David Ige, a Democrat, currently serves as the governor of Hawaii. He has held the office since 2014 and is now term-limited. Ige’s term will expire in November this year, which means he is not eligible to participate in the upcoming Hawaii primary elections.

The top Democratic candidates for the governor’s office are Vicky Cayetano, Joshua Gree

An and Richard Kim. The Republican side will also see a crowded race.

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Who is David Ige?

David Ige, 65, was born and raised in Hawaii’s Pearl City. He attended public schools in Pearl City and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he met his wife, Dawn Amano-Ige. The couple has three children: Lauren, Amy and Matthew, who are currently pursuing their careers in the mainland United States. 

Before starting his political career in 1985, David Ige worked with an organisation called GTE Hawaiian Tel. He continued to work here for nearly two decades and pursued his master’s degree in Business Administration in Decisions Sciences at UH Manoa at the same time.

George Ariyoshi, the former governor of Hawaii, appointed David Ige to fill a vacancy in the state’s House of Representatives. He was elected to the state Senate about 9 years later and represented Pearl City. He served in the Senate till 2014.

Also Read: How the Inflation Reduction Act will impact rising costs in US

David Ige’s time as Hawaii’s governor

David Ige has had highs and lows through this time in the office. Roughly a year after being elected as the governor, David Ige was heavily criticised for Hawaii’s growing problem of homelessness. 

However, Ige is known for policies on climate action. Soon after the United States pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, Ige signed two bills that committed the state to be below designated greenhouse emission limits.