Ben Cayetano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Cayetano
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Cayetano in 2019
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| 5th Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 2, 1994 – December 2, 2002 |
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| Lieutenant | Mazie Hirono |
| Preceded by | John Waiheʻe |
| Succeeded by | Linda Lingle |
| 9th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 2, 1986 – December 2, 1994 |
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| Governor | John Waiheʻe |
| Preceded by | John Waiheʻe |
| Succeeded by | Mazie Hirono |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Benjamin Jerome Cayetano
November 14, 1939 Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Lorraine Gueco
(m. 1959; div. 1996)Vicky Tiu Liu
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Los Angeles Harbor College University of California, Los Angeles (BA) Loyola Marymount University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Benjamin Jerome Cayetano (born November 14, 1939) is an American politician and author. He served as the fifth Governor of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He was the first Filipino American to become a state governor in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Hawaii
Ben Cayetano was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was raised by his father in Kalihi, a neighborhood in Honolulu. Kalihi was a place where many Filipinos lived. Ben grew up as a latchkey child, meaning he often took care of himself after school because his parents were working.
He went to Wallace Rider Farrington High School in Kalihi. This public school was known as "Home of the Governors" because many important Hawaiian leaders had studied there. Ben's grades were not very good in high school, and he often got into trouble. He just barely managed to graduate.
Pursuing Higher Education
After high school, Ben married his girlfriend, Lorraine Gueco. They had a son named Brandon in 1959. Ben worked many different jobs to support his family. He was a metal-packer, a truck driver, an apprentice electrician, and a draftsman.
He felt that hiring practices were unfair, so in 1963, he and his family moved to Los Angeles, California. He wanted to go to law school. Ben attended Los Angeles Harbor College. In 1966, he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He graduated from UCLA in 1968 with a degree in political science. In 1971, he earned his law degree from Loyola Law School.
Starting in Politics
In 1972, Ben Cayetano was appointed to the Hawaii Housing Authority. This was his first step into public service. In 1974, he was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives. He represented the area of Pearl City as a Democrat.
Serving as Lieutenant Governor
In 1986, Ben Cayetano joined John D. Waihe'e III's campaign for governor. When they won, Ben became the first Filipino American lieutenant governor in the United States. A lieutenant governor is like a vice-governor, ready to take over if the governor cannot serve.
The Waihee–Cayetano team was re-elected for a second term in 1990. As lieutenant governor, Ben Cayetano started the A+ Program. This program provided state-funded, after-school care for children. It was available at every public elementary school in Hawaii.
Governor of Hawaii
After two terms, Governor Waihe'e could not run again due to term limits. The Democratic Party chose Ben Cayetano to run for Governor of Hawaii in 1994. His running mate was attorney Mazie Hirono. Cayetano won the election and became governor.
In 1998, he ran for re-election against Linda Lingle, who was the Mayor of Maui. She was from the Hawaii Republican Party. Polls showed Cayetano was behind Lingle for many months. However, in the closest election in Hawaii's history, Cayetano won a second term. He won by just one percentage point after an official recount of the votes.
Challenges and Achievements
During his time as governor, Ben Cayetano faced tough economic times. There were budget problems because the state was collecting less tax money. He often disagreed with other Democrats in the state legislature. He tried to cut the state budget to balance it.
In education, his administration built thirteen new schools. He also convinced the teachers' union to add seven days to the school year. Under his leadership, the University of Hawaii system gained more control over its own affairs. However, in April 2001, there were strikes by both university professors and public school teachers. These strikes stopped the state's entire education system for three weeks.
Ben Cayetano left office in December 2002. His successor was Linda Lingle, the Republican who had challenged him in the previous election.
Later Political Involvement
Running for Honolulu Mayor
On January 19, 2012, Ben Cayetano came out of retirement to run for Mayor of Honolulu. He wanted to bring more openness to local government. His main goal was to stop the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. This project planned to build a 20-mile elevated rail system in the city.
In the primary election on August 11, 2012, he received more votes than his opponents, Kirk Caldwell and Peter Carlisle. However, he did not get enough votes to win outright. He then faced Kirk Caldwell in the general election on November 6. Cayetano lost the mayoral election to Caldwell. Many people saw this vote as a decision on whether to continue with the rail project.
Continued Opposition to Rail
Ben Cayetano continued to oppose the rail project. In 2017, he asked the Federal Transit Authority to stop funding it. He even appeared in an advertisement paid for by the Abigail Kapiolani Kawānanakoa Foundation. In the ad, he asked President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to hold back $800 million for the project.
Personal Life
Ben Cayetano and his first wife, Lorraine Cayetano, divorced in 1996. They had been married for 37 years. He was the first sitting governor of Hawaii to divorce while in office.
He married his second wife, Vicky Cayetano, on May 5, 1997. At the time, Vicky was the president of United Laundry Services. She also had a small role in the musical film It Happened at the World's Fair with Elvis Presley.
Ben Cayetano has five children. He has three children from his first marriage: Brandon, Janeen, and Samantha. Vicky Cayetano also has two children, Marissa and William, from a previous marriage.
In 1999, he appeared as himself in an episode of Baywatch Hawaii.
See also
