Ron Kouchi Explained

Ron Kouchi
Office:14th President of the Hawaii Senate
Vicepresident:Michelle Kidani (since 2016)
Will Espero (2014-2016)
Term Start:May 5, 2015
Predecessor:Donna Mercado Kim
Office1:Vice President of the Hawaii State Senate
Term Start1:December 28, 2012
Term End1:November 5, 2014
Predecessor1:Donna Mercado Kim
Successor1:Will Espero
State Senate2:Hawaii
District2:8th
Term Start2:September 7, 2010
Appointed2:Linda Lingle
Predecessor2:Gary Hooser
Birth Date:[1]
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, United States
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Joy Tanimoto
Children:2

Ronald Dan Kouchi is a Democratic politician from Hawaii, representing the 8th district in the state Senate. He has served as the 14th President of the Hawaiʻi Senate since 2015.

Personal life

Ron Kouchi is married to Joy Naomi Tanimoto. He has two sons, Dan and Egan.[2]

Career

Kouchi received his high school diploma from Waimea High School and attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.[3] He served as a lobbyist for the County of Kaua‘i at the Hawai‘i State Legislature and is a former member of the Legislative Committee of the Kaua'i Chamber of Commerce. He served for 22 years (11 terms) as a Kaua‘i County Councilman, including 12 years as Council Chair.[4] [5] He is a former director of the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (2003-2006) and the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau. He served on the boards of the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital and YMCA, and chaired the Wilcox Health Foundation’s capital campaign. He worked as a legislative analyst for the former Rep. Dennis Yamada in 1982, before getting appointed to the Senate (District 7) for the first time in 2010. Kouchi defeated John Sydney Yamane in the September 18 primary and Republican candidate David Hamman and Nonpartisan candidate Alfred Darling in the Hawaii State Senate elections 2010.[6] He was elected to the Senate (District 8) in 2012. He has served as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, the Vice Chair of the Committee on Tourism, and the Majority Caucus Leader.[7] He has sponsored 244 bills.[8]

Electoral History

Party! scope="col"
CandidateVotesVote %
DemocraticRonald Kouchi 14,438 62.7
RepublicanDavid Hamman6,24527.1
Total20,685100
Party! scope="col"
CandidateVotesVote %
DemocraticRonald Kouchi 17,887 77.7
RepublicanWilliam Georgi5,13822.3
Total23,025100

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: District 08 – Ronald Dan Kouchi (D) . 7 November 2023 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . 31 July 2016.
  2. Web site: Ron Kouchi. 26 August 2013.
  3. Web site: CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY. 26 August 2013.
  4. Web site: Smart business Hawaii. Sam Slom. 26 August 2013.
  5. Web site: Figueira and Kouchi Appointed to Fill Hawaii Senate Vacant Seats. Hawaii Reporter. 26 August 2013. Lenny Klompus. 8 September 2010 .
  6. http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2010/general/files/histatewide.pdf Hawaii State Office of Elections - 2010 general election certified results
  7. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=kouchi Legislative Members
  8. http://openstates.org/hi/legislators/HIL000016/ronald-d-kouchi/ Ronald D. Kouchi - Hawaii State Legislature - Open States