Ron Kouchi

Ron Kouchi
President of the Hawaii Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 5, 2015
Preceded byDonna Mercado Kim
Vice President of the Hawaii Senate
In office
December 28, 2012 – November 5, 2014
Preceded byDonna Mercado Kim
Succeeded byWill Espero
Member of the Hawaii Senate
from the 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 7, 2010
Appointed byLinda Lingle
Preceded byGary Hooser
Personal details
BornRonald Dan Kouchi
1957 or 1958 (age 68–69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseJoy Tanimoto
Children2
EducationDrake University (BA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Ronald Dan Kouchi (born 1957/1958)[1] 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 Kaua‘i 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

2010 Hawaii State Senate election, District 7

CandidatePartyVotes%
Ronald KouchiDemocratic Party (United States)14,43869.81
David HammanRepublican Party (United States)6,24530.19
Total20,683100.00
Source:

2012 Hawaii State Senate election, District 8

CandidatePartyVotes%
Ronald KouchiDemocratic Party (United States)17,88777.69
William GeorgiRepublican Party (United States)5,13822.31
Total23,025100.00
Source: [9]

References

  1. ↑ "District 08 – Ronald Dan Kouchi (D)". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. July 31, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ron Kouchi". Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  3. ↑ "CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY". Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Smart business Hawaii". Sam Slom. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  5. ↑ Lenny Klompus (September 8, 2010). "Figueira and Kouchi Appointed to Fill Hawaii Senate Vacant Seats". Hawaii Reporter. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ Hawaii State Office of Elections - 2010 general election certified results
  7. ↑ Legislative Members
  8. ↑ Ronald D. Kouchi - Hawaii State Legislature - Open States
  9. ↑ "Hawaii State Senate elections, 2012". Ballotpedia. Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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