Current State Senator Kai Kahele (D), now representing Hilo in the Hawaii State Senate, will be going to Washington, D. C. as the U.S. Representative for Congressional District 2. Kahele will represent the neighbor islands and rural O’ahu. Kahele is the first U.S. Representative from Hawaii Island (or any neighbor island). He will replace current Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who did not run to retain her seat after focusing on a run for U.S. President. Kahele declared his intention to seek the seat early in 2019.
Kahele handily won the statewide race with more than 165,000 votes, beating out 5 other candidates.
Kahele was appointed to the Hawaiʻi State Senate by Governor David Ige in February, 2016 following the untimely and unexpected death of his father, the late Sen. Gil Kahele. He was subsequently elected and re-elected in 2016 and 2018.
Kahele currently serves as the Majority Floor Leader of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water and Land. Kahele also works as a commercial airline pilot with Hawaiian Airlines
Kahele is also an 18 year veteran, pilot and commissioned officer in the Hawai‘i Air National Guard, United States Air Force where he continues to serve as a Lt Col with the 201st Air Operations Group.
Kai is a graduate of Hilo High School and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Kai and his wife Maria live and are raising their young daughters in Hilo.
Kahele will be the guest on this Sunday’s Island Conversations with host Sherry Bracken, which will air at 6:30 a.m. on KWXX (101.5 Kona, 94.7 Hilo) and at 7 a.m. on B97/B93 (97.1 Hilo, 93.1 Kona), and will also be available as a podcast wherever you get podcasts or at kwxx.com or b97hawaii.com
For all the Statewide election results, click here.