Kai Kahele

In January 2019, Kahele announced he would run for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district in 2020.

In the 2019 Senate, Kahele serves as the Majority Floor Leader and is chair of the Senate Committee on Water and Land. He is also a member of the Ways and Means, Hawaiian Affairs and Higher Education Committees. During the 19th Annual Western Legislative Academy (WLA), lawmakers from other states elected Kahele as the class president of the Council of State Governments (CSG) West. Kahele will represent the WLA and all alumni as an executive committee member of CSG West.

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. He was a key supporter in developing a bachelor of science in commercial aviation program that will commence in the fall of 2019 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Other legislative priorities for Kahele are Banyan Drive redevelopment and funding for rat-lungworm disease research. HB 2014 for $1M in research funding related to rat lungworm disease at UH Hilo was introduced in the Hawaii House but has not advanced.

In January 2019, Kahele announced he would run for Congress in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district . Incumbent congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for President, announced on October 25 her intent to not run for another term in Congress.

Senator Kahele is a Native Hawaiian whose family comes from the small fishing village of Miloli‘i in South Kona. A product of Hawai‘i's public school system, he graduated from Hilo High School, attended Hawai‘i Community College and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, before earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in education from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 1998.

In 2017, Kahele served as Vice Chair of the Education Committee, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, and member of Housing and Ways and Means Committees.

Kahele was appointed on February 16, 2016, to the position of State Senator for Hawaii District 1 following the death of his father, Gil Kahele, who held the seat at the time of his death. Kahele defeated Dennis "Fresh" Onishi in the August 2016 Democratic Primary 57% to 35% and then defeated Libertarian Kimberly Arianoff in the general election in November 2016. Kahele won the 2018 general election by a wide margin.

Kahele is a military and civilian pilot. He is a commissioned officer in the Hawaii Air National Guard, United States Air Force, where he continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel with the 201st Air Mobility Operations Squadron at Hickam Air Force Base. Kahele is a decorated combat veteran with multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan since 2005. He has flown 108 combat sorties, logged 3,075 hours of military flight time, and commanded C-17 combat missions. Kahele is the recipient of numerous awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Medal for combat missions flown in Afghanistan, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Hawaii State Active Duty Medal and the Combat Readiness Medal. He has previously been named both Pacific Air Forces Guard Officer of the Year and Hawaiʻi Air National Guard Officer of the Year.

As a member of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors NCAA Division I Mens Volleyball Team, he was voted "Most Inspirational Teammate" by his team in 1997. He and his wife live with their daughters in Hilo, Kahele's lifetime home on Hawaii Island.

Kaiali‘i Kahele (born March 28, 1974) is an American politician and son of Gil Kahele and his wife, Linda Haggberg. He is a member of the Hawaii Senate from the 1st district, serving since 2016. Kahele has sponsored 203 bills. He is a member of the Democratic Party.