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{{short description|American politician}}
{{Short description|American politician (born 1948)}}
{{Copypaste|url=mikegabbard.com|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|birth_name=Gerald Michael Gabbard
| name = Mike Gabbard
|name=Mike Gabbard
| image = Mike Gabbard.jpg
| office = Member of the [[Hawaii Senate]]
|image = Mike Gabbard.jpg
| constituency = {{br list|19th district (2007–2012)|20th district (2012–2022)|21st district (2022–present)}}
|state_senate=Hawaii
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| term_start = November 2006
|state=Hawaii
⚫
| term_end =
|district=20th
| predecessor = Brian Kanno
⚫
|term_start=2006
| successor =
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|term_end=
| office1 = Member of the [[Honolulu City Council]]<br />from the 1st district
|preceded=
| term_start1 = 2002
|succeeded= Incumbent
| term_end1 = 2004
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|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1948|1|15|}}
| predecessor1 = Rene Mansho
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|birth_place=[[Fagatogo]], [[American Samoa]]
| successor1 = Todd Kala Apo
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|death_date=
| birth_name = Gerald Michael Gabbard
⚫
|death_place=
⚫
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|1|15|}}
|spouse=Carol Porter
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| birth_place = [[Fagatogo]], [[American Samoa]]
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|children=5, including [[Tulsi Gabbard|Tulsi]]
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| death_date =
|party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (2007–present)
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| death_place =
|otherparty= [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (2004-2007)
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| children = 5, including [[Tulsi Gabbard|Tulsi]]
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|alma_mater = [[Sonoma State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) <br> [[Oregon State University]] ([[Master of Education|M.Ed]])<ref name=bio/>
| relatives = [[Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard]]
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (1966–2004)<br />[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (2004–2007) <br />[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (2007–present)
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| education = {{ubl|[[Sonoma State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])|[[Oregon State University]] ([[Master of Education|MEd]])}}
| website = {{URL|mikegabbard.com|Official website}}
}}
}}
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'''Gerald Michael Gabbard''' (born January 15, 1948) is an American politician, serving as the [[Hawaii State Senate|Hawaii State Senator]] for District 21 from the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] party, since 2006. Gabbard rose to prominence for efforts to prevent same-sex marriage in Hawai'i by passing [[Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)|a 1998 amendment]] to the [[Constitution of Hawaii]] to give the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" under the 1996 [[Defense of Marriage Act|Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)]]. Gabbard, who was born in [[American Samoa]], is the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.


His daughter, [[Tulsi Gabbard]], served as a member of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] for [[Hawaii's 2nd congressional district|Hawaii's second congressional district]] from 2013 to 2021 and was a candidate for [[2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries|the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020]].
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'''Gerald Michael Gabbard''' (born January 15, 1948) is an American politician, serving as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[Hawaii]] State Senate for District 20 since 2006. Gabbard rose to prominence for his successful effort to pass [[Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)|a 1998 amendment]] to the [[Constitution of Hawaii]] to give the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" under the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act|Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)]] signed by [[Bill Clinton]] in 1996. Gabbard, who was born in [[American Samoa]], is the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Gabbard was born on January 15, 1948, in [[Fagatogo, American Samoa]], one of eight children of Aknesis Agnes (Yandall) and Benjamin Harrison Gabbard, Jr, a Samoan of American ancestry. Mike Gabbard is of Samoan and European descent from both his maternal and paternal ancestry. He was a U.S. citizen from birth because of his father's U.S. citizenship.{{Efn|"Section 301(e) Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for acquisition of U.S. citizenship by birth in outlying possessions to one U.S. citizen parent who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fam.state.gov/FAM/08FAM/08FAM030205.html|title=U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual|last=|first=|date=2018-06-27|website=fam.state.gov|at=Ch. 8 Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad § 302.5 Acquisition by Birth in American Samoa and Swains Island|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-12-29}}</ref>|name=Citizenship|group=}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mikegabbard.com/content/about-mike-gabbard|title=About Mike Gabbard|website=www.mikegabbard.com|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref> Gabbard lived in Hawaii as a child<ref name="honolulu_mag">{{Cite web|url=http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/August-2004/Who-is-Mike-Gabbard/|title=Who is Mike Gabbard?|last=Bolante|first=Ronna|date=August 1, 2004|magazine=[[Honolulu Magazine]]|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> and graduated from [[Choctawhatchee High School]] in [[Fort Walton Beach, Florida]]. He studied at [[San Francisco State University|San Francisco State College]]<ref name="playground">{{cite newspaper|title=Carol Porter engaged to G. Michael Gabbard|last=|first=|date=August 15, 1968|accessdate=|newspaper=[[Northwest Florida Daily News|Playground Daily News]]|url=|page=15}}</ref> and obtained a degree in English from [[Sonoma State College]] in 1971.<ref name=honolulu_mag /> He earned a [[master's degree]] in community college administration from [[Oregon State University]].<ref name="grassroots">{{Cite newspaper|title=Case and Gabbard turn to grass roots in congressional race|last=Dunford|first=Bruce|date=May 23, 2004|newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]|page=A13}}</ref><ref name=honolulu_mag />
Gabbard was born on January 15, 1948, in [[Fagatogo, American Samoa]], one of eight children of Aknesis Agnes (Yandall) and Benjamin Harrison Gabbard, Jr, a Samoan of American ancestry.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} Mike Gabbard is of Samoan and European descent from both his maternal and paternal ancestry.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} He was a U.S. citizen from birth because of his father's U.S. citizenship.{{Efn|"Section 301(e) Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for acquisition of U.S. citizenship by birth in outlying possessions to one U.S. citizen parent who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fam.state.gov/FAM/08FAM/08FAM030205.html|title=U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual|date=2018-06-27|website=fam.state.gov|at=Ch. 8 Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad § 302.5 Acquisition by Birth in American Samoa and Swains Island|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719010406/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/08FAM/08FAM030205.html|archive-date=July 19, 2018|access-date=2019-12-29}}</ref>|name=Citizenship|group=}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mikegabbard.com/content/about-mike-gabbard|title=About Mike Gabbard|website=www.mikegabbard.com|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref> Gabbard lived in Hawaii as a child<ref name="honolulu_mag">{{Cite web|url=http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/August-2004/Who-is-Mike-Gabbard/|title=Who is Mike Gabbard?|last=Bolante|first=Ronna|date=August 1, 2004|magazine=[[Honolulu Magazine]]|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> and graduated from [[Choctawhatchee High School]] in [[Fort Walton Beach, Florida]]. He studied at and obtained a degree in English from [[Sonoma State College]] in 1971.<ref name=honolulu_mag /> He earned a [[master's degree]] in community college administration from [[Oregon State University]].<ref name=honolulu_mag /><ref name="grassroots">{{Cite news|title=Case and Gabbard turn to grass roots in congressional race|last=Dunford|first=Bruce|date=May 23, 2004|newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]|page=A13}}</ref>


==Early career==
==Early career==
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Gabbard was a guidance counselor and later Assistant Dean of Instruction at [[American Samoa Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/67633/mike-gabbard#.XbEjmPexVrl|title=Mike Gabbard's biography: professional experience|accessdate=October 22, 2019|website=Vote Smart}}</ref> He also worked as a head tennis pro at the [[Turtle Bay Resort|Kuilima Hyatt Resort]] on the [[North Shore (Oahu)|North Shore]] of [[O'ahu]] in the late 1970s.<ref name=honolulu_mag />
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Gabbard taught high school English in American Samoa and was a guidance counselor and later Assistant Dean of Instruction, and Dean of Adult and Community Education at [[American Samoa Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/67633/mike-gabbard#.XbEjmPexVrl|title=Mike Gabbard's biography: professional experience|access-date=October 22, 2019|website=Vote Smart}}</ref> He also worked as a head tennis pro at the [[Turtle Bay Resort|Kuilima Hyatt Resort]] on the [[North Shore (Oahu)|North Shore]] of [[O'ahu]] in the mid 1970s.<ref name=honolulu_mag />


From 1983 to 1987, Gabbard worked as headmaster and teacher at Ponomauloa School in [[Wahiawa, Hawaii]].<ref name=grassroots /><ref>https://www.mikegabbard.com/content/mikes-biographical-information</ref>
From 1983 to 1987, Gabbard and his wife Carol established the Ponomauloa School in [[Wahiawa, Hawaii]], where he worked as headmaster and teacher; it closed after five years.<ref name=honolulu_mag /><ref name=grassroots /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mikegabbard.com/content/mikes-biographical-information |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206101315/http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/mikes-biographical-information |archive-date=December 6, 2014 |title=Mike's Biographical Information {{!}} www.mikegabbard.com}}</ref>


From 1988 to 1992, Gabbard and his wife owned The Natural Deli, a vegetarian health food restaurant in [[Moiliili, Hawaii]].<ref name="moiliili2">{{cite newspaper|title=Moiliili restaurant picketed by gay rights group closes|last=Tanahara|first=Kris|date=February 10, 1992|accessdate=|newspaper=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|url=|page=21}}</ref> Gabbard closed the restaurant following picketing by activists after Gabbard said on his self-funded radio show, "Let's Talk Straight Hawaii," on [[KWAI|K-108]], that "If [two applicants] were both the same, then I would take the one that is not homosexual."<ref name="moiliili" />
From 1988 to 1992, Gabbard and his wife owned The Natural Deli, a vegetarian restaurant within [[Moiliili, Hawaii|Moiliili, Hawaii's]] Down to Earth Natural Food Store.<ref name=honolulu_mag /><ref name="moiliili">{{cite news|title=Moiliili restaurant picketed by gay rights group closes|last=Tanahara|first=Kris|date=February 10, 1992|newspaper=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|page=21}}</ref> Gabbard closed the restaurant following picketing by activists after Gabbard said on his self-funded radio show, "Let's Talk Straight Hawaii", on [[KWAI (AM)|K-108]], that "If [two applicants] were both the same, then I would take the one that is not homosexual."<ref name="moiliili" />


In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gabbard and his wife worked for [[Hawaii State Senate|state Senator]] Rick Reed.<ref name="honolulu_mag" />
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gabbard and his wife worked for [[Hawaii State Senate|state Senator]] Rick Reed.<ref name="honolulu_mag" />
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In the early 1990s, Gabbard and his wife were listed as teachers for the [[Science of Identity Foundation]].<ref name="honolulu_mag" />
In the early 1990s, Gabbard and his wife were listed as teachers for the [[Science of Identity Foundation]].<ref name="honolulu_mag" />


Gabbard and his wife later started Hawaiian Toffee Treasures, a candy company in Honolulu.<ref name="love">{{cite web|title=A Love of Surfing Leads to a Proposal|last=Woletz|first=Bob|date=April 10, 2015|accessdate=2020-01-02|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/fashion/weddings/a-love-of-surfing-leads-to-a-proposal.html}}</ref><ref name="else">{{cite web|title=What Else Does Your Hawaii Lawmaker Do For a Living?|last=Shapiro|first=Treena|date=May 21, 2014|accessdate=2020-01-02|newspaper=[[Honolulu Magazine]]|url=http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Politics/May-2014/What-Else-Does-Your-Hawaii-Lawmaker-Do-For-a-Living/#.Xg5uh0dKjIV}}</ref>
Gabbard and his wife later started Hawaiian Toffee Treasures, a candy company in Honolulu.<ref name="love">{{cite web|title=A Love of Surfing Leads to a Proposal|last=Woletz|first=Bob|date=April 10, 2015|access-date=2020-01-02|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/fashion/weddings/a-love-of-surfing-leads-to-a-proposal.html}}</ref><ref name="else">{{cite web|title=What Else Does Your Hawaii Lawmaker Do For a Living?|last=Shapiro|first=Treena|date=May 21, 2014|access-date=2020-01-02|newspaper=[[Honolulu Magazine]]|url=http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Politics/May-2014/What-Else-Does-Your-Hawaii-Lawmaker-Do-For-a-Living/#.Xg5uh0dKjIV}}</ref>


==Activism==
==Activism==
===LGBT rights opposition===
=== Opposition to LGBT rights===
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Between 1991 and 1996, Gabbard founded the organization Stop Promoting Homosexuality Hawaii (renamed Stop Promoting Homosexuality International), Stop Promoting Homosexuality America, and the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/264226454/|title=Moiliili restaurant picketing by gay-rights group closes: They charge discrimination, he denies it|last=Tanahara|first=Kris M.|date=February 10, 1992|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Honolulu Advertiser|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/547928395/|title=Gay character may be a test for WB|last=Perkins|first=Ken Parish|date=30 Mar 1999|website=The Gazette at Newspapers.com|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/273596121/?terms=%22critics%2Bmisjudge%2Bfoes%22|title=Critics misjudge foes of gay marriage as haters|last=Gabbard|first=Mike|date=1996-03-05|work=Honolulu Star Bulletin|access-date=2019-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259031311/?terms=%22anti-gay%2Bgroups%2Bleery%22|title=Anti-gay groups leery of anti-abortion activist|last=Wiles|first=Greg|last2=Aragon|first2=Linda|date=29 Feb 1996|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Honolulu Advertiser|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/273213338/|title=Alliance loves gays, wants to help them|last=Mike|first=Gabbard|date=28 Jul 1997|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-01}}</ref> Gabbard became well known for his advocacy for [[Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)]]. This amendment, approved by voters 69.2–28.6%,<ref name="HAWAIIGOV1998">{{Citation|title=General Election 1998|date=November 3, 1998|url=http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/1998/general/98swgen.htm|publisher=Hawaii Office of Elections|accessdate=2010-07-06}}</ref> gave the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" under the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act|Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)]] signed by [[Bill Clinton]] in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/1998/10/19/hawaii.marriage.html|title=For better or worse |date= October 26, 1998|website=www.cnn.com|accessdate=January 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=honolulu_mag /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Hawaii_Legislative_Power_to_Reserve_Marriage,_Question_2_(1998)|title=Hawaii Legislative Power to Reserve Marriage, Question 2 (1998)|website=[[Ballotpedia]]|accessdate=January 30, 2019}}</ref>


Gabbard became an anti-homosexual activist before the same-sex marriage debate took hold in Hawaii.<ref name=honolulu_mag /> Between 1991 and 1996, Gabbard founded the organizations Stop Promoting Homosexuality Hawaii (renamed Stop Promoting Homosexuality International), Stop Promoting Homosexuality America, and the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values.<ref>Multiple sources:
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===Other activism work===
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/264226454/|title=Moiliili restaurant picketing by gay-rights group closes: They charge discrimination, he denies it|last=Tanahara|first=Kris M.|date=February 10, 1992|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Honolulu Advertiser|language=en|access-date=2019-11-01}}
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Shortly after [[9/11]], Gabbard founded Stand Up For America (SUFA), a non-profit educational organization.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us |url=http://www.standupforamerica.net/about.htm|accessdate=November 11, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229171850/http://www.standupforamerica.net/about.htm |archivedate=February 29, 2008 }}</ref>
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/547928395/|title=Gay character may be a test for WB|last=Perkins|first=Ken Parish|date=30 Mar 1999|website=The Gazette at Newspapers.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-31}}
*{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/273596121/?terms=%22critics%2Bmisjudge%2Bfoes%22|title=Critics misjudge foes of gay marriage as haters|last=Gabbard|first=Mike|date=1996-03-05|work=Honolulu Star Bulletin|access-date=2019-11-01}}
*{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259031311/?terms=%22anti-gay%2Bgroups%2Bleery%22|title=Anti-gay groups leery of anti-abortion activist|last1=Wiles|first1=Greg|last2=Aragon|first2=Linda|date=29 Feb 1996|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Honolulu Advertiser|language=en|access-date=2019-11-01}}
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*{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/273213338/|title=Alliance loves gays, wants to help them|last=Mike|first=Gabbard|date=28 Jul 1997|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|language=en|access-date=2019-11-01}}</ref> Gabbard became well-known for his advocacy for [[Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)]]. This amendment, approved by voters 69.2%–28.6%,<ref name="HAWAIIGOV1998">{{Citation|title=General Election 1998|date=November 3, 1998|url=http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/1998/general/98swgen.htm|publisher=Hawaii Office of Elections|access-date=2010-07-06}}</ref> gave the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" under the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act|Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)]], signed by [[Bill Clinton]] in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/1998/10/19/hawaii.marriage.html|title=For better or worse |date= October 26, 1998|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=honolulu_mag /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Hawaii_Legislative_Power_to_Reserve_Marriage,_Question_2_(1998)|title=Hawaii Legislative Power to Reserve Marriage, Question 2 (1998)|website=[[Ballotpedia]]|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref>


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===Other activism===
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In 2007, Gabbard 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 the community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/about-mike-gabbard|title=About Mike Gabbard|website=www.mikegabbard.com|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref>
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Shortly after [[9/11]], Gabbard founded Stand Up For America (SUFA), a non-profit educational organization.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us |url=http://www.standupforamerica.net/about.htm|access-date=November 11, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229171850/http://www.standupforamerica.net/about.htm |archive-date=February 29, 2008 }}</ref>

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In 2007, Gabbard co-founded the non-profit Aloha Parenting Project (APP) with his wife Carol.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/about-mike-gabbard|title=About Mike Gabbard|website=www.mikegabbard.com|access-date=2019-10-25|archive-date=December 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219134310/http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/about-mike-gabbard|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Political career==
==Political career==
Gabbard was elected to the [[Honolulu City Council]] in a nonpartisan race in 2002.<ref name="2002_council">{{cite news|title=Ex-legislators predominate City Council|last=Shapiro|first=Treena|date=November 6, 2002|newspaper=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|page=A-5}}</ref>
Gabbard was elected to the [[Honolulu City Council]] in a nonpartisan race in 2002.<ref name="2002_council">{{cite news|title=Ex-legislators predominate City Council|last=Shapiro|first=Treena|date=November 6, 2002|newspaper=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|page=A-5}}</ref>


In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] for the [[Second Congressional District of Hawaii]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]], losing to [[Ed Case]].<ref name=case>{{cite news |url=|title=Case and Gabbard turn to grass roots in congressional race|last=Dunford|first=Bruce|date=May 23, 2004|newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]<!--|accessdate=October 20, 2019-->}}</ref>
In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] for the [[Second Congressional District of Hawaii]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]], losing to [[Hawaii House of Representatives|state Representative]] [[Ed Case]].<ref name=case>{{cite news |title=Case and Gabbard turn to grass roots in congressional race|last=Dunford|first=Bruce|date=May 23, 2004|newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]<!--|access-date=October 20, 2019-->}}</ref>


On March 21, 2006, Gabbard announced his plans to run for the [[Hawaii State Senate]] in West Oahu's District 19, a seat then held by 14-year incumbent Senator [[Brian Kanno]], who decided not to run for reelection.<ref name="kanno-won't">{{cite news|last=DePledge|first=Derrick|title=Kanno won't seek re-election to Senate|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/May/05/ln/FP605050352.html|accessdate=November 18, 2012|newspaper=Honolulu Advertiser|date=May 5, 2006}}</ref> On November 7, 2006, Gabbard defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin to represent the district in the [[Hawaii State Senate]]. Gabbard was sworn in on January 17, 2007.<ref name=swearing-in>{{cite web|title=Gabbard Takes The Oath of Office at Hawaii State Senate|url=http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/gabbard-takes-oath-office-hawaii-state-senate|work=Press Releases|publisher=MikeGabbard.com|accessdate=November 11, 2012}}</ref> Gabbard, who was born in [[American Samoa]], became the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.<ref name=scalendar>{{cite web |first=Sam |last=Sorensen |title=The Samoan Historical Calendar 1606–2008 |page=272 |url=http://americansamoa.gov/sites/default/files/governors/samhist_forweb.pdf |publisher=Office of the Governor American Samoa Government |year=2008 |accessdate=August 17, 2011}}</ref>
On March 21, 2006, Gabbard announced his plans to run for the [[Hawaii State Senate]] in West Oahu's District 19, after 14-year incumbent Senator [[Brian Kanno]] decided not to run for reelection.<ref name="kanno-won't">{{cite news|last=DePledge|first=Derrick|title=Kanno won't seek re-election to Senate|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/May/05/ln/FP605050352.html|access-date=November 18, 2012|newspaper=Honolulu Advertiser|date=May 5, 2006}}</ref> On November 7, 2006, Gabbard defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin, to represent the district in the [[Hawaii State Senate]]. Gabbard was sworn in on January 17, 2007.<ref name=swearing-in>{{cite web|title=Gabbard Takes The Oath of Office at Hawaii State Senate|url=http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/gabbard-takes-oath-office-hawaii-state-senate|work=Press Releases|publisher=MikeGabbard.com|access-date=November 11, 2012}}</ref> Gabbard, who was born in [[American Samoa]], became the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.<ref name=scalendar>{{cite web |first=Sam |last=Sorensen |title=The Samoan Historical Calendar 1606–2007 |page=272 |url=http://americansamoa.gov/history/samhist_forweb.pdf |publisher=Office of the Governor American Samoa Government |date=2008 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119232558/http://americansamoa.gov/history/samhist_forweb.pdf |archive-date=19 November 2010 }}</ref>


On August 30, 2007, Gabbard switched from the [[Republican Party of Hawaii]] to the [[Democratic Party of Hawaii]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Aug/31/ln/hawaii708310349.html|title=DePledge, Derrick (August 31, 2007) "Sen. Gabbard bolts GOP for Democratic Party," Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2018-10-16}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Citation| last=Au| first=Laurie| title=Signing ceremony turns Gabbard into Democrat| date=August 31, 2007| newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin| url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/08/31/news/story03.html| accessdate=2009-04-28}}</ref>
On August 30, 2007, Gabbard switched from the [[Republican Party of Hawaii]] to the [[Democratic Party of Hawaii]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Aug/31/ln/hawaii708310349.html|title=DePledge, Derrick (August 31, 2007) "Sen. Gabbard bolts GOP for Democratic Party," Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2018-10-16}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Citation| last=Au| first=Laurie| title=Signing ceremony turns Gabbard into Democrat| date=August 31, 2007| newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin| url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/08/31/news/story03.html| access-date=2009-04-28}}</ref>


On November 2, 2010, Gabbard was re-elected for a second term to the Hawaii State Senate after defeating Republican Aaron Bonar by a 74% to 26% margin.<ref name="Mike Gabbard">{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Gabbard|title=Mike Gabbard|website=Ballotpedia|language=en|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref> He was the Chair of the Energy & Environment Committee from 2009 to 2015, culminating with his leadership on the passage of a first-in-the-nation law to require Hawaii utilities to get 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable energy sources by 2045.<ref>{{cite web|website=|date=April 1, 2016|author=Stuart H. Coleman|title=The Politics of Power|url=https://greenmagazinehawaii.com/the-politics-of-power/}}</ref>
On November 2, 2010, Gabbard was re-elected for a second term to the Hawaii State Senate, after defeating Republican Aaron Bonar by a 74% to 26% margin.<ref name="Mike Gabbard">{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Gabbard|title=Mike Gabbard|website=Ballotpedia|language=en|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref> Gabbard served as the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee from 2009 to 2015, which culminated with his leadership on the passage of a first-in-the-nation law to require Hawaii utilities to get 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable energy sources by 2045.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 1, 2016|author=Stuart H. Coleman|title=The Politics of Power|url=https://greenmagazinehawaii.com/the-politics-of-power/}}</ref>


On November 6, 2012, Gabbard defeated Republican candidate Dean Capelouto, 72% to 28%, to represent the newly reapportioned Hawaii State Senate District 20.<ref name="Mike Gabbard"/>
On November 6, 2012, Gabbard defeated Republican candidate Dean Capelouto, 72% to 28%, to represent the newly reapportioned Hawaii State Senate District 20.<ref name="Mike Gabbard"/>


During the 2016 election cycle, Gabbard was unopposed and was re-elected to the Hawaii State Senate for a four-year term on November 8, 2016.<ref name="Mike Gabbard"/>
During the 2016 election cycle, Gabbard was unopposed, and was re-elected to the Hawaii State Senate for a four-year term on November 8, 2016.<ref name="Mike Gabbard"/>


==Political positions==
==Political positions==
Gabbard opposes [[same-sex marriage]] and civil unions. He believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman.<ref name="youtube-5questions">{{cite web|title=5 Questions with NEWSmaker Senator Mike Gabbard|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKNxIpHXWZQ|work=HawaiiReporter|publisher=[[YouTube]]|accessdate=November 12, 2012|author=Hamada, Rick |date=June 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tulsi-gabbards-father-i-never-realized-how-much-trauma-i-put-her-through</ref>
Gabbard opposes [[same-sex marriage]] and civil unions. He believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman.<ref name="youtube-5questions">{{cite web|title=5 Questions with NEWSmaker Senator Mike Gabbard|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKNxIpHXWZQ|work=HawaiiReporter|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 12, 2012|author=Hamada, Rick |date=June 24, 2011}}</ref>


In 2016, while serving as the Chair of the Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee Gabbard authored a law banning the sale of any part or product of endangered species, such as elephant ivory.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Washington Post|author=Marina Starleaf Riker|title=Ivory merchants in Hawaii may be forced to close|date=March 27, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ivory-merchants-in-hawaii-may-be-forced-to-close/2016/03/27/f6584bcc-f46c-11e5-9804-537defcc3cf6_story.html}}</ref>
In 2016, while serving as the Chair of the Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee, Gabbard authored a bill banning the sale of parts and products of [[endangered species]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Washington Post|author=Marina Starleaf Riker|title=Ivory merchants in Hawaii may be forced to close|date=March 27, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ivory-merchants-in-hawaii-may-be-forced-to-close/2016/03/27/f6584bcc-f46c-11e5-9804-537defcc3cf6_story.html}}</ref>


In 2018, he authored and helped pass legislation to implement a statewide ban on sunscreens that contain the controversial chemicals [[oxybenzone]] and [[octinoxate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2571&year=2018|title=SB2571 SD2 HD2 CD1|date=July 6, 2018|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref> Gabbard also advocated banning the pesticide [[chlorpyrifos]]; when the law was signed into effect, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to enact a chlorpyrifos ban.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=3095&year=2018|title=SB3095 SD1 HD1 CD1|last=|first=|date=June 14, 2018|access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Hawaii law bans use of pesticide |url=https://www.khon2.com/news/new-hawaii-law-bans-use-of-pesticide/ |accessdate=22 July 2019 |agency=KHON2 |publisher=Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. |date=13 June 2018}}</ref>
In 2018, Gabbard authored legislation that enacted a statewide ban on sunscreens that contained the controversial chemicals [[oxybenzone]] and [[octinoxate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2571&year=2018|title=SB2571 SD2 HD2 CD1|date=July 6, 2018|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref> The bill also included a ban on the pesticide [[chlorpyrifos]], and upon enactment, Hawaii became the first state to ban the substance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=3095&year=2018|title=SB3095 SD1 HD1 CD1|date=June 14, 2018|access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Hawaii law bans use of pesticide |url=https://www.khon2.com/news/new-hawaii-law-bans-use-of-pesticide/ |access-date=22 July 2019 |agency=KHON2 |publisher=Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. |date=13 June 2018}}</ref>


In 2021, Gabbard reintroduced the Hawaii Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act, which passed the [[Hawaii State Legislature]] and would make Hawaii the sixth state to ban cosmetic [[animal testing]], after having previously introduced the bill in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rabb|first=Maxwell|date=2021-05-03|title=Hawaii Becomes the Sixth US State to Ban Cosmetic Animal Testing|url=https://929nin.com/hawaii-becomes-the-sixth-us-state-to-ban-cosmetic-animal-testing/|access-date=2021-05-06|website=92.9 NIN|language=en|via=KNIN-FM (Wichita Falls)}}</ref> He received [[Cruelty Free International]]'s May 2021 award for Legislator of the Month.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-02|title=Hawaii Lawmaker is our May Legislator of the Month|url=https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/what-we-do/latest-news-and-updates/hawaii-lawmaker-our-may-legislator-month|access-date=2021-05-06|website=Cruelty Free International}}</ref> He also introduced and passed SCR44, a resolution which made Hawaii the first state to declare a "[[Climate emergency declaration|climate emergency]]".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelley|first=Alexandra|date=2021-04-29|title=Hawaii to become the first state to declare climate emergency|url=https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/climate-change/550916-hawaii-to-become-the-first-state-to-declare|access-date=2021-05-06|website=TheHill|language=en}}</ref>
⚫
He is currently the Chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee and is focused on increasing local food production, implementing his initiative to establish an [[industrial hemp]] pilot program under the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture, and protecting the environment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=gabbard|title=Legislative Members|website=www.capitol.hawaii.gov|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref>


⚫
He is currently the Chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=gabbard|title=Legislative Members|website=www.capitol.hawaii.gov|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref>
==Personal life==
A socially conservative Catholic, Gabbard serves as a lector at St. Jude Catholic Church in [[Makakilo, Hawaii]].<ref name=bio>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mikegabbard.com/content/mikes-biographical-information|title=Mike Gabbard's Biographical Information|last=|first=|date=|website=www.mikegabbard.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tulsi-gabbards-father-i-never-realized-how-much-trauma-i-put-her-through|title=Tulsi Gabbard’s father: 'I never realized how much trauma I put her through'|last=Yilek|first=Caitlin|date=2019-01-20|website=Washington Examiner|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cbs2iowa.com/news/beyond-the-podium/profile-rep-tulsi-gabbard|title=PROFILE: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard|last=Weig|first=Nick|date=2019-01-16|website=KGAN|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref> His daughter, [[Tulsi Gabbard]], is currently a member of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] for [[Hawaii's 2nd congressional district|Hawaii's Second District]] and a [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 U.S. Presidential candidate]].


==See also==
==Personal life==
Gabbard is married to Carol (née Porter).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mike's Life|url=https://www.mikegabbard.com/mikes-life|access-date=2020-09-22|website=Senator Mike Gabbard|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mendoza|first=Jim|date=February 1, 2013|title=The Gabbards: Raising Hawaii's next political star (Part 1)|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/20929142/the-gabbards-raising-hawaiis-next-political-star-5pm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416120021/https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/20929142/the-gabbards-raising-hawaiis-next-political-star-5pm/|archive-date=April 16, 2020|website=Hawaii News Now}}</ref> A socially conservative [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], Gabbard serves as a [[lector]] at St. Jude Catholic Church in [[Makakilo, Hawaii]].<ref name=bio>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mikegabbard.com/content/mikes-biographical-information|title=Mike Gabbard's Biographical Information|website=www.mikegabbard.com|access-date=2019-10-23|archive-date=December 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206101315/http://www.mikegabbard.com/content/mikes-biographical-information|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tulsi-gabbards-father-i-never-realized-how-much-trauma-i-put-her-through|title=Tulsi Gabbard's father: 'I never realized how much trauma I put her through'|last=Yilek|first=Caitlin|date=2019-01-20|website=Washington Examiner|language=en|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cbs2iowa.com/news/beyond-the-podium/profile-rep-tulsi-gabbard|title=PROFILE: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard|last=Weig|first=Nick|date=2019-01-16|website=KGAN|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref> Mike's daughter Tulsi Gabbard is a politician. In the 1970s, Gabbard and his wife became devotees of Chris Butler, whom they called Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, who founded the [[Science of Identity Foundation]]; Gabbard's sister Caroline, described it as the "[[alt-right]] of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishna movement]]." Gabbard became vegetarian and gave his children [[Hindu]] names.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Howley|first=Kerry|date=June 11, 2019|title=Tulsi Gabbard Had a Very Strange Childhood|newspaper=[[New York (magazine)|New York Magazine]]|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-campaign.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213235130/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-campaign.html|archive-date=February 13, 2020}}</ref>
⚫
* [[List of American politicians who switched parties in office]]
[[Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard|Caroline]] died in a stabbing in May 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/06/01/prominent-gabbard-family-mourns-retired-uh-professor-writer-murdered-samoa/ | title=Prominent Gabbard family mourns retired UH professor, writer murdered in Samoa | date=June 2024 }}</ref>


==Notes==
==Notes==
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{official website}}
*{{official website}}
*{{C-SPAN|MikeGabbard}}
*{{C-SPAN|42470}}
* {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=67633 | fec= | congress= }}<!--
* {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=67633 | fec= | congress= }}<!--
Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template:
Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template:
* [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=8719 Financial information (state office)] at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
* [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=8719 Financial information (state office)] at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
* [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/mikegabbard Appearances] on [[C-SPAN]] programs -->
* [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/mikegabbard Appearances] on [[C-SPAN]] programs -->

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Rene Mansho}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Honolulu City Council]]<br />from the 1st district|years=2002–2004}}
{{s-aft|after=Todd Kala Apo}}
|-
{{s-par|us-hi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=Brian Kanno}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Hawaii Senate]]<br />from the 19th district|years=2006–2012}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Will Espero]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Will Espero]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Hawaii Senate]]<br />from the 20th district|years=2012–present}}
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{{Hawaii State Senate}}
{{Hawaii State Senate}}
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[[Category:American people of Samoan descent]]
[[Category:American people of Samoan descent]]
[[Category:American Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:American Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Hawaii state senators]]
[[Category:American anti-same-sex-marriage activists]]
[[Category:Republican Party Hawaii state senators]]
[[Category:Honolulu City Council members]]
[[Category:Honolulu City Council members]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Oregon State University alumni]]
[[Category:Oregon State University alumni]]
[[Category:American Samoan politicians]]
[[Category:American Samoan politicians]]
[[Category:Hawaii Democrats]]
[[Category:21st-century American legislators]]
[[Category:Hawaii Republicans]]
[[Category:21st-century American politicians]]
[[Category:Choctawhatchee High School alumni]]
[[Category:Choctawhatchee High School alumni]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from Hawaii]]
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[[Category:American politicians who switched parties]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Hawaii state senators]]

Latest revision as of 11:58, 4 September 2024

Mike Gabbard
Member of the Hawaii Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 2006
Preceded byBrian Kanno
Constituency19th district (2007–2012)
20th district (2012–2022)
21st district (2022–present)
Member of the Honolulu City Council
from the 1st district
In office
2002–2004
Preceded byRene Mansho
Succeeded byTodd Kala Apo
Personal details
Born
Gerald Michael Gabbard

(1948-01-15) January 15, 1948 (age 76)
Fagatogo, Amerikanisch-Samoa
Political partyIndependent (1966–2004)
Republican (2004–2007)
Democratic (2007–present)
Children5, including Tulsi
RelativesCaroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard
Bildung
WebsiteOfficial website

Gerald Michael Gabbard (born January 15, 1948) is an American politician, serving as the Hawaii State Senator for District 21 from the Democratic party, since 2006. Gabbard rose to prominence for efforts to prevent same-sex marriage in Hawai'i by passing a 1998 amendment to the Constitution of Hawaii to give the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Gabbard, who was born in American Samoa, is the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.

His daughter, Tulsi Gabbard, served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Hawaii's second congressional district from 2013 to 2021 and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Early life and education

[edit]

Gabbard was born on January 15, 1948, in Fagatogo, American Samoa, one of eight children of Aknesis Agnes (Yandall) and Benjamin Harrison Gabbard, Jr, a Samoan of American ancestry.[citation needed] Mike Gabbard is of Samoan and European descent from both his maternal and paternal ancestry.[citation needed] He was a U.S. citizen from birth because of his father's U.S. citizenship.[a][2] Gabbard lived in Hawaii as a child[3] and graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He studied at and obtained a degree in English from Sonoma State College in 1971.[3] He earned a master's degree in community college administration from Oregon State University.[3][4]

Early career

[edit]

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Gabbard taught high school English in American Samoa and was a guidance counselor and later Assistant Dean of Instruction, and Dean of Adult and Community Education at American Samoa Community College.[5] He also worked as a head tennis pro at the Kuilima Hyatt Resort on the North Shore of O'ahu in the mid 1970s.[3]

From 1983 to 1987, Gabbard and his wife Carol established the Ponomauloa School in Wahiawa, Hawaii, where he worked as headmaster and teacher; it closed after five years.[3][4][6]

From 1988 to 1992, Gabbard and his wife owned The Natural Deli, a vegetarian restaurant within Moiliili, Hawaii's Down to Earth Natural Food Store.[3][7] Gabbard closed the restaurant following picketing by activists after Gabbard said on his self-funded radio show, "Let's Talk Straight Hawaii", on K-108, that "If [two applicants] were both the same, then I would take the one that is not homosexual."[7]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gabbard and his wife worked for state Senator Rick Reed.[3]

In the early 1990s, Gabbard and his wife were listed as teachers for the Science of Identity Foundation.[3]

Gabbard and his wife later started Hawaiian Toffee Treasures, a candy company in Honolulu.[8][9]

Activism

[edit]

Opposition to LGBT rights

[edit]

Gabbard became an anti-homosexual activist before the same-sex marriage debate took hold in Hawaii.[3] Between 1991 and 1996, Gabbard founded the organizations Stop Promoting Homosexuality Hawaii (renamed Stop Promoting Homosexuality International), Stop Promoting Homosexuality America, and the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values.[10] Gabbard became well-known for his advocacy for Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998). This amendment, approved by voters 69.2%–28.6%,[11] gave the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" under the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), signed by Bill Clinton in 1996.[12][3][13]

Other activism

[edit]

Shortly after 9/11, Gabbard founded Stand Up For America (SUFA), a non-profit educational organization.[14]

In 2007, Gabbard co-founded the non-profit Aloha Parenting Project (APP) with his wife Carol.[15]

Political career

[edit]

Gabbard was elected to the Honolulu City Council in a nonpartisan race in 2002.[16]

In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the Second Congressional District of Hawaii in the United States House of Representatives, losing to state Representative Ed Case.[17]

On March 21, 2006, Gabbard announced his plans to run for the Hawaii State Senate in West Oahu's District 19, after 14-year incumbent Senator Brian Kanno decided not to run for reelection.[18] On November 7, 2006, Gabbard defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin, to represent the district in the Hawaii State Senate. Gabbard was sworn in on January 17, 2007.[19] Gabbard, who was born in American Samoa, became the first person of Samoan descent to serve in the Hawaii Senate.[20]

On August 30, 2007, Gabbard switched from the Republican Party of Hawaii to the Democratic Party of Hawaii.[21] 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.[22]

On November 2, 2010, Gabbard was re-elected for a second term to the Hawaii State Senate, after defeating Republican Aaron Bonar by a 74% to 26% margin.[23] Gabbard served as the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee from 2009 to 2015, which culminated with his leadership on the passage of a first-in-the-nation law to require Hawaii utilities to get 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable energy sources by 2045.[24]

On November 6, 2012, Gabbard defeated Republican candidate Dean Capelouto, 72% to 28%, to represent the newly reapportioned Hawaii State Senate District 20.[23]

During the 2016 election cycle, Gabbard was unopposed, and was re-elected to the Hawaii State Senate for a four-year term on November 8, 2016.[23]

Political positions

[edit]

Gabbard opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions. He believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman.[25]

In 2016, while serving as the Chair of the Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee, Gabbard authored a bill banning the sale of parts and products of endangered species.[26]

In 2018, Gabbard authored legislation that enacted a statewide ban on sunscreens that contained the controversial chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate.[27] The bill also included a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos, and upon enactment, Hawaii became the first state to ban the substance.[28][29]

In 2021, Gabbard reintroduced the Hawaii Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act, which passed the Hawaii State Legislature and would make Hawaii the sixth state to ban cosmetic animal testing, after having previously introduced the bill in 2018.[30] He received Cruelty Free International's May 2021 award for Legislator of the Month.[31] He also introduced and passed SCR44, a resolution which made Hawaii the first state to declare a "climate emergency".[32]

He is currently the Chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee.[33]

Personal life

[edit]

Gabbard is married to Carol (née Porter).[34][35] A socially conservative Catholic, Gabbard serves as a lector at St. Jude Catholic Church in Makakilo, Hawaii.[36][37][38] Mike's daughter Tulsi Gabbard is a politician. In the 1970s, Gabbard and his wife became devotees of Chris Butler, whom they called Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, who founded the Science of Identity Foundation; Gabbard's sister Caroline, described it as the "alt-right of the Hare Krishna movement." Gabbard became vegetarian and gave his children Hindu names.[39] Caroline died in a stabbing in May 2024.[40]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Section 301(e) Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for acquisition of U.S. citizenship by birth in outlying possessions to one U.S. citizen parent who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person."[1]

References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual". fam.state.gov. June 27, 2018. Ch. 8 Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad § 302.5 Acquisition by Birth in American Samoa and Swains Island. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  2. ^ "About Mike Gabbard". www.mikegabbard.com. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bolante, Ronna (August 1, 2004). "Who is Mike Gabbard?". Honolulu Magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Dunford, Bruce (May 23, 2004). "Case and Gabbard turn to grass roots in congressional race". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. A13.
  5. ^ "Mike Gabbard's biography: professional experience". Vote Smart. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  6. ^ "Mike's Biographical Information | www.mikegabbard.com". Archived from the original on December 6, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Tanahara, Kris (February 10, 1992). "Moiliili restaurant picketed by gay rights group closes". The Honolulu Advertiser. p. 21.
  8. ^ Woletz, Bob (April 10, 2015). "A Love of Surfing Leads to a Proposal". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  9. ^ Shapiro, Treena (May 21, 2014). "What Else Does Your Hawaii Lawmaker Do For a Living?". Honolulu Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  10. ^ Multiple sources:
  11. ^ General Election 1998, Hawaii Office of Elections, November 3, 1998, retrieved July 6, 2010
  12. ^ "For better or worse". www.cnn.com. October 26, 1998. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  13. ^ "Hawaii Legislative Power to Reserve Marriage, Question 2 (1998)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  14. ^ "About Us". Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ "About Mike Gabbard". www.mikegabbard.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  16. ^ Shapiro, Treena (November 6, 2002). "Ex-legislators predominate City Council". The Honolulu Advertiser. p. A-5.
  17. ^ Dunford, Bruce (May 23, 2004). "Case and Gabbard turn to grass roots in congressional race". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  18. ^ DePledge, Derrick (May 5, 2006). "Kanno won't seek re-election to Senate". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  19. ^ "Gabbard Takes The Oath of Office at Hawaii State Senate". Press Releases. MikeGabbard.com. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  20. ^ Sorensen, Sam (2008). "The Samoan Historical Calendar 1606–2007" (PDF). Office of the Governor American Samoa Government. p. 272. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  21. ^ "DePledge, Derrick (August 31, 2007) "Sen. Gabbard bolts GOP for Democratic Party," Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2018-10-16".
  22. ^ Au, Laurie (August 31, 2007), "Signing ceremony turns Gabbard into Democrat", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, retrieved April 28, 2009
  23. ^ a b c "Mike Gabbard". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  24. ^ Stuart H. Coleman (April 1, 2016). "The Politics of Power".
  25. ^ Hamada, Rick (June 24, 2011). "5 Questions with NEWSmaker Senator Mike Gabbard". HawaiiReporter. YouTube. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  26. ^ Marina Starleaf Riker (March 27, 2016). "Ivory merchants in Hawaii may be forced to close". Washington Post.
  27. ^ "SB2571 SD2 HD2 CD1". July 6, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  28. ^ "SB3095 SD1 HD1 CD1". June 14, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  29. ^ "Hawaii law bans use of pesticide". Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. KHON2. June 13, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  30. ^ Rabb, Maxwell (May 3, 2021). "Hawaii Becomes the Sixth US State to Ban Cosmetic Animal Testing". 92.9 NIN. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via KNIN-FM (Wichita Falls).
  31. ^ "Hawaii Lawmaker is our May Legislator of the Month". Cruelty Free International. May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  32. ^ Kelley, Alexandra (April 29, 2021). "Hawaii to become the first state to declare climate emergency". TheHill. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  33. ^ "Legislative Members". www.capitol.hawaii.gov. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  34. ^ "Mike's Life". Senator Mike Gabbard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  35. ^ Mendoza, Jim (February 1, 2013). "The Gabbards: Raising Hawaii's next political star (Part 1)". Hawaii News Now. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020.
  36. ^ "Mike Gabbard's Biographical Information". www.mikegabbard.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  37. ^ Yilek, Caitlin (January 20, 2019). "Tulsi Gabbard's father: 'I never realized how much trauma I put her through'". Washington Examiner. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  38. ^ Weig, Nick (January 16, 2019). "PROFILE: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard". KGAN. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  39. ^ Howley, Kerry (June 11, 2019). "Tulsi Gabbard Had a Very Strange Childhood". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  40. ^ "Prominent Gabbard family mourns retired UH professor, writer murdered in Samoa". June 2024.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Mike Gabbard.
Political offices
Preceded by
Rene Mansho
 Member of the Honolulu City Council
from the 1st district
2002–2004 		Succeeded by
Todd Kala Apo
Hawaii Senate
Preceded by
Brian Kanno
 Member of the Hawaii Senate
from the 19th district
2006–2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Hawaii Senate
from the 20th district
2012–present 		Incumbent
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