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Senator Kaialiʻ\;i (Kai) Kahele\n
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Senator Kaialiʻ\;i (Kai) Kahele was appointed to the Hawaiʻ\;i State Senate by Governor David Ige in February\, 2016 following the untimely and unexpected death of his father\, the late Sen. Gil Kahele. He was subsequently elected and re-elected by wide margins in 2016 and 2018.\n
Kai currently serves as the Majority Floor Leader of the Hawaiʻ\;i State Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water and Land. Additionally\, Sen. Kahele is Vice Chairman of Hawaiian Affairs and a member of the Committees on Ways &\; Means\, and Higher Education. Kai championed a Senate measure which establishes the Hilo Community Economic District that paves the way for County and State investment in Hilo and East Hawai&lsquo\;i&rsquo\;s economic future. Kai also led the development of a bachelor of science in commercial aviation program that will commence in the fall of 2019 at the University of Hawaiʻ\;i at Hilo.\n
Lawmakers from other states have also recognized Kai&rsquo\;s leadership skills. During the 19th \;Annual Western Legislative Academy (WLA)\, a program of The Council of State Governments West (CSG West)\, fellow class members elected Senator Kahele as their Class President.\n
Kai is also an 18 year veteran\, pilot and commissioned officer in the Hawai&lsquo\;i Air National Guard\, United States Air Force where he continues to serve as a Lt Col with the 201st \;Air Operations Group. During Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom\, Lt Colonel Kahele logged over 2000 hours of military flight time and has commanded dozens of combat missions in theater. Lt Colonel Kahele has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal\, the Air Force Commendation Medal\, the Air Medal for combat missions flown in Afghanistan\, the National Defense Service Medal\, the Global War on Terrorism Medal\, Armed Forces Reserve Medal\, Hawaiʻ\;i State Active Duty Medal and the Combat Readiness Medal. Lt Colonel Kahele has also been recognized as the Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Guard Officer of the Year\, 613th \;Air Operations Center Guard Officer of the Year and Hawaiʻ\;i Air National Guard &ldquo\;Launa &lsquo\;Ole&rdquo\; Traditional Guard Officer of the Year.\n
Kai is a graduate of Hilo High School and the University of Hawai&lsquo\;i at Mā\;noa where he balanced life as an NCAA Division-I student-athlete as a member of the UH Rainbow Warriors Men&rsquo\;s Volleyball Team while earning a B.S. in Education. Kai was a member of the team that went to two Final Fours and the National Championship in 1996. He was voted &ldquo\;Most Inspirational Player&rdquo\; by his teammates and coaches in 1997 and was also recognized as a scholar athlete his senior year.\n
When not serving the public in the Senate or through his duties with the National Guard\, Kai works as a commercial airline pilot with Hawaiian Airlines. He is the former executive director of a non-profit that serves rural Native Hawaiian families in South Kona. Kai and his wife Maria live and are raising their young daughters in Hilo\, Kai&rsquo\;s hometown on the Island of Hawaiʻ\;i. \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
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Rick Blangiardi - Mayoral \;Candidate\n
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Rick Blangiardi is a former media executive who is well-known as being the longtime General Manager of Hawaii News Now. Prior to returning to Hawaii\, he led TV stations in New York\, Seattle\, Los Angeles\, and San Francisco. He also served as President of Telemundo\, the country&rsquo\;s second-largest Hispanic network. Rick served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for six years and early in his career\, was an Associate Head Football Coach and Defensive Coordinator at the University of Hawaii. \;\n
Rick has been widely recognized for his leadership in and contributions to the non-profit community. Previously\, he was the President of the Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America\, Aloha Council\; Chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii\; President of the Na Koa UH Football Booster Club\; and has served on the boards of the American Red Cross\, Hawaii Food Bank\, Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation\, YMCA\, and many others. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Hawaii and has been inducted into the Hawaii Sports Circle of Honor. \;
\nRick holds an MEd. from the University of Hawaii and a B.S. from Springfield College. He is married to wife Karen and has three adult children: Matt\, Ryan\, and Laura. \;\n
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\;Keith Amemiya - Mayoral Candidate\n
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Keith Amemiya served Oʻ\;ahu as a community leader\, nonprofit executive\, business executive\, and lawyer over the last 30 years. \;
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\nKeith was born and raised on O'\;ahu. For 12 years\, Keith served as the executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletics Association. In 2009 during state budget cuts that threatened public high school junior varsity sports\, he spearheaded the &ldquo\;Save Our Sports&rdquo\; campaign that successfully kept athletic programs afloat. To this day\, Keith has elevated high school sports within communities and state government as a way to address educational inequality and profoundly impact students&rsquo\; lives.
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\nKeith was most recently the Senior Vice President of Island Holdings. He also served as the University of Hawaiʻ\;i Board of Regents as Executive Administrator and Secretary and a civil litigation attorney. He has served on many community boards\, including the Honolulu Police Commission and the Hawaiʻ\;i State Board of Education.
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\nKeith lives in Pauoa with his wife\, Bonny\, of 24 years. Their son\, Chris\, recently completed his second year of college on the mainland.\n \;
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