Governor of Hawaii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008) |
| Hawaii |
 This article is part of the series: |
|
|
|
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Divisions
Federal Relations
|
|
Other countries · Atlas Politics Portal |
The Governor of Hawaiʻi, also called Ke Kiaʻaina o Hawaiʻi, is the chief executive of the State of Hawaiʻi and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaiʻi 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. The governor is responsible for enforcing laws passed by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and upholding rulings of the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary. The role includes being commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Hawaiʻi and having the power to use those forces to execute laws, suppress insurrection and violence and repel invasion. The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi becomes acting governor upon the governor's absence from the state or disability from discharging duties. Historically, the Governor of Hawaiʻi has been from either the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi or Hawaiʻi Republican Party.
The current Governor of Hawaiʻi is Linda Lingle.
Contents |
[edit] Qualifications
The Governor of Hawaiʻi is limited to two four-year terms. Inauguration takes place on the first Monday in December following a gubernatorial election. A single term ends at noon four years later. A Governor is:
- required to be at least 30 years old,
- required to have been a resident of Hawaiʻi for five consecutive years previous to election,
- barred from other professions or paid positions during the term.
[edit] Residence
The Governor of Hawaiʻi's official residence is Washington Place, a mansion that was once a minor royal palace of Queen Liliʻuokalani and her husband, Prince Consort John Owen Dominis. The mansion is located across the street from the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, where the Office of the Governor is located, and is accessed from the Capitol through underground passages beneath Beretania Street in downtown Honolulu. Befitting of its history as a former minor royal palace, the Governors of Hawaiʻi have entertained royal families from around the world at Washington Place including Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Emperors Hirohito and Akihito of Japan.
In 2001, a new mansion for the governor was built on the grounds of Washington Place, after the state decided to turn Washington Place into a museum, an idea supported by then-Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano and family. This new mansion was completed in 2002 and Cayetano became the first governor to live in it for a few days before leaving office. His successor, Governor Linda Lingle, became the first governor to begin a term in the new mansion. Despite the building of this new mansion, Washington Place remains the official residence of the governor and is still used for state dinners and other official functions.
[edit] Trivia
Hawaiʻi was the first state to have an Asian American governor, George R. Ariyoshi. In all, the state has had two Asian American governors, one governor of Hawaiian ancestry, and three white governors.
[edit] List of governors
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||
