TheGovernor of Hawaii (Hawaiian:Ke Kiaʻaina o Hawaiʻi) is thehead of government of theU.S. state ofHawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in theHawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is adirectly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state.The Incumbent Governor is DemocratJosh Green.
| Governor of Hawaii | |
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| Hawaiian:Ke Kiaʻaina o Hawaiʻi | |
 Gubernatorial logo | |
 Standard of the governor | |
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| Government of Hawaii | |
| Residence | Washington Place |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
| Precursor | Governor ofHawaii Territory |
| Inaugural holder | William F. Quinn |
| Formation | August 21, 1959 (66 years ago) (1959-08-21) |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii |
| Salary | $165,048[1] |
| Website | Official website |
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Constitution |
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Inferior jurisdictions |
The governor is responsible for enforcing laws passed by theHawaii State Legislature and upholding rulings of theHawaii State Judiciary. The role includes beingcommander-in-chief of the armed forces of Hawaii and having the power to use those forces to execute laws, suppress insurrection and violence and repel invasion. Thelieutenant governor of Hawaii becomesacting governor upon the officeholder's absence from the state or if the person is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office. Historically, the Governor of Hawaii has been from either theDemocratic Party of Hawaii orHawaii Republican Party.
The current governor of Hawaii isDemocratJosh Green, who assumed the position on December 5, 2022. Hawaii was the first U.S. state to have anAsian American chief executive;George Ariyoshi served three terms between 1974 and 1986.
The governor of Hawaii is limited to two four-year terms. Inauguration takes place on the first Monday in December following a gubernatorial election. A single term ends at noon four years later. There is no lifetime limit on the number of times a governor may be elected, but a governor who has been elected to two consecutive terms must be out of office for at least one election cycle before being eligible once again for re-election. A Governor is:
The governor and lieutenant governor (running together on the same ticket) are the only two elected statewide executive officers in Hawaii. All other statewide executives (attorney general, auditor, etc.) are appointed by either the governor or the state legislature.
Also, the governor of Hawaii has wide-reaching authority comparably stronger than the other governors in the Union;[2] administrative powers are more centralized than that of most other states with little authority devolved to thecounties, and unlike other states there are no localschool districts. Included within the governor's sphere of jurisdiction is the power to appoint alljudges of the various courts within the Hawaiian judicial system, subject toSenatorial approval.
The state of Hawaii does not have fixed cabinet positions and departments. By law, the governor of Hawaii has the power to create their cabinet and departments as needed as long as the executive department is composed of no more than twenty bodies and cabinet members. The governor of Hawaii is also empowered to remove cabinet officers at will, with the exception of the attorney general of Hawaii, who must be removed by an act of theHawaii State Senate.
The governor of Hawaii's official residence wasWashington Place, a mansion that was once a minor royal palace ofQueen Liliʻuokalani and her husband,Prince Consort John Owen Dominis. The mansion is located across the street from theHawaii State Capitol, where the Office of the Governor is located, and is accessed from the Capitol through underground passages beneath Beretania Street indowntown Honolulu. Befitting of its history as a former royal palace, the governors of Hawaii have entertained royal families from around the world at Washington Place including QueenElizabeth II and EmperorsHirohito andAkihito.
In 2001, the new mansion for the governor was built on the grounds of Washington Place, after the state decided to turn Washington Place into a museum, an idea supported by then-GovernorBenjamin J. Cayetano and family. This new mansion: Hale Kia Aina was completed in 2002 and Cayetano became the first governor to live in it for a few days before leaving office. His successor, GovernorLinda Lingle, became the first governor to begin a term in the new mansion. Despite the building of this new mansion, Washington Place remains the official residence of the governor and is still used for state dinners and other official functions.
| Timeline of Hawaii governors |
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| Territorial Governor of Hawaiʻi(1898–1941) | | |
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| Military Governor of Hawaii(1941–1944) | ||
| Territorial Governor of Hawaiʻi(1944–1959) | ||
| Governor of Hawaiʻi(1959–present) | ||
Statewide political officials ofHawaii | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government |
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| Senate |
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| House |
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| Office of Hawaiian Affairs |
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| Supreme Court |
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State ofHawaii | |
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Honolulu (capital) | |
| Topics | |
| Society | |
| Main islands | |
| Northwestern Islands | |
| Notable communities | |
| Counties | |
| Pre-statehood history | |
