Charles Djou | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2022 | |||||||||||
| Secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission | |||||||||||
| In office May 2022 – January 20, 2025 | |||||||||||
| President | Joe Biden | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | William Matz | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Robert J. Dalessandro (acting) | ||||||||||
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromHawaii's1st district | |||||||||||
| In office May 22, 2010 – January 3, 2011 | |||||||||||
| Preceded by | Neil Abercrombie | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Colleen Hanabusa | ||||||||||
| Member of theHonolulu City Council from the 4th district | |||||||||||
| In office December 2002 – May 22, 2010 | |||||||||||
| Preceded by | Duke Bainum | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lee Donohue | ||||||||||
| Member of theHawaii House of Representatives from the 47th district | |||||||||||
| In office January 1999 – December 2002 | |||||||||||
| Preceded by | Iris Catalani | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Colleen Meyer | ||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||
| Born | Charles Kong Djou (1970-08-09)August 9, 1970 (age 55) Los Angeles,California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Political party | Republican (before 2018) Independent (2018–present) | ||||||||||
| Spouse | Stacey Kawasaki | ||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS,BA) University of Southern California (JD) United States Army War College (MA) | ||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||
| Allegiance |  United States | ||||||||||
| Branch/service |  United States Army | ||||||||||
| Rank | Colonel | ||||||||||
| Unit | United States Army Reserve | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 周永康 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Charles Kong Djou (born August 9, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who served as secretary and chief executive of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission. A former member of theRepublican Party, Djou briefly served asU.S. representative fromHawaii's 1st congressional district from May 2010 to January 2011.[1] As of 2025[update], he is the last Republican to represent Hawaii in Congress.
Djou was elected to Congress in aMay 2010 special election with 39.68% of the vote against two Democratic opponents. He was defeated in the November 2010general election byColleen Hanabusa.[2] His election made him the firstThai American, as well as the first Republican ofChinese American descent, to serve in the House of Representatives. Prior to his election to Congress, he was a member of theHawaii House of Representatives and theHonolulu City Council.
Following his defeat in 2010, he unsuccessfully ran to represent the district again in the2012 and2014 elections. In2016, he was a candidate forMayor of Honolulu, ultimately losing toKirk Caldwell by a 52% to 48% margin. In 2018, Djou left the Republican Party due to his opposition to then-PresidentDonald Trump.[3] Djou supported Democratic nomineeJoe Biden'scandidacy in the2020 presidential election. Following Biden's victory, Djou was appointed Secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission.[4]
Djou was born on August 9, 1970 inLos Angeles, California to a Chinese father fromShanghai and aThai Chinese mother fromBangkok. His paternal grandfather fled Shanghai following theCommunist revolution, settling inBritish Hong Kong.[5]
Djou grew up inHawaii after his father's employer transferred him there when Djou was three.[6][7] He graduated from high school atPunahou School, and earned aBachelor of Arts inpolitical science and aBachelor of Science ineconomics from theWharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduatingmagna cum laude. He earned hisJ.D. degree at theUSC Gould School of Law at theUniversity of Southern California. Djou earned hisM.A. graduate degree in strategic studies at theUS Army War College where he was a resident student and Carlisle Scholar.[citation needed]
Djou is acolonel in theUnited States Army Reserve.[8] He has taught as an adjunct professor of law at theUniversity of Hawaii and as an adjunct professor of political science atHawaii Pacific University.[citation needed]
Djou was Vice Chairman of theHawaii Republican Party from 1998 to 1999 and was later named legislator of the year by Small Business Hawaii in 2002, 2004, and 2006. In 2006 he was selected as one of the 40 most promising leaders in Hawaii under age 40 byPacific Business News, and in 2005 was named byHonolulu Weekly as the "Best Politician" in the state.
In 1998, Djou ran as a Republican for theHawaii State House of Representatives District 47 seat. He was unopposed in the primary election,[9] but lost to Iris Ikeda Catalani in the general election by 190 votes.[10]
In 2000, he again ran for the Hawaii State House of Representatives District 47 seat. Unopposed in the primary, he faced Catalani in the general election. Catalani faced controversy in the campaign, with allegations that she broke a promise tothe Outdoor Circle, a communitybeautification organization,[11] by posting yard signs.[12] Djou won the race with 52.5 percent of the vote to Catalani's 44.2 percent.[13]
As a member of the State House of Representatives, Djou had one term in theHawaii House of Representatives from 2000 to 2002 and was the Minority Floor Leader. Djou launched a successful campaign to open the State Budget worksheets to the public after being told he could look at the budget worksheets in the committee room but was not allowed to take any notes or make copies of them. The documents detail the budget for various state departments and agencies. He opposed the state "van cam" program launched in 2002 to catch speeders using automated cameras instead of police officers, and successfully campaigned for its elimination.[14]
In 2002, Djou announced he would run for the Honolulu City Council. He also announced he would move toEast Honolulu (City Council District IV) from Kaneohe (City Council District III) to avoid running against fellow Republican Stan Koki.[15] Honolulu City and County elections are officially nonpartisan, and any candidate who wins a majority of the votes in the primary election can win outright. No candidate received a majority of the votes in the primary election,[16] so Djou and Robert Fishman, a former city managing director and chief of staff to the governor, faced each other in a runoff in the general election. Djou won with 51.3 percent of the vote to Fishman's 39.2 percent.[17]
Djou ran for reelection to the Honolulu City Council. He was unopposed and won the seat by default.[18]
In 2002, Djou was elected to theHonolulu City Council, representing District IV (Waikiki toHawaii Kai). He was reelected in 2006 and was on the council until his election to Congress. On the City Council he was the Chairman of the Zoning Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning Committee and as a member of the Transportation and Public Safety & Services committees.
In March 2008, Djou announced well ahead of time that he would run forU.S. Congress in the 2010 cycle, seekingHawaii's 1st congressional district seat.[19] The seat became vacant on February 28, 2010, when incumbentNeil Abercrombie resigned to run forGovernor of Hawaii.[20] Abercrombie's resignation precipitated a special election on May 22, 2010, which Djou entered. Djou was endorsed by former Massachusetts Governor and Presidential candidateMitt Romney.[21] Djou subsequently endorsed Romney for president in the summer of 2011.[22] Former Hawaii CongresswomanPatricia Saiki, a Republican for whom Djou had once volunteered as a teenager, was Djou's honorary campaign chair.[23][24]
In the special election, Djou received 39.4 percent of the vote. He defeated five Democrats, four Republicans, and four independent candidates.[25][26] Among the candidates Djou defeated were former CongressmanEd Case and State SenatorColleen Hanabusa, two Democrats who together polled over 58% of the vote.[27] Djou was sworn in three days later and was in office for the remainder of Abercrombie's 2010 term, serving from May 2010 to January 2011. He was the first Republican to represent the district in 20 years.[28] He followed Abercrombie andPatsy Mink as the third person to have been in the Honolulu City Council, Hawaii State Legislature and U.S. Congress, and was the first to be elected to all three chambers before age 40.
Djou had opposedHawaii House Bill 444 in 2009, a bill to legalizecivil unions for same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and supported the federalDefense of Marriage Act. He stated that lawmakers "ignored the will of the people" who enactedHawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 in 1998.[29]
Djou was one of a handful of Congressional Republicans who voted in favor of an amendment to the 2011 Department of Defense Authorization Bill that would repeal the "Don't ask, don't tell" law and allow gay people to serve in the U.S. military.[30]
Djou supported comprehensive immigration reform and was one of eight Republicans who voted for theDREAM Act to allow immigrants brought to the U.S. as children earn citizenship through service in the military or obtaining a college education and a job.[31]
On May 28, 2010, Djou spoke on the floor of the House in support of approving theSouth Korean Free Trade Agreement, which was signed by former presidentGeorge W. Bush on June 30, 2007.[32] Congress approved the agreement on October 11, 2011.[33]
Djou ran for a full term in November 2010.[27] There was some controversy over the use ofrobocalling by the Congressman's official U.S. House office, both before the election and afterward,[34][35][36][37] but as with all official mass communication between members of the House and their constituents, the phone survey conducted on behalf of Djou's office was approved by the bipartisan Franking Commission as an appropriate use of official resources for the purpose of communicating with constituents.[37]
Djou was defeated by the Democratic nominee, State Senate PresidentColleen Hanabusa, 53% to 47%.[2] Djou was one of only two Republican incumbents to lose a general election in 2010, along withJoseph Cao in Louisiana.[38]
Djou announced on August 17, 2011, that he would challenge Hanabusa in the 1st district in 2012. A major in the U.S. Army Reserve, Djou suspended his campaign for six months while deployed toAfghanistan with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division, from September 2011[39] to March 2012.[40] Djou lost to Hanabusa in the general election,[41] with 45.4% of the vote.[42]
Djou ran for the 1st district again in 2014.[43] Although he garnered a greater percentage of the vote in a general election than any other Republican running for Congress in Hawaii since 1988, he still narrowly lost to Democratic state representativeMark Takai, who received 51.2% of the vote.[44]
Djou announced on June 7, 2016 that he was running for the nonpartisan office ofMayor of Honolulu against incumbent MayorKirk Caldwell, former MayorPeter Carlisle, and at least ten others. In the nonpartisan race, Djou had already received the endorsement of former governorBen Cayetano, an anti-rail Democrat.[45] On June 15, Djou announced that retired Federal Judge and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii,Walter Heen, would chair Djou's campaign, and City Council memberAnn Kobayashi, also a Democrat, supported Djou for mayor.[46] With no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote on August 13, 2016, a decision between the top two candidates, Djou and Caldwell, would be made in the November 8, 2016 election.[47]
Caldwell defeated Djou, 52% to 48%.[48] Though both candidates supported the municipal rail project, its cost overruns were an issue, as well as Caldwell's alleged interference with the Ethics Commission. Labor group support was split between the pair.[49]
Djou served as the Hawaii state campaign chair ofJohn Kasich's 2016 presidential campaign and urged voters before the 2016 Hawaii caucuses to rejectDonald Trump.[50] In 2018, Djou left the Republican Party, citing concerns with its policies and President Trump's character.[51] In October 2019, Djou said, "It would be fair to say that I'm an independent Democratic [sic]".[52] On July 9, 2020,Republican Voters Against Trump released a video in which Djou urged voters to vote against Trump.[53]
Djou is a member of the ReFormers Caucus ofIssue One.[54]
On March 9, 2020, Djou published an op-ed article inHonolulu Civil Beat announcing that he would not enter the2020 Honolulu mayoral election, though he has accused Honolulu politicians of incompetence in handling important issues.[55] Djou wrote, "while it is clear to all that Honolulu is in desperate need of dramatic change and real leadership, I have come to the difficult decision that I am not the best person to lead this charge in the 2020 election." He later supportedRick Blangiardi who won the Honolulu mayoral election.[citation needed]
In addition to his decision not to run for mayor of Honolulu, Djou announced he was selected to serve in theUnited States Army War College to complete a graduate degree in Strategic Studies. With his decision to set politics aside, Djou wrote, "completing War College will better position me to assume more significant future roles and duties in service to our country. And unfortunately, running for public office this fall would conflict with this military assignment."[56]
In 2020, Djou endorsed DemocratJoe Biden for President alongside 26 other former Republican members of Congress.[57] In May 2022, President Biden appointed Djou to be secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission.[4] In August 2024, Djou wrote an op-ed forFox News praising2024 Democratic vice-presidential nomineeTim Walz.[58] When President Trump succeeded Biden, Djou stepped down and was succeeded by ABMC deputy secretaryRobert J. Dalessandro in an acting capacity.[59]
After departing the Biden administration, Djou continued writing on public policy, particularly international affairs and national security. In a 2025Washington Post commentary, he called for the US to lead reformation instead of withdrawing fromUNESCO, based on his experiences as ABMC Secretary.[60]
Djou is married to Stacey Kawasaki Djou, aJapanese American. They have three children. His surname is aFrench transliteration of the Chinese surnameZhou.[61] This originates from his grandfather's work at a French engineering company in Shanghai in the 1920s, where he was referred to as "Dijou", a name he later wrote on his immigration papers.[5]
Djou was on the board of directors of theAmerican Lung Association and a member of the Neighborhood Board. He is a member of the Young Business Roundtable, theRotary Club, and the Hawaii Telecommunications Association.[61] He is currently a member of the Goodwill Hawaii Contract Services Board.[citation needed]
Since 2010, Djou has contributed op-ed articles as a writer forHonolulu Civil Beat, a local nonprofit journalism website.[62]
son of immigrant parents from Shanghai and Bangkok
When I was 16 years old, ... I volunteered for a woman named Patricia Saiki.... 24 years after I volunteered ... Pat Saiki served as the honorary chair of my campaign
Pat Saiki is Djou's honorary campaign chair
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromHawaii's 1st congressional district 2010–2011 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas U.S. Deputy Secretary of State |
| Territorial delegate (1899–1959) |  | ||||
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| One at-large seat (1959–1963) | |||||
| Two at-large seats (1963–1971) |
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| Districts (1971–present) |
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| Other | |
