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Hawaii Senate
Upper house of the Hawaii State Legislature
Upper house of the Hawaii State Legislature
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| background_color | ||
| name | Hawaii State Senate | |
| Ka ‘Aha Kenekoa | ||
| legislature | 33rd Hawaii State Legislature | |
| coa_pic | Seal of the State of Hawaii.svg | |
| term_limits | None | |
| new_session | January 20, 2021 | |
| house_type | Upper house | |
| leader1_type | President | |
| leader1 | Ron Kouchi (D) | |
| election1 | May 5, 2015 | |
| leader2_type | Vice President | |
| leader2 | Michelle Kidani (D) | |
| election2 | November 10, 2016 | |
| leader3_type | Majority Leader | |
| leader3 | Dru Kanuha (D) | |
| election3 | May 5, 2021 | |
| leader4_type | Minority Leader | |
| leader4 | Brenton Awa (R) | |
| election4 | November 8, 2024 | |
| term_length | 4 years | |
| authority | Article III, Constitution of Hawaii | |
| salary | $72,348 per year + | |
| $225 per diem for non-Oʻahu members (2023) | ||
| redistricting | Hawaii Reapportionment Commission | |
| members | 25 | |
| structure1 | [[File:Hawaii Senate Diagram 2024.svg | 250px]] |
| * | border | darkgray}} Democratic (22) |
| * | border | darkgray}} Republican (3) |
| last_election1 | November 5, 2024 | |
| next_election1 | November 3, 2026 | |
| meeting_place | State Senate Chamber | |
| Hawaii State Capitol | ||
| Honolulu, Hawaii | ||
| website | ||
| rules | Rules of the Senate | session_room = Hawaii State Medal of Honor ceremony pays tribute to fallen service members, Image 4.jpg |
Ka ‘Aha Kenekoa $225 per diem for non-Oʻahu members (2023) Majority
- Democratic (22) Minority
- Republican (3) Hawaii State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii The Hawaii State Senate (Hawaiian: Ka ‘Aha Kenekoa) is the upper house of the Hawaii State Legislature. It consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands and is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently Ron Kouchi. The forerunner of the Hawaii Senate during the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii was the House of Nobles originated in 1840. In 1894, the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii renamed the upper house the present senate. Senators are elected to four-year terms and are not subject to term limits.
Like most state legislatures in the United States, the Hawaii State Senate is a part-time body and senators often have active careers outside government. The lower house of the legislature is the Hawaii House of Representatives. The membership of the Senate also elects additional officers to include the Senate Vice President, Senate Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk, Senate Sergeant at Arms, and Assistant Sergeant at Arms. The Hawaii Senate convenes in the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu.
According to Article III, section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution, a legislator's term begins on the day of the general election and ends the day of the general election if a new member is elected.
Composition
The Democrats have controlled the chamber since 1963, and have held a supermajority since 1984.
From 2016 (when Sen. Sam Slom, Hawaii's sole Republican state Senator, was defeated in his bid for reelection) to 2018, the Democratic Party held all 25 seats in the Hawaii Senate. This made the Hawaii Senate the only state legislative chamber with no opposition members (this excludes the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature). It was the first time since 1980 (when both the Alabama Senate and Louisiana Senate were all-Democratic) that any state legislative chamber had been completely dominated by a single party.
| Democratic | Rep |
|---|
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Democratic Party (United States)}}" | Republican Party (United States)}}" | Democratic | Republican | Vacant | End of previous legislature (2024) | 25 | Begin (2025) | 25 | Latest voting share | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 22 | 3 | 0 |
Leadership
| Position | Name | Party | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Ron Kouchi | Democratic | 8 | |
| Majority Leader | Dru Kanuha | Democratic | 3 | |
| Minority Leader | Brenton Awa | Republican | 23 |
Officers
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chief Clerk | Carol T. Taniguchi |
| Assistant Chief Clerk | Ainoa A. Naniole |
| Sergeant-at-Arms | Bienvenido C. Villaflor |
| Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms | C.M. Park Kaleiwahea |
List of current members
| District | Name | Party | County(ies) | Areas represented | First elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dem | Hawaii | Hilo, Pauka‘a, Papaikou, Pepe‘ekeo | 2014 | ||
| 2 | Dem | Puna | 2020 | |||
| 3 | Dem | Kona, Kaʻū, Volcano | 2018 | |||
| 4 | Dem | Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikōloa, Kona | 2022 | |||
| 5 | Dem | Maui | Wailuku, Waihee, Kahului, Mauka, Wai'ehu | 2023 | ||
| 6 | Dem | West and South Maui, Maalaea, Waikapu | 2022 | |||
| 7 | Dem | Maui, Kalawao | Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lānai and Kahoolawe, Molokini | 2021 | ||
| 8 | Dem | Kauaʻi | Kauai, Niihau | 2010 | ||
| 9 | Dem | Honolulu | Hawaii Kai, Āina Haina, Waiʻalae-Kāhala, Diamond Head, Kaimuki, Kapahulu | 2016 | ||
| 10 | Les Ihara Jr. | Dem | Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Pālolo, Maunalani Heights, St. Louis Heights, Mōʻiliʻili, Ala Wai mauka, Kapahulu, Moiliili, McCully | 1994 | ||
| 11 | Dem | Mānoa, Makiki, Punchbowl, Papakōlea, Tantalus | 2022 | |||
| 12 | Dem | Kakaako, Ala Moana, Waikīkī, McCully | 2018 | |||
| 13 | Dem | Liliha, Pālama, Iwilei, Nuʻuanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Downtown, Chinatown, Dowsett Heights, Pu'unui | 2016 | |||
| 14 | Dem | Moanalua, Aiea, Fort Shafter, Kalihi Valley, Red Hill, Kapalama | 2000 | |||
| 15 | Dem | Kalihi, Māpunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Āliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor, Aiea, Pearl City | 2010 | |||
| 16 | Dem | Pearl City, Momilani, Pearlridge, ʻAiea, Royal Summit, ʻAiea Heights, Newtown, Waimalu, Hālawa, Pearl Harbor, Waiau, Pacific Palisades | 2022 | |||
| 17 | Dem | Mililani Town, Mililani Mauka, Waipi'o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village | 2010 | |||
| 18 | Dem | Mililani Town, Waipiʻo Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia | 2008 | |||
| 19 | Dem | Pearl City, Waipahu, West Loch Estates, Hono'ui'uli, Ho'opii | 2025 | |||
| 20 | Rep | ʻEwa Beach, Ocean Pointe, ʻEwa by Gentry, Iroquois Point, ʻEwa Village | 2018 | |||
| 21 | Dem | Kalaeloa, Fernandez Village, ʻEwa, Kapolei, Makakilo, | 2006 | |||
| 22 | Rep | Honokai Hale, Ko 'Olina, Nanakuli, Maili, Waianae, Makaha, Makua | 2024 | |||
| 23 | Rep | Kane'ohe, Kahaluu thru Laie, Kahuku to Mokuleia, Schofield Barracks, Kunia Camp | 2022 | |||
| 24 | Dem | Kāneohe, Kailua | 2018 | |||
| 25 | Chris Lee | Dem | Kailua, Waimānalo, Hawaii Kai | 2020 |
Capitol
The Hawaiʻi State Senate has been meeting at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in downtown Honolulu since March 15, 1969. Previous to the decision of Governor John A. Burns to build the new Capitol building, the Hawaiʻi State Senate met in ʻIolani Palace.
Past composition of the Senate
Main article: Political party strength in Hawaii
References
References
- National Conference of State Legislatures. "2023 Legislator Compensation by State".
- "ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM".
- (November 9, 2016). "Chang ousts Slom to create nation's only all-blue Senate". Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
- Cathy Bussewitz, [http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20161023/if-democrat-wins-seat-hawaii-could-be-first-state-in-us-with-one-party-rule If Democrat wins seat, Hawaii could be first state in U.S. with one-party rule] {{Webarchive. link. (April 28, 2019 , Associated Press (October 23, 2016).)
- (November 9, 2023). "Hawaii Governor Appoints Troy Hashimoto To State Senate".
- (28 December 2012). "State Senate chooses Donna Kim as new president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
- Dayton, Kevin. (5 May 2015). "Kauai's Kouchi replaces Kim as Senate president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
- Medina, Andrei. (16 January 2013). "Donna Kim makes history as first Filipina-American Hawaiʻi Senate President". GMA News.
- . (2012). ["Senator Donna Mercado Kim's Biography"](http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/54119/donna-kim). *One Common Ground*.
- (September 24, 2025). "District 19 Senator Henry J.C. Aquino announces his retirement".
- (December 3, 2025). "GOVERNOR GREEN APPOINTS RACHELE LAMOSAO TO REPRESENT SENATE DISTRICT 19".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
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