1. In January 2019, Kai Kahele announced he would challenge Tulsi Gabbard in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district in 2020, but Gabbard dropped out of the race to focus on her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
23 Facts About Kai Kahele
1. 2.
Kai Kahele won the general election and became the second Native Hawaiian to serve as a member of Congress representing Hawaii since statehood, after Daniel Akaka.
3.
Kai Kahele was defeated in the Democratic primary by Lieutenant Governor Josh Green.
4.
Kai Kahele is the son of Linda Haggberg and Gil Kahele.
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Kai Kahele is a commissioned officer in the Hawaii Air National Guard, where he continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel with the 201st Air Mobility Operations Squadron at Hickam Air Force Base.
6.
Kai Kahele is a decorated combat veteran with multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan since 2005.
7.
Kai Kahele flew 108 combat sorties, logged 3,075 hours of military flight time, and commanded C-17 combat missions.
8.
Kai Kahele has received numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Commendation Medal, the Air Medal for combat missions flown in Afghanistan, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Hawaii State Active Duty Medal and the Combat Readiness Medal.
9.
Kai Kahele was appointed to the 1st district of the Hawaii Senate on February 16,2016, after the death of his father, Gil Kai Kahele.
10.
Kai Kahele won the 2018 general election by a wide margin.
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In 2019, Kai Kahele was selected to serve as the Majority Floor Leader in the Senate and as chairman of the Senate Committee on Water and Land.
12.
Kai Kahele was a member of the Ways and Means, Hawaiian Affairs and Higher Education committees.
13.
Kai Kahele represented the WLA and all alumni as an executive committee member of CSG West.
14.
Kai Kahele introduced SB 1161 in 2017 to freeze tuition until 2027.
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Kai Kahele introduced SB 2329 in 2018 calling for reduction in tuition at UH campuses.
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Kai Kahele backed passage and enactment of a measure establishing the Hilo Community Economic Division to pave the way for County and State investment in Hilo and East Hawaii's economic future.
17.
In 2017, Kai Kahele served as Vice Chair of the Education Committee, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, and member of Housing and Ways and Means Committees.
18.
On December 16,2020, Kai Kahele resigned from the Hawaii Senate in preparation to assume office in the United States House of Representatives.
19.
In January 2019, Kai Kahele started his campaign for the House of Representatives from.
20.
Kai Kahele won the primary election on August 8,2020, and went on to win the general election by over 30 points.
21.
Kai Kahele voted in favor of impeaching Trump for a second time following the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.
22.
Kai Kahele said, "our sacred oaths are hollow without accountability".
23.
From February to April 2022, Kai Kahele cast all 120 votes by proxy while working part-time as a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines.