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Lauren Matsumoto | |
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| Minority Leader of theHawaii House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office November 8, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Val Okimoto |
| Member of theHawaii House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office November 6, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Constituency | 45th District (2012–2022) 38th District (2022–Present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lauren Kealohilani Cheape (1987-08-16)August 16, 1987 (age 38) Mililani, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (BA) Hawaii Pacific University (MBA) |
| Website | Official website |
Lauren Kealohilani Cheape Matsumoto (born August 16, 1987) is an American politician and beauty pageant titleholder who currently serves as a member of theHawaii State House from Hawaii's 38th District, previously the 45th District from 2012 to 2022. Matsumoto representsSchofield,Mokuleia,Waialua,Kunia,Waipio Acres, and her hometown ofMililani in theHawaii State House of Representatives. She holds the title ofMiss Hawaii 2011, and competed in theMiss America 2012 pageant inLas Vegas,Nevada.[1] She was born and raised in Mililani, Hawaii.
Matsumoto was born Lauren Kealohilani Cheape and raised inMililani on O'ahu, where she attended Mililani Waena Elementary, was a member of the first class to attend Mililani Middle School, and graduated fromMililani High School.[citation needed] She participated in many activities, including the jump rope team, volleyball, swimming, water polo, and the symphonic ensemble.[citation needed]
Cheape graduated fromUniversity of Hawaiʻi Academy for Creative Media with a B.A. in film production and minored in both Business and Japanese. Her first experience with the legislature was with her documentary,Farm Grown, which helped pass the Feed Subsidy Bill. Cheape was a four-year Division I scholar-athlete at the University of Hawaiʻi as aWahine Water Polo player.[2] She was also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and initiated the C.A.R.E. (Collegiate Athletes Reaching Everyone) program, which usesstudent-athletes to encourage youth to excel in academics and participate in athletics. Cheape earned an MBA fromHawaii Pacific University in May 2015.
In July 2013, Cheape married Scott Matsumoto, a firefighter for theHonolulu Fire Department, and changed her name to Lauren Matsumoto. The pair met at their church, One Love, where they are active members. Their first child, Noah, was born in August 2017.[citation needed]
Matsumoto competed at Miss Hawaii 2011 as Miss East Oahu. Her talent was a jump rope routine, which she took up after seeing a jump rope team perform at her school.[3] Her platform is C.A.R.E.: Collegiate Athletes Reaching Everyone.[4] She won the Miss Hawaii title on her fourth try. She represented Hawaii at theNational Sweetheart 2010 pageant, a spot she earned by placing 2nd runner-up to Miss Hawaii 2010.[citation needed] She was named a Quality of Life Finalist and won the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Award for most money raised in the country, which benefitedKapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, at theMiss America 2012 pageant.[5]
Matsumoto ran a successful campaign for election in 2012 to the newly formed District 45 of theHawaii State House onOahu,Hawaii. District 45 comprises Matsumoto's hometown of Mililani as well asSchofield,Wheeler,Mokuleia, andWaialua. She ran unopposed in the primaries as aRepublican candidate.
Matsumoto campaigned on expanding local agriculture, strengthening education, improving the local economy, and advocating for responsible environmental policies.[citation needed]
Matsumoto was hospitalized withoccupational burnout for two weeks during her first term in office.[6]
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Jalee Fuselier | Miss Hawaii 2011 | Succeeded by Skyler Kamaka |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theHawaii House of Representatives from the 45th district 2012–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theHawaii House of Representatives from the 38th district 2022–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Minority Leader of theHawaii House of Representatives 2022–present | |
Statewide political officials ofHawaii | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government |
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| Office of Hawaiian Affairs |
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