently, he is a registered representative of LPL
Insurance Brokerage Company and the director of community relations for Showe
Land and Marine LLC. Sen. Kouchi was a member of the Legislative Committee of
the Kaua’i Chamber of Commerce and previously served as a lobbyist for the
County of Kauai at the Hawaii State Legislature.
He is a former director of the Kauai Island
Utility Cooperative and the Kauai Visitors Bureau, served on the boards of the
Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital and YMCA, and chaired the Wilcox Health
Foundations capital campaign. He also worked as a legislative analyst for
former Rep. Dennis Yamada in 1982. Sen. Kouchi attended Drake University in Des
Moines, Iowa.
Sen. Donna Kim
(D)
District 14 (Moanalua & Kalihi Valley)
Sen. Kim has been the chair of the House
Ways and Means Committee, and member of the Joint Legislative Investigating
Committee to Oversee the Investigation of the Department of Budget and
Finance’s Handling of the State’s Investment in Student Loan Auction Rate
Securities.
She
was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982. She later was elected to the Honolulu City Council, where
she served from 1985 to 2000, serving as chair of the Zoning Committee. She has been in the State Senate since
2000.
She believes that the UH has the ability
to raise more funds and that tuition grants for foundations can supplement
state funding.
House
Seats
Rep. Mark
Nakashima (D)
District 1 (Hilo)
Rep. Nakashima, a retired public school teacher, was elected to the House in
2008. This is UHPA’s first
endorsement of him. He believes education should relate to community needs and
would like to see increased partnerships to support public schools. He also is in favor of budgets being
tied to educators meeting goals for more accountability.
He has been vice-chair of the House
Higher Education Committee and served as a member of the Education, Labor and
Public Employment, Public Safety and Transportation Committees.
Rep. Faye Hanohano (D)
District 4 (Puna,
Pahoa, Hawaiian Acres, Kalapana)
She was first elected to the House of
Representatives in 2006 and UHPA has endorsed her before. She is a retired prison guard and
supports the STEM program and relocating Hawaii inmates in Mainland prisons back
to Hawaii. She also supports
the UH-Hilo Observatory and public-private partnerships for the UH.
Her past committee assignments have included
Education, Higher Education, Labor, and Transportation. She retired after 25 years from Kulani Correctional Facility
as an Adult Corrections Officer – Acting Captain/Administrative
Lieutenant. She was served as
State Secretary-Treasurer of United Public Workers and Negotiation Chairperson
for one of the units.
Rep. Denny
Coffman (D)
District 6 (North Kona, Keauhou, Kailua-Kona and Honokohau)
Rep. Coffman was first elected in 2008,
but was not previously endorsed by UHPA. He has served as vice-chair of the
House Energy &
Environmental Protection Committee and member of the Finance; Housing; Water,
Land, & Ocean Resources.
He would like to expand community
colleges to serve Kona and that out-of-state tuition should be increased. Rep. Coffman is believes that one size
does not fit all when it comes to the EUTF.
He is founding director and officer of
Community Enterprises, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that produces
monthly Kona Town Meetings; actively participated in the Kona Community
Development Plan; is a member of the La’aloa Connector Road Advisory Group; and
active member of the Democratic Party and serves as vice chair for West Hawaii.
Rep. Gil Keith-Agaran (D)
District 9 (Kahului, Wailuku, Pu‘unene, Spreckelsville, and Paia on Maui)
Rep. Keith–Agaran is currently a partner with
the law firm of Takatani & Agaran
and was appointed to fill the remaining
two-year term of the late Rep. Bob Nakasone, who passed away on December 7,
2008.
The Yale graduate is concerned there the number of Filipino students at the UH
is under represented. He believes
the bulk of legislative funding should go toward supporting undergraduates at
the UH, with support for transition to jobs.
Rep. Keith–Agaran has worked at both the state
and county government levels. he served as the director of the Department
of Public Works and Environmental Management for the County of Maui from 2003
to 2005. He also chaired the state Board of Land and Natural Resources from
2000 to 2002, and served as its deputy from 1995 to 1998. He served as a
member of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission from 2000 to 2004. Keith–Agaran previously served as director
of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and deputy director
of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
He
has served on the House Committees for Finance, Labor, Public Safety, and
Transportation.
Ms. Daynette “Dee” Morikawa (D)
District 16 (Niihau, Lehua, Koloa and Waimea)
Ms. Morikawa defeated
incumbent Rep. Roland Sagum III (D) and will run against Republican Phil
Sterker in the general election.
She has been an employee of Kaua`i County for 36 years and is concerned
about job losses and cuts to programs. In her spare time, she enjoys serving as
a coach with her husband.
Mark Hashem (D)
District 18 (Aina Haina, Niu Valley)
Mr. Hashem won the
primary election in a four-way race. Rep. Lyla Berg, who ran for lieutenant
governor, formerly represented the district. As a small business owner, Mr.
Hashem believes Hawaii is not business friendly. He would like to build an
economy that will keep growing to create jobs for people here in the
Islands. Mr. Hashem believes
government funding is critical for education, and that the UH plays an
important role in business, education and research. He also serves a high
school wrestling coach.
House Speaker
Calvin Say (D)
District 20
(St. Louis Heights, Palolo Valley, Maunalani Heights, Wilhelmina Rise and Kaimuki)
Speaker Say has served as a legislator
since 1976, when he was first elected to the House of Representatives. He has served as Speaker of the House
since 1999.
He received a bachelor’s degree in education
from the University of Hawaii.
Linda Ichiyama (D)
District 31 (Salt Lake)
Ms. Ichiyama believes education and keeping our neighborhoods safe are
important priorities. She believes funding for the UH should be restored. She recently graduated from William S.
Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. She earned an
undergraduate degree in international politics from Georgetown University and,
while in Washington, D.C., interned with former Congressman Neil Abercrombie
where she gained policy-making experience on a national level. During
college summers, Linda returned to Hawaii to volunteer at the First Circuit
Court and Honolulu’s Corporation Counsel.
She
has been involved with Lanakila Meals on Wheels, the American Civil Liberties
Union, the Japanese-American Citizens League, the Moanalua Lions Club and other
community organizations.
Jason Bradshaw
(D)
District 43
(Ewa Beach)
Jason is running against incumbent Kymberly Pine (R). He believes that a strong economy will
not be possible without a high quality public education system, and this is the
best investment for Hawaii’s future. In addition to support for K-12, he will
also fight to keep college affordable.
He previously
served on the staff of U.S. Senate Commerce Committee for Sen. Daniel K.
Inouye, was a legislative aide in the State House of Representatives, political director for Hawaii State
AFL-CIO, and an Intern with Sen. Daniel K. Akaka’s office and Unite Here! Local
5.
Rep. Pono Chong (D)
District 49 (Enchanted Lake, Kaneohe)
Rep. Chong was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2004. He serves as Majority Whip and committee
assignments include Housing; Energy and Environmental Protection; Water, Land
and Ocean Resources; and Legislative Management. UHPA has previously endorsed him. He is concerned about the
viability of the UH and protecting community colleges. Rep. Chong also would
like to make support of Child Protective Services and cutting tax exemptions
focus areas if elected.
Rep. Denny
Coffman (D)
District 6 (North Kona, Keauhou, Kailua-Kona and Honokohau)
Rep. Coffman was first elected in 2008,
but was not previously endorsed by UHPA. He has served as vice-chair of the
House Energy &
Environmental Protection Committee and member of the Finance; Housing; Water,
Land, & Ocean Resources.
He would like to expand community
colleges to serve Kona and that out-of-state tuition should be increased. Rep. Coffman is believes that one size
does not fit all when it comes to the EUTF.
He is founding director and officer of
Community Enterprises, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that produces
monthly Kona Town Meetings; actively participated in the Kona Community
Development Plan; is a member of the La’aloa Connector Road Advisory Group; and
active member of the Democratic Party and serves as vice chair for West Hawaii.
Jason Bradshaw
(D)
District 43
(Ewa Beach)
Jason is running against incumbent Kymberly Pine (R). He believes that a strong economy will
not be possible without a high quality public education system, and this is the
best investment for Hawaii’s future. In addition to support for K-12, he will
also fight to keep college affordable.
He previously
served on the staff of U.S. Senate Commerce Committee for Sen. Daniel K.
Inouye, was a legislative aide in the State House of Representatives, political director for Hawaii State
AFL-CIO, and an Intern with Sen. Daniel K. Akaka’s office and Unite Here! Local
5.
Rep. Pono Chong (D)
District 49 (Enchanted Lake, Kaneohe)
Rep. Chong was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2004. He serves as Majority Whip and committee
assignments include Housing; Energy and Environmental Protection; Water, Land
and Ocean Resources; and Legislative Management. UHPA has previously endorsed him. He is concerned about the
viability of the UH and protecting community colleges. Rep. Chong also would
like to make support of Child Protective Services and cutting tax exemptions
focus areas if elected.
