Mike Gabbard
Encyclopedia
Gerald Michael 'Mike' Gabbard (born January 15, 1948) is a Democratic
member of the Hawaii Senate
, representing the 19th District since 2006. He has social conservative
political views and rose to prominence for his successful effort to pass an amendment
to the Constitution of Hawaii
in 1998 to give the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples". He is also a businessman and musician
.
Gabbard, who was born in American Samoa
, is the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.
, and his master's degree in Adult Education with an emphasis in Community College Administration from Oregon State University
. He and his wife Carol, who served from 2000 to 2004 on the Hawai’i State Board of Education, are the parents of five children and grandparents of six. They operate a small family business with several lines of natural health products. They also make and distribute Hawaiian Toffee Treasures.
in a nonpartisan race in 2002. In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully in a race as a Republican
for the Second Congressional District of Hawaii in the United States House of Representatives
. On November 7, 2006, Gabbard defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin to represent West Oahu's District # 19 in the Hawaii State Senate.
Mike and Carol's eldest daughter, Tulsi Gabbard, won a seat in the Hawai'i House of Representatives in 2002. Tulsi, at 21, was the youngest representative ever to be elected to the Hawaii State Legislature. Tulsi completed her two-year term in 2004. Since that time, she has risen to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Hawai'i Army National Guard, earning top awards and accolades in training and in combat while serving on two Middle East deployments (2004–2006 and 2008–2009). Additionally, she worked as a Legislative Aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington D.C. Tulsi was elected as a Honolulu City Councilwoman for District 6, which encompasses the areas of Honolulu from Kalihi to Makiki on November 2, 2010.
Mike is the co-founder/chairman of Stand Up For America (SUFA), a non-profit educational organization that promotes patriotism
. Mike founded and is also the co-chairman of Healthy Hawai'i Coalition (HHC), a non-profit group whose twofold purpose is to protect the environment and to improve individual and community health. HHC has been very active in schools across the state of Hawai'i teaching watershed protection. In 2007, he co-founded the Aloha Parenting Project (APP) with his wife Carol. APP is a grassroots non-profit organization that educates, supports, and helps parents raise children to become responsible, productive members of our community.
On August 30, 2007, Gabbard switched from the Republican Party of Hawaii to the Democratic Party of Hawaii
. His stated reason for doing so was that he believed that he could be more effective to his constituents as part of the majority party in the State Senate, where Democrats have long had a supermajority. This switch in parties has been of some controversy, including repeated complaints regarding his opposition to the Democratic Party of Hawai'i's platform, and possible actions that may impact other Democrats.
On November 2, 2010, Gabbard was re-elected for a second term in the Hawai’i State Senate after defeating Republican Aaron Bonar by a 74% to 26% margin. He is currently the Chair of the Energy & Environment Committee. He’s also a member of the Judiciary & Labor and Transportation & International Affairs committees.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Hawaii Senate
Hawaii Senate
The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently...
, representing the 19th District since 2006. He has social conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
political views and rose to prominence for his successful effort to pass an amendment
Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)
Constitutional Amendment 2 of 1998 amended the Constitution of Hawaii, granting the state legislature the power to prevent same-sex marriage from being conducted or recognized in Hawaii. Amendment 2 was the first constitutional amendment adopted in the United States that specifically targeted...
to the Constitution of Hawaii
Constitution of Hawaii
The Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi refers to various legal documents throughout the history of the Hawaiian Islands that defined the fundamental principles of authority and governance within its sphere of jurisdiction. Numerous constitutions have been promulgated for the Kingdom of Hawaii,...
in 1998 to give the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples". He is also a businessman and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Gabbard, who was born in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, is the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.
Life and pre-political career
Mike was the fourth of seven children born to Benjamin Harrison Gabbard, Jr. and Agnes Yandall Gabbard. He received his BA degree in English from Sonoma State UniversitySonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
, and his master's degree in Adult Education with an emphasis in Community College Administration from Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
. He and his wife Carol, who served from 2000 to 2004 on the Hawai’i State Board of Education, are the parents of five children and grandparents of six. They operate a small family business with several lines of natural health products. They also make and distribute Hawaiian Toffee Treasures.
Political career and related activities
Gabbard was elected to the Honolulu City CouncilHonolulu City Council
The Honolulu City Council is the legislative branch of the City & County of Honolulu and is considered the second most powerful parliamentary body in the State of Hawaii, following the Hawaii State Legislature...
in a nonpartisan race in 2002. In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully in a race as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for the Second Congressional District of Hawaii in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. On November 7, 2006, Gabbard defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin to represent West Oahu's District # 19 in the Hawaii State Senate.
Mike and Carol's eldest daughter, Tulsi Gabbard, won a seat in the Hawai'i House of Representatives in 2002. Tulsi, at 21, was the youngest representative ever to be elected to the Hawaii State Legislature. Tulsi completed her two-year term in 2004. Since that time, she has risen to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Hawai'i Army National Guard, earning top awards and accolades in training and in combat while serving on two Middle East deployments (2004–2006 and 2008–2009). Additionally, she worked as a Legislative Aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington D.C. Tulsi was elected as a Honolulu City Councilwoman for District 6, which encompasses the areas of Honolulu from Kalihi to Makiki on November 2, 2010.
Mike is the co-founder/chairman of Stand Up For America (SUFA), a non-profit educational organization that promotes patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
. Mike founded and is also the co-chairman of Healthy Hawai'i Coalition (HHC), a non-profit group whose twofold purpose is to protect the environment and to improve individual and community health. HHC has been very active in schools across the state of Hawai'i teaching watershed protection. In 2007, he co-founded the Aloha Parenting Project (APP) with his wife Carol. APP is a grassroots non-profit organization that educates, supports, and helps parents raise children to become responsible, productive members of our community.
On August 30, 2007, Gabbard switched from the Republican Party of Hawaii to the Democratic Party of Hawaii
Democratic Party of Hawaii
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is an arm of the Democratic Party of the United States based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The party is a centralized organization established to promote the party platform as drafted in convention biennially...
. His stated reason for doing so was that he believed that he could be more effective to his constituents as part of the majority party in the State Senate, where Democrats have long had a supermajority. This switch in parties has been of some controversy, including repeated complaints regarding his opposition to the Democratic Party of Hawai'i's platform, and possible actions that may impact other Democrats.
On November 2, 2010, Gabbard was re-elected for a second term in the Hawai’i State Senate after defeating Republican Aaron Bonar by a 74% to 26% margin. He is currently the Chair of the Energy & Environment Committee. He’s also a member of the Judiciary & Labor and Transportation & International Affairs committees.
External links
- Mike Gabbard official website
- Stand Up For America (SUFA)
- Healthy Hawaii Coalition (HHC)
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Mike Gabbard (HI) profile
- Follow the Money - Mike Gabbard
- 2006 campaign contributions
- "The Gospel According to Gabbard", by Chad Blair, January 27, 1999