Andria Tupola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andria Tupola
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Member of the Honolulu City Council from the 1st district |
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Assumed office January 2, 2021 |
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Preceded by | Kymberly Pine |
Minority Leader of the Hawaii House of Representatives | |
In office February 1, 2018 – November 6, 2018 |
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Preceded by | Beth Fukumoto |
Succeeded by | Gene Ward |
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 43rd district |
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In office November 4, 2014 – November 6, 2018 |
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Preceded by | Karen Awana |
Succeeded by | Stacelynn Kehaulani Eli |
Personal details | |
Born | Oahu, Hawaii, U.S. |
December 6, 1980
Political party | Republican |
Relatives | Bode Uale (father) |
Education | Brigham Young University (BA) University of Hawaii, Manoa (MA) |
Andria P. L. Tupola, born on December 6, 1980, is an American politician. She is currently a member of the Honolulu City Council, representing District 1 since January 2021. Before this, she served as a Republican in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2014 to 2018. There, she represented District 43, which includes areas like Māʻili and Nānākuli.
In 2017, Andria Tupola became the Minority Leader in the state house. This was a special moment because she was the first Samoan woman to hold that important position. In 2018, she ran for Governor of Hawaii. She received 33% of the votes but did not win the election.
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Early Life and Family
Andria Tupola was born in Kahuku, on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. Her father, Bode Uale, was the first Samoan judge in the United States. He was a third-generation immigrant from Samoa. Her mother, Beth Parker, is the daughter of a famous martial artist, Ed Parker, who was a Grandmaster of Kenpo Karate.
Education and Studies
Andria Tupola graduated from Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu in 1998. She then went to Brigham Young University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in music education in 2005.
After college, she spent a year and a half in Venezuela. She was there on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Later, she continued her studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She earned her Master of Arts in music education in 2011. She also completed her PhD in music education in December 2021.
Political Career and Elections
Andria Tupola has run in several elections, winning many of them.
Hawaii House of Representatives
In 2014, Andria Tupola ran for the Hawaii House of Representatives in District 43. She won the Republican primary election without anyone running against her. In the main election, she faced the person who was already in office, Karen Awana. Andria Tupola won with 56% of the votes. She was the only new person to win against an existing representative in that election.
She ran again in 2016 for the same district. Again, she had no opponents in the Republican primary. In the general election, she won with 65% of the votes.
Running for Governor
In 2018, Andria Tupola decided to run for Governor of Hawaii. She won the Republican primary election on August 11, 2018, with 53% of the votes. In the final election, she received 33% of the votes. She was the youngest candidate and the only Native Hawaiian woman running for governor as a Republican that year.
Honolulu City Council
In 2020, Andria Tupola ran for the District 1 seat on the Honolulu City Council. This election was non-partisan, meaning candidates did not run as members of a political party. She won with 53.6% of the votes in the August 8 election. This meant she did not need a second election and secured her four-year term on the council.