Jill Tokuda | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Kai Kahele |
Member of the
Hawaii Senate from the 24th district | |
In office November 7, 2006 – November 6, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Bob Hogue |
Succeeded by | Jarrett Keohokalole |
Personal details | |
Born | Kaneohe, Hawaii, U.S. | March 3, 1976
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Kyle Michibata |
Children | 2 |
Education | George Washington University ( BA) |
Website | House website |
Jill Naomi Tokuda (born March 3, 1976) is an American small business owner and politician serving as the U.S representative for Hawaiʻi's 2nd congressional district since 2023. [1] [2] A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 24th district in the Hawaiʻi Senate from 2006 to 2018.
Tokuda was born and raised in Hawaiʻi. She is a fourth-generation Japanese American. [3]
Tokuda earned her BA in international relations with a minor in Japanese studies from George Washington University. [4] [5] [6]
Tokuda was elected to the Hawaiʻi Senate in 2006, running unopposed in the September 23 Democratic primary. [7] She defeated Republican nominee Keoki Leongwon in the November 7 general election with 9,429 votes (55.6%). [8]
Tokuda was reelected in 2010. She was not challenged for renomination and won the November 2 general election with 10,010 votes (56.4%) against Republican nominee Tracy Nakano Bean. [9] [10]
In 2014, Tokuda was unopposed in the August 9 Democratic primary. [11] She won the November 4 general election with 13,817 votes (70.8%) against Republican nominee Kilomana Michael Danner. [12]
In 2018, Tokuda did not run for reelection, instead becoming a candidate for lieutenant governor of Hawaiʻi. [13] She lost the August 11 Democratic primary to Josh Green. [14]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokuda advised the Hawaiʻi Data Collaborative and helped track the progress of federal relief spending. [15]
In 2019, Tokuda was named the executive director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center on Maui, a position she held until her election to Congress in 2022. [16] She also served as co-director of CyberHawaii, an affiliate of CyberUSA, supporting workforce development in IT/cyber security/data science. [6]
On November 8, 2022, Tokuda was elected to represent Hawaiʻi's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, defeating Republican nominee Joe Akana with 62.2% of the vote to Akana's 35.3%. [17] This came after she won her primary in August 14, 2023 after her opponent Rep. Patrick Branco became the recipient of millions in outside spending funded by FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried among others. [18] [19] She was endorsed in the primary by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. [18]
During the 2023 Speaker election, Tokuda voted for Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives on all 15 ballots. [20]
In 2023, Tokuda was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days. [21] [22]
Tokuda is pro-choice. In 2023, she testified in favor of legislation in Hawaiʻi that would protect doctors who perform abortions in the state from legal repercussions for giving care to out-of-state patients. [23]
For the 118th Congress: [24]
Tokuda is Protestant. [27]