Josh Green (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josh Green
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| 9th Governor of Hawaii | |
| Assumed office December 5, 2022 |
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| Lieutenant | Sylvia Luke |
| Preceded by | David Ige |
| 15th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 3, 2018 – December 5, 2022 |
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| Governor | David Ige |
| Preceded by | Doug Chin |
| Succeeded by | Sylvia Luke |
| Member of the Hawaii Senate from the 3rd district |
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| In office November 4, 2008 – November 6, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Whalen |
| Succeeded by | Dru Kanuha |
| Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 6th district |
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| In office November 2, 2004 – November 4, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Jernigan |
| Succeeded by | Denny Coffman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joshua Booth Green
February 11, 1970 Kingston, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Jaime Ushiroda
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Washington Place |
| Education | Swarthmore College (BS) Pennsylvania State University (MD) |
Josh Green (born February 11, 1970) is an American politician and a doctor. He has been the governor of Hawaii since 2022. As a member of the Democratic Party, he is the ninth person to serve as Hawaii's governor. Before becoming governor, he was the 15th lieutenant governor of Hawaii from 2018 to 2022. He also served in the Hawaii Senate and the Hawaii House of Representatives.
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Early Life and Education
Josh Green was born on February 11, 1970, in Kingston, New York. He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went to Quaker Valley High School and graduated in 1988 as one of the top students. In high school, he was president of the Key Club and played soccer and tennis.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in anthropology from Swarthmore College in 1992. Later, he received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1997. After medical school, he completed special training in family medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2022, Swarthmore College gave him an honorary Doctorate of Science.
Medical Career in Hawaii
After finishing his medical training in 2000, Dr. Green moved to Hawaii. He joined the National Health Service Corps and worked as a doctor on the Big Island. He practiced family medicine and also worked in emergency rooms. Sometimes, he was the only doctor available in the island's rural areas. Even when he became a state senator, he continued to work as an emergency room doctor on weekends.
Dr. Green has been recognized for his medical work. The Hawaii Medical Association named him "Physician of the Year" twice. He received the award in 2009 and again in 2022. The second award was for his important leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early Political Career
Serving in the Hawaii House of Representatives
Josh Green began his political career in 2004. He was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives. He represented the 6th district, which covered a rural part of the Big Island. He served two terms in the House before moving on to the Hawaii Senate in 2008.
Working in the Hawaii Senate
In 2008, Green was elected to the Hawaii Senate. He represented the 3rd district, covering the southwestern part of the Big Island. He was reelected in 2012 and 2014. As a state senator, he became the majority leader. He also led the Committee on Health and Human Services.
In 2013, he was named "Hawaii Legislator of the Year." He helped create a law called Luke's Law. This law made sure that children with autism could get insurance coverage for their treatments. The law started on January 1, 2016.
In 2018, Green worked to protect parents with disabilities. He helped make sure they would not lose their children just because of their disabilities. He also led the effort to raise the legal age for buying tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21. Hawaii was the first state to do this.
Green decided not to run for the Senate again in 2018.
Becoming Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
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In 2018, Josh Green ran for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. He won the Democratic primary election. He became the running mate for Governor David Ige, who was seeking a second term. Ige and Green won the election on November 6, 2018.
As Lieutenant Governor, Green was asked to help with Hawaii's problem of homelessness. Governor Ige wanted him to use his medical background to address how mental health issues affect people experiencing homelessness.
In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Green led a team of over 75 healthcare workers to Samoa. They helped with vaccination efforts against a measles outbreak in the region.
On March 3, 2020, Governor Ige chose Green to be the main contact between the state and the healthcare community for COVID-19 planning and response. Because he was so visible during the pandemic as an emergency room doctor, many people approved of his work. A poll in April 2021 showed he had a 63% approval rating.
Governor of Hawaii
Running for Governor in 2022
In August 2019, Josh Green announced he was thinking about running for governor of Hawaii. He officially started his campaign on February 10, 2022.
He won the Democratic primary election on August 13, 2022. His running mate was Sylvia Luke, a state representative. On November 8, 2022, Green won the general election. He defeated Republican candidate Duke Aiona, who was also a former Hawaii Lieutenant Governor.
Serving as Governor
Josh Green became the ninth governor of Hawaii on December 5, 2022. In his first speech as governor, he talked about the rising cost of living in Hawaii. He promised to work on making housing more affordable and to change tax rules to help families.
As governor, he has signed new laws. In June, he signed legislation that changed gun laws. It expanded rights to carry a concealed weapon but also banned guns in most public places. These places include hospitals, movie theaters, beaches, and bars. He also signed tax reform laws to help families with lower incomes. In July, Green declared an emergency for Hawaii's housing crisis. This allowed him to speed up housing construction and temporarily change some land use rules.
During the terrible 2023 Hawaii wildfires, Governor Green's team worked to help the affected areas. He promised that outside investors would not be allowed to buy damaged property in Lahaina. This was to prevent people from losing their homes and to protect the community.
Personal Life
Josh Green is Jewish. He married Jaime Ushiroda in 2006. They met when Jaime was working for a state committee. They have two children together.
Green is also a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.
Images for kids
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A friendly robot.
