Summary
Current Position: Governor since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: Lieutenant Governor from 2018 to 2022,; member of the Hawaii Senate from 2008 to 2018; member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008.
Green has been awarded Physician of the Year by the Hawaii Medical Association twice in his career, first in 2009, and again in 2022 for his leadership and service during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has remained a physician in Hawaii’s rural emergency departments while serving in public office and returns to the Big Island to practice medicine.
Dr. Josh Green for Governor Campaign Announcement
OnAir Post: Josh Green – HI
News
About
Source: Government Page
Governor Josh Green is a proud husband, father, physician, and Hawaiʻiʻs ninth governor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Governor Green received his degree in both biology and anthropology from Swarthmore College and his M.D. from Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Pennsylvania State University. After graduating medical school he completed his residency in Family Practice. He was then awarded a National Health Service Corps scholarship and chose a position to practice medicine in the underserved area of Kā’ū on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
From an early age, Governor Green understood the life changing effects that access to quality healthcare and medicine can have on the trajectory of a person’s life. As a doctor, he became part of the community he served. He saw the difficulties and challenges local families faced, especially in rural areas: the high cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, the high rates of mental illness and addiction, and access to healthcare.
After learning about their struggles and hearing directly from the people about the need for change, he ran for office. He served in the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, he served in the Hawaiʻi State Senate, including as Majority Floor Leader, Chair of the Health and Human Services committees, and Vice Chair of the Energy and Environment, and Human Services and Housing committees. Governor Green was recognized for his leadership in healthcare, providing health insurance for every child in the state of Hawaii, and passing “Lukeʻs Law,” which provides insurance coverage for kids with autism. He also helped spearhead the creation of the Cancer Research Center, passed groundbreaking anti-tobacco legislation, which increased the legal age for purchasing tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21, and created a statewide trauma healthcare system.
In 2018, he was elected to be the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi. As Lieutenant Governor, he saw the need for real solutions on homelessness and helped build “kauhale” communities and the H4 clinic to provide housing and healthcare for those most in need. In 2019 when the measles epidemic hit, he led a team of more than 75 doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals on an emergency mission to Western Samoa. His team successfully vaccinated 37,000 people. Just a few months later when the COVID pandemic spread to Hawai‘i, Governor Green was appointed as the COVID liaison between the state and healthcare communities to coordinate pandemic preparedness, response, and mitigation efforts. As a result of his leadership, these critical emergency efforts resulted in Hawaiʻi having the nation’s lowest COVID-19 fatality rate.
Throughout his legislative career, Governor Green practiced emergency room medicine in the rural areas of the Big Island. He has twice been named Physician of the Year by the Hawai‘i Medical Association, most recently in 2022 for his leadership and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Green is married to Jaime Kanani Green and they have two children, Maia and Sam. Like many local families, they enjoy playing games together, going on family walks, and shopping at farmers markets. Governor Green remains an avid fan of his hometown football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Governor Green is inspired by the hopes, challenges and values of Hawai‘i’s families that encourage him to do his part for the people of our islands — and he is honored to serve as Governor.
First Lady Jaime Kanani Green was born and raised on Oʻahu in Kāne‘ohe. After graduating from ʻIolani School, she received her bachelor’s degree from Brown University. She returned home and obtained her law degree from the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law. After practicing Family Law, she decided to focus on child advocacy through policy and nonprofit work.
The First Lady worked as a program coordinator for Project Visitation, which provides special events and monthly visits for siblings separated in the foster care system; as a Human Services Committee Clerk in the Hawaiʻi State Senate; and served as a volunteer guardian ad litem for the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary. Since having children, she has focused on her ‘ohana, supporting the endeavors of her husband, and advocating for local families, disadvantaged youth, and people in need.
“As First Lady, I’m excited to continue my advocacy work for Hawai‘i’s children and families. Whether it is spreading awareness, supporting food banks, or advancing childhood literacy, I am ready to serve. I am also looking forward to assisting in the development of a Native Hawaiian Cultural Center to provide a gathering space for educational opportunities and support traditional Hawaiian culture and arts.”
Personal
Full Name: Joshua ‘Josh’ Booth Green
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Jaime; 2 Children: Maia, Sam
Birth Date: 02/11/1970
Birth Place: Kingston, NY
Home City: Kailua-Kona, HI
Religion: Jewish
Source: Vote Smart
Education
MD, Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, 1992-1997
BA, Anthropology, Swarthmore College, 1988-1992
Political Experience
Governor, State of Hawaii, 2022-present
Former Majority Floor Leader, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Majority Whip, Hawaii State Senate
Former Majority Floor Leader, Hawaii State Senate
Lieutenant Governor, State of Hawaii, 2018-2022
Senator, Hawaii State Senate, District 3, 2008-2018
Representative, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 6, 2004-2008
Professional Experience
COVID Liaison, 2020-present
Family Practice Doctor, National Health Corps, 2000-present
Contact
Email: Government Page
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Election Results
To learn more, go to this wikipedia section in this post.
Finances
Source: Vote Smart
New Legislation
More Information
Wikipedia
Joshua Booth Green (born February 11, 1970) is an American politician and physician who has been the governor of Hawaii since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the state’s ninth governor. He was the 15th lieutenant governor of Hawaii from 2018 to 2022, a member of the Hawaii Senate from 2008 to 2018, and as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008.
Early life and education
Green was born on February 11, 1970, in Kingston, New York to a Jewish family.[1] He was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[2] He attended Quaker Valley High School, where he graduated as one of four valedictorians in 1988; as a Quaker Valley student, he was president of the Key Club and played on the school’s soccer and tennis teams.[3]
Green received a Bachelor of Science in anthropology from Swarthmore College in 1992 and his Doctor of Medicine from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Pennsylvania State University in 1997.[1][4] In 2022, Swarthmore College awarded Green an honorary Doctorate of Science.[5]
Medical career
After completing his residency in 2000, Green joined the National Health Service Corps and was stationed in Hawaii as a physician for the Big Island. He practiced family medicine and worked in emergency rooms. At times, he was the only physician in the island’s rural areas.[2] As of 2012, he remained a physician in the Big Island’s rural emergency departments on weekends while he was a state senator.[6]
Green has been awarded Physician of the Year by the Hawaii Medical Association twice in his career, first in 2009, and again in 2022 for his leadership and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
Early political career
Hawaii House of Representatives
Green was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2004. He represented the 6th district, based in a rural area of the western portion of the Big Island. Green served two terms before being elected to the Hawaii Senate in 2008.
Hawaii Senate
Green was first elected to the Hawaii Senate in 2008. He represented the 3rd district, which encompassed the southwestern portion of the Big Island. He was reelected in 2012 and 2014. As a state senator, Green served as majority leader and chaired the Committee on Health and Human Services.
In 2013, Green was honored as “Hawaii Legislator of the Year”.[8] He championed the initiative to create an insurance mandate for children with autism via legislation known as Luke’s Law. The legislation went into effect on January 1, 2016.
In 2018, Green fought to establish a legal safeguard so that parents with disabilities would no longer have their children taken away from them because of their disabilities. He also led the charge to raise the legal age to obtain tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21, making Hawaii the first state to do so.
Green opted not to run for reelection to the Senate in 2018. He was succeeded by Dru Kanuha, who now serves as majority leader.
Lieutenant governor of Hawaii
.jpg)
In 2018, Green won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor of Hawaii and was the running mate of incumbent Democratic governor David Ige, who was running for a second term. In Hawaii, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run in separate primaries but run on the same ticket in the general election. Ige and Green won the general election on November 6, 2018.[9]
Ige tasked Green with addressing Hawaii’s chronic homelessness crisis and called on him to use his background as a physician to address how mental illness and addiction affect Hawaii’s homeless population.[10]
In 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, Green led a team of over 75 doctors, nurses and other Hawaii health care workers on an emergency medical mission to Samoa. They aided in vaccination efforts against a measles epidemic across the region.[11]
On March 3, 2020, Ige appointed Green as the administration’s liaison between the state and healthcare community as it pertains to COVID-19 preparedness and response.[12]
A poll conducted in April 2021 by Hawaii News Now found that Green had a 63% approval rating, with only 17% of voters disapproving of his work as lieutenant governor, while Ige held an approval rating of 22%.[13] It is speculated that Green’s visibility throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and background as an emergency room doctor contributed to the difference.[14]
Governor of Hawaii
2022 Hawaii gubernatorial campaign
In August 2019, Green announced he was considering a run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 election.[15] He launched his gubernatorial campaign on February 10, 2022.[16]
Green won the Democratic primary on August 13, 2022; his running mate was Democratic state representative Sylvia Luke. On November 8, 2022, Green won the general election, defeating Republican nominee and former Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona in the general election.[17]
Tenure
Green was inaugurated as the ninth governor of Hawaii on December 5, 2022.[18] In his inaugural address, he addressed the rising cost of living and vowed to combat it through affordable housing and tax priorities.[18]
In March 2023, Green signed legislation expanding access to abortion and protecting health care providers from out-of-state prosecution.[19] In June, after similar laws were passed in New York and New Jersey, he signed legislation that expanded rights to carry a concealed weapon, while at the same time prohibiting guns in most public places, including hospitals, movie theaters, beaches, and bars, adding to the state’s already strict gun laws.[20] Green also signed sweeping tax reform legislation expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Food Excise tax credit.[21] In July, Green issued an emergency declaration on Hawaii’s housing crisis that included an executive order streamlining housing construction in Hawaii and suspending various state and local land use regulations.[22]
During the devastating 2023 Hawaii wildfires, Green’s administration suspended Hawaii’s state water code.[23] He also vowed not to let any out-of-state speculators purchase destroyed property in Lahaina due to fears of gentrification.[24]
Personal life
Green is Jewish.[25] He married Jaime Ushiroda in 2006. The couple met when Ushiroda, a family law expert, was clerking for Suzanne Chun Oakland, who was chair of the State’s Human Services committee.[26] They have two children.[27]
Green is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.[3]
Electoral history
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Green | 74,845 | 31.4 | |
| Democratic | Jill Tokuda | 68,124 | 28.6 | |
| Democratic | Bernard P. Carvalho | 45,825 | 19.2 | |
| Democratic | Kim Coco Iwamoto | 34,243 | 14.3 | |
| Democratic | Will Espero | 15,463 | 6.5 | |
| Total votes | 238,500 | 100.0 | ||
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Green | 158,161 | 62.91% | |
| Democratic | Vicky Cayetano | 52,447 | 20.86% | |
| Democratic | Kai Kahele | 37,738 | 15.01% | |
| Democratic | Van Tanabe | 1,236 | 0.49% | |
| Democratic | Richard Kim | 991 | 0.39% | |
| Democratic | David Bourgoin | 590 | 0.23% | |
| Democratic | Clyde Lewman | 249 | 0.10% | |
| Total votes | 251,412 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
| 261,025 | 63.16% | +0.49% | |
| Republican |
| 152,237 | 36.84% | +3.14% | |
| Total votes | 413,262 | 100.0% | |||
| Turnout | 417,215 | 48.44% | –4.24 | ||
| Registered electors | 861,358 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ a b “Joshua Green’s Biography”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ a b “Lieutenant Governor’s Biography”. ltgov.hawaii.gov. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ a b DiVittorio, Michael (March 25, 2022). “Edgeworth native Josh Green reflects on his roots while running for Hawaiian office”. TribLIVE.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ “Senator Josh Green”. Honolulu, Hawaii: Hawaii State Legislature. Archived from the original on September 30, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ “Law Scholar, Documentarian, Lieutenant Governor, and Ballet Dancer Named 2022 Honorary Degree Recipients”. www.swarthmore.edu. April 6, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ Brévart-Demm, Carol (October 2012). “From the ER to State Senate and Back”. Swarthmore College Bulletin. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015.
- ^ “Lt. Governor Josh Green”. Chaminade University of Honolulu. March 29, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ “Law Scholar, Documentarian, Lieutenant Governor, and Ballet Dancer Named 2022 Honorary Degree Recipients”. www.swarthmore.edu. April 6, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ “Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green wins Democratic primary for governor”. CBS News. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ Nakaso, Dan (February 28, 2019). “Lt. Gov. Josh Green targets homelessness”. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
- ^ Consillio, Kristen (December 4, 2019). “Lt. Gov. Josh Green assembles health care workers for emergency medical mission to Samoa”. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ Ige, David. “Office Of The Governor — News Release — Gov. Ige Designates Lt. Gov. Green As Administration’s Covid-19 Healthcare Liaison”. Office of the Governor. State of Hawai`i. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ “Civil Beat/HNN Poll: Hawaii Voters Really, Really Like Lt. Gov. Josh Green”. May 5, 2021.
- ^ “Hawaii is hosting its first open governor’s race in years. Here’s the field so far”. Daily Kos. July 16, 2021.
- ^ Nagaoka, Ashley (February 24, 2021). “Believe it or not, race to replace Gov. Ige is already taking shape”. Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ Dayton, Kevin (February 10, 2022). “Lt. Gov. Josh Green Officially Announces His Campaign For Governor”. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ “Green thanks supporters after decisive primary election win in Democratic race for governor”. Hawaii News Now. August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ a b “In inauguration speech, Green pledges focus on easing cost of living with housing, tax priorities”. Hawaii News Now. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ McAvoy, Audrey (March 23, 2023). New Hawaii law expands reproductive rights, protects providers. USNews. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ McAvoy, Audrey (June 3, 2023). Hawaii allows more concealed carry after US Supreme Court ruling, but bans guns in most places. Associated Press. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ “Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Extends Family Tax Credit, Signs $37.2B Fiscal Biennium Operating Budget”. governor.hawaii.gov. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Yerton, Stewart (July 18, 2023). “Hawaii Gov Takes Dramatic Action To Solve Housing Crisis. But Is He Going Too Far?”. Honolulu Civil Beat.
- ^ Klein, Naomi (August 18, 2023). “Why was there no water to fight the fire in Maui?”. The Guardian.
- ^ Gamel, Kim (August 15, 2023). “Hawaii Governor Seeks Moratorium On Property Sales In Lahaina”. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Klug, Lisa (July 20, 2016). “A small island of Judaism in Hawaiian politics – Tiny but stalwart, the Jewish contingent on America’s youngest state maintains a unique, and strong, sense of identity”. Times of Israel.
I was the only Jewish child in my school growing up and people looked to my family to explain Judaism and the High Holidays to them,” says Green, who grew up Reform and lives in Kailua-Kona in Hawaii, the Big Island.
- ^ Cataluna, Lee (November 9, 2022). “Hawaii’s Next First Lady Brings Career Experience And Life Lessons To The Role”. Civil Beat. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ “Lieutenant Governor’s Biography”. ltgov.hawaii.gov. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ “Primary Election 2018 -State of Hawaii – Statewide” (PDF). Hawaii Office of Elections. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ “August 13, 2022 Primary Election – Statewide Summary” (PDF). State of Hawaii – Office of Elections.
- ^ “GENERAL ELECTION 2022 – Statewide – November 8, 2022” (PDF). Hawaii Office of Elections. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
External links
- Governor of the State of Hawai’i official government website
- Josh Green for Hawaii campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Profile at the Hawaii State Legislature (archived)
Statewide political officials of Hawaii | ||
|---|---|---|
| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government |
| |
| Senate |
| |
| House |
| |
| Supreme Court |
| |
| Territorial Governor of Hawaiʻi (1898–1941) | 
| |
|---|---|---|
| Military Governor of Hawaii (1941–1944) | ||
| Territorial Governor of Hawaiʻi (1944–1959) | ||
| Governor of Hawaiʻi (1959–present) | ||
 | ||
