Josh Green (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Josh Green
9th Governor of Hawaii
Incumbent
Assumed office December 5, 2022
Lieutenant	Sylvia Luke
Preceded by	David Ige
15th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
In office December 3, 2018 – December 5, 2022
Governor	David Ige
Preceded by	Doug Chin
Succeeded by	Sylvia Luke
Member of the Hawaii Senate from the 3rd district
In office November 4, 2008 – November 6, 2018
Preceded by	Paul Whalen
Succeeded by	Dru Kanuha
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 6th district
In office November 2, 2004 – November 4, 2008
Preceded by	Mark Jernigan
Succeeded by	Denny Coffman
Personal details
Born	Joshua Booth Green (1970-02-11) February 11, 1970 (age 55) Kingston, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jaime Ushiroda ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	2
Residences	Washington Place, Honolulu
Education	Swarthmore College (BS) Pennsylvania State University (MD)

Joshua Booth Green (born February 11, 1970) is an American politician and doctor. Since 2022, he has served as the ninth governor of Hawaii. Before becoming governor, he was the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii and also worked as a doctor. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early Life and Schooling

Josh Green was born in Kingston, New York, and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went to Quaker Valley High School and was a top student, graduating as a valedictorian in 1988. In high school, he was active in clubs and played on the soccer and tennis teams.

For college, Green went to Swarthmore College and earned a degree in anthropology in 1992. He then went to medical school at Pennsylvania State University and became a medical doctor (MD) in 1997. He finished his medical training in family medicine in 2000.

Career as a Doctor

After finishing his training, Dr. Green joined the National Health Service Corps. This program sends doctors to areas that need them most. He was sent to the Big Island of Hawaii. There, he worked as a family doctor and in emergency rooms.

Sometimes, he was the only doctor available in the countryside. Even after he became a politician, he continued to work as an emergency room doctor on weekends. For his service, the Hawaiʻi Medical Association named him "Physician of the Year" in 2009 and again in 2022 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Start in Politics

Hawaii House of Representatives

In 2004, Green was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives. This is one part of Hawaii's state government. He represented a rural part of the Big Island for four years.

Hawaii Senate

In 2008, Green was elected to the Hawaii Senate, another part of the state government. He was reelected twice. As a state senator, he was a leader and focused on health issues.

He helped pass a law called Luke's Law, which made sure children with autism could get health insurance to cover their needs. In 2018, he also led the effort to make Hawaii the first state to raise the legal age to buy tobacco and electronic cigarettes to 21.

Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii

Green's official portrait as Hawaii Lieutenant Governor

In 2018, Green became the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. The lieutenant governor is like a vice-governor. He worked with Governor David Ige.

Governor Ige asked Green to help with Hawaii's problem of homelessness. Green used his experience as a doctor to understand how health issues affect people without homes.

In 2019, Green led a medical team to Samoa to help with a measles outbreak. They helped vaccinate people to stop the disease from spreading. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the main link between the government and Hawaii's doctors and hospitals. His work as a doctor during the pandemic made him very popular.

Governor of Hawaii

Green in Tokyo Japan 2024.

Running for Governor in 2022

In 2022, Josh Green decided to run for governor. He won the primary election for the Democratic Party. Then, in the main election on November 8, 2022, he defeated the Republican candidate, Duke Aiona, to become the new governor of Hawaii.

Work as Governor

Green became the ninth Governor of Hawaii on December 5, 2022. In his first speech, he talked about bringing people together. He promised to work on making life in Hawaii more affordable by building more homes and changing tax laws. He spoke about the Hawaiian values of ‘ohana (family) and aloha.

First Laws in 2023

In his first year, Governor Green signed several important laws.

• Healthcare: He signed laws to expand access to healthcare for women and protect doctors.
• Gun Safety: He signed two bills to create new rules for gun safety. These laws limited where guns could be carried and required schools to have plans for emergencies.
• Housing: He declared a state of emergency for housing because it was so expensive. This order was meant to speed up the building of 50,000 new homes.

New Laws in 2024

In 2024, Governor Green signed over 250 new bills. These laws covered many topics to help the people of Hawaii.

• Lowering Healthcare Costs: One major law removed a state tax from services like Medicare and Medicaid. This helps make healthcare more affordable.
• Education: He signed bills to support the Hawaiian language in schools and universities.
• Tourism: A new law requires tourism to be managed in a way that respects Native Hawaiian culture.
• Safety and Farming: Other laws focused on protecting children and the elderly, supporting local farmers, and helping veterans.

Personal Life

Green is Jewish. He married Jaime Ushiroda in 2006. She is an expert in family law. They have two children. Green is also a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.

Electoral history

2018

2022

See also

In Spanish: Josh Green (político) para niños