Donna Mercado Kim Explained

Donna Kim
State Senate1:Hawaii
District1:14th
Term Start1:November 7, 2000
Predecessor1:Norman Mizuguchi[1]
Successor1:Incumbent
Office2:13th President of the Hawaii Senate
Term Start2:December 28, 2012
Term End2:May 5, 2015
Predecessor2:Shan Tsutsui
Successor2:Ron Kouchi
Office3:Member of the Honolulu City Council
Term Start3:January 17, 1986
Term End3:July 26, 2000
Predecessor3:Rudy Pacarro
Successor3:Romy Cachola
State House4:Hawaii
District4:40th
Prior Term4:29th (1982–1984)
Term Start4:1982
Term End4:1985
Successor4:Karen Horita
Birth Date:31 January 1952
Birth Place:Honolulu, Hawaii, US
Party:Democratic
Children:Micah Aiu
Education:University of Hawaii, Manoa
Washington State University (BA)

Donna Mercado Kim is an American Democratic party politician from Hawaii. She is a state senator from Senate District 14 and was President of the Hawaiʻi Senate for almost three years.

Education

Kim attended, and graduated from Farrington High School, in Kalihi-Palama, Honolulu.[2] Kim is a graduate of Washington State University, although she also attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Political career

From 1982 to 1985, Kim was a member of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives.

On October 5, 1985, voters recalled three members on the Honolulu City Council, leaving three vacant seats.[3] Kim won a special election to one of those seats on December 28, 1985 and served on the Honolulu City Council from 1986 to 2000.[4]

Elected to the Senate in 2000, Kim has chaired the Committee on Tourism, the Committee on Ways and Means, the Special Committee on Accountability, and the Task Force on Reinventing Government.

From 2003 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2013, Kim served as Vice President of the Senate.

In 2013, Kim became President of the Hawaiʻi Senate, replacing Shan Tsutsui who left the position to become Lieutenant Governor.[5] Kim's tenure as President of the Senate ended in 2015.[6]

In 2014, Kim ran for congress to fill the vacated seat of U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.[7] She lost the race to Mark Takai.[8]

In 2018, Kim once again ran for 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, as she was running for governor, but lost to former congressman Ed Case.[9]

Personal

Kim was born in Honolulu.

Her father is Korean, while her mother is Spanish-Filipino-Portuguese.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Shapiro, Treena. "Two vie for Mizuguchi’s Senate seat Harding faces 'worthy battle' against Abinsay". The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. October 13, 2000. "This year legislative and City Council veteran Donna Mercado Kim is the Democrat running to fill the vacancy created by Senate President Norman Mizuguchi's retirement."
  2. News: Congressional contender Donna Mercado Kim aims to make Hawaii's voice heard. Nabarro. Moanike'ala. July 15, 2018. KITV News 4. 25 October 2018.
  3. News: Ap . 1985-12-30 . AROUND THE NATION; Honolulu Voters Elect Democrats to Council . 2024-04-14 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  4. Web site: 2023-10-25 . Councilmembers Past . 2024-04-14 . www.honolulu.gov . en-gb.
  5. News: . Donna Mercado Kim chosen Hawaiʻi Senate president . Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald . Honolulu . 29 December 2012 . 5 May 2015 .
  6. News: Kauai's Kouchi replaces Kim as Senate president . Dayton . Kevin . 5 May 2015 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . 5 May 2015.
  7. News: Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim (D), a veteran of 31 years of public service. 1 February 2014. State Legislatures. 25 October 2018.
  8. News: Donna Mercado Kim enters race for US Congress. 8 November 2017. Hawaii News Now. 25 October 2018.
  9. News: Veteran state senator announces bid for Hanabusa's congressional seat. 2017-11-08. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 2018-10-25. en-US.
  10. News: 2018 Candidates for Congress - Korean Americans in Action. Korean Americans in Action. 2018-10-25. en-US.