Jill Tokuda | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromHawaii's2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Kai Kahele |
| Member of theHawaii Senate from the 24th district | |
| In office November 7, 2006 – November 6, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Hogue |
| Succeeded by | Jarrett Keohokalole |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1976-03-03)March 3, 1976 (age 49) Kaneohe, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kyle Michibata |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | George Washington University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Jill Naomi Tokuda (born March 3, 1976) is an American politician and business owner serving as theU.S. representative forHawaii's 2nd congressional district since 2023.[1][2]
Tokuda is one of threeJapanese Americans who currently serve in theHouse of Representatives. A member of theDemocratic Party, she previously represented the 24th district in theHawaiʻi Senate from 2006 to 2018.
Tokuda was born and raised inKāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi. She went to local public schools, attending Kāneʻohe Elementary School and Governor Samuel Wilder King Intermediate School before graduating fromJames B. Castle High School.[3] She is afourth-generationJapanese American withOkinawan heritage.[4][5][6]
Tokuda earned herBA ininternational relations with a minor inJapanese studies fromGeorge Washington University.[7][8][9] While at GW, she was active in theCollege Democrats.[10] She was afirst generation college student.[11]
During the2000 presidential election, Tokuda was listed as the Hawaii state co-chair of GoreNet.[12] GoreNet was a young-Americans-focused group that supported theAl Gore 2000 presidential campaign with a focus ongrassroots andonline organizing as well as hosting small dollar donor events.[13]
Tokuda was elected to theHawaiʻi State Senate in 2006, running unopposed in the September 23 Democratic primary.[14] She won the November 7 general election with 55.6% of the vote.[15] In 2010, she was not challenged for renomination and reelected in the November 2 general election with 56.4% of the vote.[16][17] In 2014, Tokuda was again unopposed in the August 9 Democratic primary.[18] She won the November 4 general election with 70.8% of the vote.[19]
While serving in the State Senate, Tokuda was Majority Whip and chaired the Ways and Means Committee overseesing the state budget.[20] She was also chairman of the Labor, Education, Higher Education, and Agriculture Committee as well as the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs. While in the legislature, she successfully fought for expanded publicly-funding of preschool in the state.[20]
In 2018, Tokuda ran forlieutenant governor of Hawaiʻi rather than reelection to the State Senate.[21] She was defeated in the Democratic Primary byJosh Green who went on towin the general election.[22]
In 2019, Tokuda became executive director of theNisei Veterans Memorial Center onMaui, a position she held until her election to Congress in 2022.[23] She also served on the board of the Hawaii Budget and Policy Center and as co-director of CyberHawaii, an affiliate ofCyberUSA, supporting workforce development in IT/cyber security/data science.[9] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Tokuda advised the Hawaiʻi Data Collaborative and helped track the progress of federal relief spending.[24]
Tokuda was elected to representHawaiʻi's 2nd congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives on November 8, 2022. She defeated the Republican nominee 62.2% of the vote to 35.3%.[25]
This came after she won her primary in August 14, 2022 after her opponent Hawaiʻi State Rep.Patrick Branco became the recipient of millions in outside spending funded byFTX'sSam Bankman-Fried among others.[26][27] She was endorsed in the primary by theCongressional Progressive Caucus.[26]
Tokuda was reelected on November 6, 2024.[28] She had faced no opposition in the August Democratic primary.[29]
Upon her election to the House of Representatives, Tokuda became the third Japanese American serving in the chamber along with Reps.Doris Matsui andMark Takano and the fourth in the United States Congress alongside Sen.Mazie Hirono.
During the2023 Speaker election, Tokuda voted forHakeem Jeffries forSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives on all 15 ballots.[30] She was subsequently appointed to three key House Committees for her district: Armed Services, Agriculture, and Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.[31]
On April 26 Tokuda delivered a speech on the house floor congratulatingRuPaul's Drag Raceseason 15 winnerSasha Colby on her win.[32] Colby is the first winner of the race to be originally from Hawaiʻi.[33]
In 2023, Tokuda was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[34][35]
In October 2023, following the2023 Hawaiʻi wildfires which devastated the town ofLahaina within her district, Tokuda introduced the MAUI STRONG Act which would help small businesses and nonprofits in the area survive.[36] She also introduced the Natural Disaster Tax Relief Act which would reduce tax burdens on those impacted by natural disasters.
Immediately following PresidentJoe Biden'swithdrawal from the2024 presidential election, Tokuda endorsedKamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.[37] She went on to serve as a member of the Japanese American leadership council supporting Harris'campaign.[38]
For the118th Congress:[39]
Tokuda ispro-choice. In 2023, she testified in favor of legislation in Hawaiʻi that would protect doctors who performabortions in the state from legal repercussions for providing abortions to out-of-state patients.[47] She is a co-founder of the Patsy T. Mink PAC, named after formerRep. Patsy Mink, which works to elect pro-choice Hawaiʻi Democratic women to office.
Tokuda advocates for the increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food-insecure communities, a significant step for areas like Hawaiʻi, which face unique challenges in food production and access and has introduced the Grow Your Own Food Act.[48]
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Tokuda has taken a key role as a "powerful watchdog" providing oversight to the Navy's plan to clean upRed Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility and its impact on Oahu's freshwater supply.[49]
Tokuda is married to Kyle Michibata, also a graduate ofJames B. Castle High School inKāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi. They have two sons, Matt and Aden, who attend public schools.[3] Their household is multi-generational. She isyonsei Japanese American and aProtestant.[50]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromHawaii's 2nd congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 359th | Succeeded by |
| Territorial delegate (1899–1959) |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One at-large seat (1959–1963) | |||||
| Two at-large seats (1963–1971) |
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| Districts (1971–present) |
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