Harry Kim (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Kim
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| Mayor of Hawaii County | |
| In office December 5, 2016 – December 7, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Billy Kenoi |
| Succeeded by | Mitch Roth |
| In office December 4, 2000 – December 1, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen Yamashiro |
| Succeeded by | Billy Kenoi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1939 (age 85–86) ‘Ola‘a, Territory of Hawaii, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Bobbie Kim |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Residence | Hilo, Hawaii |
| Alma mater | Southern Oregon State University |
| Profession | Civil Defense Director (retired) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Harry Kim, born in 1939, is an American politician. He served as the mayor of Hawaii County for two separate periods: from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2016 to 2020. Before becoming mayor, he was the director of civil defense for the county.
Early Life
Harry Kim was born in 1939. He was the youngest of eight children. His parents were immigrants from Korea. He grew up in a place called ‘Ola‘a, which is now known as Keaau, Hawaii. At that time, Hawaii was a U.S. territory.
His family lived in a small, one-bedroom house. It did not have electricity or running water. Harry and his siblings often helped with the family business and did many chores. He was surprised to learn that other kids had a "typical weekend" because he was always working.
Harry went to ‘Ola‘a School and then Hilo High School. Later, he studied at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He graduated from Southern Oregon State University. He also served in the United States Army as a medic. After his service, he worked as a teacher and a coach.
Before becoming mayor, Kim worked for 16 years as the County Director of Civil Defense. In this role, he would go on the radio to give important updates to the people of Hawai'i.
Becoming Mayor
In 2000, Harry Kim decided to run for mayor of Hawaii County. He ran as a Republican. He won the primary election against another candidate. In the main election, he won with 50% of the votes. The other candidates received 30% and 20% of the votes.
In 2004, Kim ran for mayor again. He easily won his second term in office.
Even though he first ran as a Republican, Harry Kim considers himself to be "nonpartisan." This means he doesn't strongly belong to one political party. During his first eight years as mayor, he supported many projects. These included recycling programs. He also helped create a new county office building. This building was built where an old shopping mall used to be.
Running Again
In 2012, Harry Kim ran for mayor once more. He ran against Billy Kenoi, who had become mayor after him. Kim lost this election by a small number of votes. He received 49% of the votes, while Kenoi received 51%.
In 2016, Harry Kim decided to run for mayor again. He said his campaign would focus on bringing back trust in the government. He won the election in August 2016. He received more than half of the votes from 13 candidates. This meant he didn't need to have a second election in November.
Harry Kim had a special promise in all his campaigns. He would not accept more than a $10 donation from any person. In 2016, he spent only about $21,931 on his campaign. This meant he spent about $1.06 for each vote he received. His closest opponent spent much more money, about $220,289. This was about $22.11 for each vote they received.
Kim ran for a fourth term as mayor in August 2020 but did not win. His term ended in early December 2020. Mitch Roth became the new mayor of Hawaii County.
A Home Lost to Lava
On June 5, 2018, officials in Hawaii County shared some news. A home that Harry Kim owned was covered by lava. This happened during the 2018 lower Puna eruption of Kīlauea volcano. His home was in an area called Vacationland Hawaii.
