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.[citation needed] 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
Hawaii State Senate, district 7, 2010 general election results
Party
Candidate
Votes
Vote %
Democratic
Ronald Kouchi
14,438
62.7
Republican
David Hamman
6,245
27.1
Total
20,685
100
Hawaii State Senate, District 8, 2012 General election results
