Neil Abercrombie
Encyclopedia
Neil Abercrombie is the 7th and current Governor of Hawaii
. He was the Democratic
U.S. Representative
of the First Congressional District
of Hawaii
which comprises urban Honolulu. He served in Congress
from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010 when he resigned to successfully run for governor. He was also a state legislator and member of the Honolulu City Council
.
Abercrombie was born in Buffalo, New York
, to Vera June and Donald Abercrombie. Upon graduating from Williamsville High School (now Williamsville South High School
), he went on to pursue studies in sociology at Union College in Schenectady, New York
. There, Abercrombie obtained his bachelor's degree in 1959. He arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii
a month after statehood in September 1959 to study at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
where he earned a master's degree in sociology and later a doctorate
in American Studies. There he attended classes with, and befriended, current United States President
Barack Obama
's parents, Ann Dunham
and Barack Obama, Sr.
. Unsuccessful, Abercrombie ran for the Hawaii State House of Representatives where he served from 1975 to 1979. A distinguishing symbol of Abercrombie's early campaigns was a yellow Checker Taxi
with his name and face painted on the side, the use of which was motivated by a lack of money for traditional campaigning methods. The taxi became a symbol of both his standing as an outsider from the mainland and his unconventional style. He moved to the Hawaii State Senate, where he served from 1980 to 1986. After Representative Cecil Heftel
resigned from the United States Congress
in July 1986 to run for Governor of Hawaiʻi
, Abercrombie was elected to the House in a September 1986 special election to complete Heftel's unexpired term. However, on the same day Abercrombie lost the Democratic primary for a full two-year term to Mufi Hannemann
, who went on to lose to Republican Pat Saiki
in the general election.
Abercrombie then set his sights on a seat of the Honolulu City Council
. He won the race and served from 1988 to 1990.
Neil Abercrombie was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
and compiled a generally liberal voting record. He supported and voted for the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act
. On October 10, 2002, he was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq
. He cosponsored H.R. 1312 (Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005) on July 28, 2005. He took issue with the Vatican over not listing torture as a sin.
According to Project Vote Smart
, Abercrombie holds the following issue positions: he is pro-choice, has voted against a ban on partial birth abortion, and has voted with the interests of NARAL and Planned Parenthood
100% between 2000 and 2006. He has voted for bills designed to make it easier for Americans to vote, such as the motor voter bill. He has advocated strongly for civil liberties; his voting record is supported by both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and American Library Association. He has also voted against a constitutional amendment proposed in 2006 to limit marriage to being between one man and one woman. Notably, he was one of only nine representatives not to cast a vote for or against the USA PATRIOT Act
in 2001. In 2005, he voted against the extension of the act, calling it “a blank check to trample civil liberties." In 2007, he signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 676, which would have established a national health insurance program. He resigned from Congress on February 28, 2010, three weeks before the House vote on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(H.R. 3590).
, the first Republican elected to Congress from Hawaii since Congresswoman Pat Saiki
.
Abercrombie definitively defeated his challenger, former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann
, in the heated 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary election
on September 18, 2010, 59.3 percent to 37.7 percent.
On November 2, 2010, Neil Abercrombie defeated his Republican opponent James Aiona by a margin of 57.8% to 40.8% to become Hawaii's 7th governor.
. He will be up for re-election as Governor in 2014.
Abercrombie was 72 when he was sworn in as governor, and was the oldest current United States governor for a little less than a month. On January 3, 2011, he lost that title to Jerry Brown
of California, who is two months older than Abercrombie.
When Abercrombie took office, he vowed to end the conspiracy theories surrounding President Barack Obama
’s birth certificate. A spokesperson for Abercrombie said he would ask the office of the Attorney General what they can do. State Attorney General
David M. Louie
informed Abercrombie that state privacy laws prevent the release of "an individual's birth documentation without the person's consent" to persons who do not have "a tangible interest".
In February 2011 Abercrombie signed into law a bill legalizing civil unions
. His predecessor, Linda Lingle
, had previously vetoed the legislation.
His approval ratings dropped steadily during his first year in office, reaching 30% in polls during October 2011, the lowest rating of any US state governor. That month his chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, communications director, and deputy communications director resigned in an office re-organization.
, who is a political scientist and feminist writer at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's
Globalization Research Center.
Abercrombie is an avid weightlifter and has a stated goal of lifting 200 lbs more than his age on each birthday. On his 72nd birthday, he bench pressed 272 lbs.
In 2006 Abercrombie was named "Scot of the Year" by the Caledonian Society of Hawaii.
Abercrombie currently resides in the Manoa Valley area of Honolulu, Hawaii.
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Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
. He was the Democratic
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...
U.S. Representative
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...
of the First Congressional District
Hawaii's 1st congressional district
Hawaii's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The district encompasses the urban areas of the City and County of Honolulu, a consolidated city-county that is coextensive with the island of Oahu. The district includes Oahu's central plains and southern...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
which comprises urban Honolulu. He served in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010 when he resigned to successfully run for governor. He was also a state legislator and member of the Honolulu City Council
Honolulu 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...
.
Early life and education
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, to Vera June and Donald Abercrombie. Upon graduating from Williamsville High School (now Williamsville South High School
Williamsville South High School
Williamsville South High School is a high school located in Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. South is one of three high schools in the Williamsville Central School District, along with Williamsville North High School and Williamsville East High School.-Origins, 1853-1892:In...
), he went on to pursue studies in sociology at Union College in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. There, Abercrombie obtained his bachelor's degree in 1959. He arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
a month after statehood in September 1959 to study at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
where he earned a master's degree in sociology and later a doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in American Studies. There he attended classes with, and befriended, current United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's parents, Ann Dunham
Ann Dunham
Stanley Ann Dunham , the mother of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, was an American anthropologist who specialized in economic anthropology and rural development. Dunham was nicknamed Anna, later known as Dr. Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro, and finally Ann Dunham Sutoro...
and Barack Obama, Sr.
Barack Obama, Sr.
Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was a Kenyan senior governmental economist and the father of U.S. President Barack Obama. He is a central subject in his son's memoir, Dreams from My Father.-Early life:...
Political career
Abercrombie first participated in a political campaign in 1970 as "Super Senator", seeking the Democratic nomination to the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Unsuccessful, Abercrombie ran for the Hawaii State House of Representatives where he served from 1975 to 1979. A distinguishing symbol of Abercrombie's early campaigns was a yellow Checker Taxi
Checker Taxi
Checker Taxi was an American taxi company. It used the Checker Taxi Cab produced by the Checker Motors Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Both Checker Taxi and its parent company Checker Motors Corporation were owned by Morris Markin....
with his name and face painted on the side, the use of which was motivated by a lack of money for traditional campaigning methods. The taxi became a symbol of both his standing as an outsider from the mainland and his unconventional style. He moved to the Hawaii State Senate, where he served from 1980 to 1986. After Representative Cecil Heftel
Cecil Heftel
Cecil Landau Heftel, popularly known as Cec Heftel was an American politician and businessman from Hawai'i...
resigned from the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in July 1986 to run for Governor of Hawaiʻi
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
, Abercrombie was elected to the House in a September 1986 special election to complete Heftel's unexpired term. However, on the same day Abercrombie lost the Democratic primary for a full two-year term to Mufi Hannemann
Mufi Hannemann
Muliufi Francis "Mufi" Hannemann is an American politician. He is the former Mayor of Honolulu. Hannemann has served as a special assistant in Washington, D.C., with the Department of the Interior, where he was selected for a White House fellowship in the Reagan administration under Vice President...
, who went on to lose to Republican Pat Saiki
Pat Saiki
Patricia Fukuda "Pat" Saiki is an American politician and former school teacher from Hilo in the State of Hawai'i. She served as a Republican in Congress from 1987 to 1991 and then as Administrator of the Small Business Administration under President of the United States George H. W...
in the general election.
Abercrombie then set his sights on a seat of the Honolulu City Council
Honolulu 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...
. He won the race and served from 1988 to 1990.
U.S. Congress
At the end of his council tenure, Abercrombie once again ran for Congress and won in 1990, and has since been reelected ten times. In the 2008 election, he won with 70.6% of the vote.Neil Abercrombie was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....
and compiled a generally liberal voting record. He supported and voted for the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
. On October 10, 2002, he was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. He cosponsored H.R. 1312 (Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005) on July 28, 2005. He took issue with the Vatican over not listing torture as a sin.
According to Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
, Abercrombie holds the following issue positions: he is pro-choice, has voted against a ban on partial birth abortion, and has voted with the interests of NARAL and Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
100% between 2000 and 2006. He has voted for bills designed to make it easier for Americans to vote, such as the motor voter bill. He has advocated strongly for civil liberties; his voting record is supported by both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and American Library Association. He has also voted against a constitutional amendment proposed in 2006 to limit marriage to being between one man and one woman. Notably, he was one of only nine representatives not to cast a vote for or against the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
in 2001. In 2005, he voted against the extension of the act, calling it “a blank check to trample civil liberties." In 2007, he signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 676, which would have established a national health insurance program. He resigned from Congress on February 28, 2010, three weeks before the House vote on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
(H.R. 3590).
2010 gubernatorial campaign
On Sunday, March 9, 2009, he announced his intention to run for Governor of Hawaii instead of running for an 11th term. On December 11, 2009 he announced that he would resign from Congress to concentrate on his gubernatorial bid. He was succeeded in Congress by Republican Charles DjouCharles Djou
Charles Kong Djou is the former U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district...
, the first Republican elected to Congress from Hawaii since Congresswoman Pat Saiki
Pat Saiki
Patricia Fukuda "Pat" Saiki is an American politician and former school teacher from Hilo in the State of Hawai'i. She served as a Republican in Congress from 1987 to 1991 and then as Administrator of the Small Business Administration under President of the United States George H. W...
.
Abercrombie definitively defeated his challenger, former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann
Mufi Hannemann
Muliufi Francis "Mufi" Hannemann is an American politician. He is the former Mayor of Honolulu. Hannemann has served as a special assistant in Washington, D.C., with the Department of the Interior, where he was selected for a White House fellowship in the Reagan administration under Vice President...
, in the heated 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary election
Hawaii gubernatorial election, 2010
The Hawaii gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010 to determine the next Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. The winning candidates will serve a four-year term from 2010 to 2014. Incumbent Republican Governor Linda Lingle was term-limited in 2010 and not eligible to run...
on September 18, 2010, 59.3 percent to 37.7 percent.
On November 2, 2010, Neil Abercrombie defeated his Republican opponent James Aiona by a margin of 57.8% to 40.8% to become Hawaii's 7th governor.
Governor of Hawaii
Abercrombie was sworn in as Governor of Hawaii on December 6, 2010, the first gubernatorial victor of the 2010 election cycle to be sworn in office. He succeeded Republican Governor Linda LingleLinda Lingle
Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
. He will be up for re-election as Governor in 2014.
Abercrombie was 72 when he was sworn in as governor, and was the oldest current United States governor for a little less than a month. On January 3, 2011, he lost that title to Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
of California, who is two months older than Abercrombie.
When Abercrombie took office, he vowed to end the conspiracy theories surrounding President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
’s birth certificate. A spokesperson for Abercrombie said he would ask the office of the Attorney General what they can do. State Attorney General
Attorney General of Hawaii
The Attorney General of Hawaii is the chief legal and law enforcement officer of Hawaii. In present-day statehood within the United States, he or she is appointed by the elected governor with the approval of the state senate and is responsible for a state department charged with advising the...
David M. Louie
David M. Louie
David M. Louie is a second generation Chinese American, serving as Attorney General of Hawaii.-Early Life and Education:Born in Oakland, Louie was raised in Los Angeles by his father Paul and mother Emma...
informed Abercrombie that state privacy laws prevent the release of "an individual's birth documentation without the person's consent" to persons who do not have "a tangible interest".
In February 2011 Abercrombie signed into law a bill legalizing civil unions
Recognition of same-sex unions in Hawaii
The U.S. state of Hawaii currently recognizes same-sex couples in reciprocal beneficiary relationships, which provide limited rights and benefits. Civil unions that provide benefits similar to marriage were legalized in 2011, and will become available in 2012...
. His predecessor, Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
, had previously vetoed the legislation.
Hawaii House Bill 444
House Bill 444 was a 2009 bill of the Hawaii State Legislature, passed in April 2010 and vetoed by Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle, that would have legalized civil unions for couples in the state of Hawaii...
His approval ratings dropped steadily during his first year in office, reaching 30% in polls during October 2011, the lowest rating of any US state governor. That month his chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, communications director, and deputy communications director resigned in an office re-organization.
Personal life
In 1981, Abercrombie married Nancie CarawayNancie Caraway
Nancie Caraway, formally Dr. Nancy Ellen Caraway, Ph.D. , is the First Lady of Hawaii. She is the spouse of former First Congressional District U.S. Representative and current Governor of Hawaii Neil Abercrombie...
, who is a political scientist and feminist writer at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
Globalization Research Center.
Abercrombie is an avid weightlifter and has a stated goal of lifting 200 lbs more than his age on each birthday. On his 72nd birthday, he bench pressed 272 lbs.
In 2006 Abercrombie was named "Scot of the Year" by the Caledonian Society of Hawaii.
Abercrombie currently resides in the Manoa Valley area of Honolulu, Hawaii.
External links
- State of Hawaii Office of the Governor official state website
- Neil Abercrombie For Governor official campaign site
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