David Ige facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Ige
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| 8th Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 1, 2014 – December 5, 2022 |
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| Lieutenant | Shan Tsutsui Doug Chin Josh Green |
| Preceded by | Neil Abercrombie |
| Succeeded by | Josh Green |
| Member of the Hawaii Senate from the 16th district |
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| In office November 1994 – November 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Eloise Tungpalan |
| Succeeded by | Breene Harimoto |
| Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 34th district 43rd (1985–1992) |
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| In office December 2, 1985 – November 1994 |
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| Appointed by | George Ariyoshi |
| Preceded by | Arnold Morgado |
| Succeeded by | Mark Takai |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Yutaka Ige
January 15, 1957 Pearl City, Territory of Hawaii |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Dawn Amano
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Hawaii, Manoa (BS, MBA) |
| Signature |  |
David Yutaka Ige, born on January 15, 1957, is an American politician and engineer. He was the eighth governor of Hawaii, serving from 2014 to 2022.
As a member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Hawaii State Senate from 1994 to 2014. Before that, he was in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1985 to 1994. In the 2014 election, he won against the governor at the time, Neil Abercrombie. He was reelected in 2018.
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Early Life and Education
David Ige grew up in Pearl City, Hawaii. He was the fifth of six sons born to Tokio and Tsurue Ige. His family has roots in Okinawa, Japan.
His father, Tokio, was a brave soldier during World War II. He served in the 100th Battalion/442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He received special awards like the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After the war, Tokio worked in construction, and his mother, Tsurue, was a nurse.
School Days in Pearl City
David Ige went to public schools in Pearl City. He attended Pearl City Elementary, Highlands Intermediate, and Pearl City High School. He loved playing sports, especially Little League baseball for eight years.
At Pearl City High, David was a top student and leader. He was elected student body vice president in his junior year. The next year, he became senior class president. He worked to promote diversity and stop bullying at school. He also led his tennis team to a championship. David was named "Scholar-Athlete of the Year." He graduated in 1975, ranking fifth in his class of over 500 students.
College and Family
David Ige was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, he chose to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa. There, he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He was very involved in college, serving as student body secretary. He was also an officer in several honor societies.
It was at the University of Hawaii that he met his wife, Dawn. They got married in 1982 and have three children: Lauren, Amy, and Matthew.
Career as an Engineer
After college, David Ige continued his studies while working for GTE Hawaiian Tel. He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Hawaii. In 1986, Hawaii Business Magazine recognized him as one of the university's top MBA students.
Before becoming governor, Ige worked in several engineering roles. He was a project manager and a Vice President of engineering. He also worked as a senior principal engineer at Pihana Pacific. This company helped set up the first major data center in Hawaii. He spent over 18 years as an engineer for GTE Hawaiian Tel.
Serving in the Hawaii Legislature
David Ige began his political career in the Hawaii House of Representatives. He was appointed to this role in 1985 by Governor George Ariyoshi. Later, he served in the Hawaii State Senate from 1995 to 2015.
During his time in the legislature, Ige led nine different committees. He focused on technology and communication policies. He helped create laws to improve Hawaii's information network. He also worked to help Hawaii's economy grow. This included setting up programs for new businesses and technology development.
Governor of Hawaii
Becoming Governor in 2014
David Ige decided to run for governor in 2014. He challenged the current governor, Neil Abercrombie, in the Democratic primary election. Even though he spent less money on his campaign, Ige won by a large margin. This was a big moment, as he was the first person to defeat a sitting governor of Hawaii in a primary election.
In the main election, Ige faced Republican candidate Duke Aiona. Ige won the election by 12 percentage points.
Inauguration Day
David Ige became the eighth governor of Hawaii on December 1, 2014. His swearing-in ceremony took place at the Hawaii State Capitol. He was sworn in alongside Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui. Ige is the first governor of a U.S. state who is of Okinawan descent.
His inauguration ceremony honored his father's service in World War II. It also paid tribute to the late U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye.
Key Actions as Governor
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In October 2015, Governor Ige declared a state of emergency. This was due to the growing problem of homelessness in Hawaii. At that time, Hawaii had the highest rate of homeless people per person in the United States.
In 2017, after the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, Ige took action. He signed two bills to keep Hawaii committed to its climate goals. These bills aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In January 2018, a false missile alert was sent to everyone in Hawaii. This caused a lot of panic. Governor Ige apologized for the mistake. He promised to review the state's emergency plans to prevent it from happening again.
In 2019, President Trump appointed Governor Ige to the Council of Governors. This is a group of governors from both major parties. In June 2022, Ige signed a bill into law that expanded healthcare for transgender residents in Hawaii. He also supported the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea.
See also
Images for kids
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David Ige's signature.
