Duke Aiona
Duke Aiona | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 11th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 4, 2002 – December 6, 2010 | |
| Governor | Linda Lingle |
| Preceded by | Mazie Hirono |
| Succeeded by | Brian Schatz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Aiona June 8, 1955 Pearl City, Territory of Hawaii |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Vivian Welsh |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of the Pacific (BA) University of Hawaii, Manoa (JD) |
| Signature |  |
James R. "Duke" Aiona Jr. (born June 8, 1955) is an American politician and jurist who served as the eleventh lieutenant governor of Hawaii under Linda Lingle from 2002 to 2010. A Republican, he also served both as an attorney and a judge for the state prior to becoming lieutenant governor.
Aiona was the Republican nominee for Governor of Hawaii in the 2010 election, but was defeated by Democrat Neil Abercrombie in the general election. He was the Republican nominee once again in the 2014 election, but lost to Democrat David Ige, since which he has done legal work and consulting. In June 2022, Aiona announced that he would run again for a third time in the Republican nomination for the 2022 election, which he lost to Democrat Josh Green, the incumbent Hawaii Lieutenant Governor. Aiona said he ran again due to "lack of a moral compass" and because basic issues have worsened without civility and transparency.[1] As of 2023, he is the most recent Republican to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii.
Background[edit]
James Aiona was born in Pearl City, Hawaiʻi. He is of Hawaiian and Portuguese descent on his father's side and Chinese on his mother's side. His mother worked as an elementary school teacher and his father worked as a life insurance agent. He attended Saint Louis School, a local academy of the Diocese of Honolulu. Upon graduating high school, Aiona played basketball at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California and pursued a bachelor of arts degree in political science, which he received from there in 1977. Aiona returned to Hawaiʻi and graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1981.[2]
He began his legal career at the City and County of Honolulu as a deputy prosecutor, and was appointed to the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary in 1990 as a Family Court judge. In 1996, while serving as Circuit Court judge, Aiona became the first administrative judge and primary architect of the Drug Court Program in Hawaiʻi. The program gives non-violent offenders a chance to stay out of prison through active and effective drug rehabilitation.
In 1977, while attending law school, he met Vivian Welsh at a dance in Waikīkī. They married in 1981. They have two sons, Kulia and Makana; and two daughters, Ohulani and Kaimilani.[2] As lieutenant governor, Aiona was paid $117,312 per annum.[3]
Electoral history[edit]
Aiona and Governor Linda Lingle became Hawaii's first Republican administration to win a second term, and they won with the largest margin of victory in any gubernatorial race in the history of the state.[4] Aiona ran to succeed Lingle as governor in 2010, but lost to Neil Abercrombie; he ran for governor again in 2014, losing to Democrat David Ige.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Linda Lingle/James Aiona | 194,338 | 51.6 | ||
| Democratic | Mazie Hirono/Matt Matsunaga | 177,186 | 47.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Linda Lingle/James Aiona (incumbent) | 215,313 | 62.5 | +10.9 | |
| Democratic | Randy Iwase/Malama Solomon | 121,717 | 35.4 | −11.6 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Neil Abercrombie / Brian Schatz | 222,724 | 57.8 | +22.4 | |
| Republican | James Aiona / Lynn Finnegan | 157,311 | 40.8 | −21.7 | |
| Turnout | 380,035 | 55.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Ige / Shan Tsutsui | 181,106 | 49.45 | −8.35 | |
| Republican | James Aiona / Elwin Ahu | 135,775 | 37.08 | −3.72 | |
| Independent | Mufi Hannemann / Les Chang | 42,934 | 11.72 | N/A | |
| Total votes | 366,210 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Green / Sylvia Luke | 259,901 | 63.2 | +0.54 | |
| Republican | James Aiona / Seaula Tupa'i Jr. | 151,258 | 36.8 | +3.09 | |
| Total votes | 411,159 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Richardson, Mahealani (June 15, 2022). "'We lack a moral compass': Duke Aiona finally explains his decision to join the race for governor". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Duke Aiona - Duke Aiona". Archived from the original on 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
- ^ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States: 2008" Archived October 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://hawaii.gov/ltgo/lg[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Office of Elections" (PDF). hawaii.gov. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
External links[edit]
- James Aiona for Governor official campaign site (Archived)
- Official Facebook
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 1955 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American lawyers
- 21st-century American politicians
- American jurists of Chinese descent
- American people of Native Hawaiian descent
- American people of Portuguese descent
- American prosecutors
- Candidates in the 2010 United States elections
- Candidates in the 2014 United States elections
- Candidates in the 2022 United States elections
- City and town attorneys in the United States
- Hawaii people of Chinese descent
- Hawaii people of Portuguese descent
- Hawaii politicians of Chinese descent
- Hawaii Republicans
- Hawaii state court judges
- Lieutenant Governors of Hawaii
- Native Hawaiian politicians
- Politicians from Honolulu
- Saint Louis School alumni
- People from Pearl City, Hawaii
- Asian conservatism in the United States
- University of the Pacific (United States) alumni
- William S. Richardson School of Law alumni