Duke Aiona

James R. "Duke" Aiona Jr. (born June 8, 1955) is an American politician and jurist who served as the eleventh lieutenant governor of Hawaii under Linda Lingle from 2002 to 2010. A Republican, he also served both as an attorney and a judge for the state prior to becoming lieutenant governor.

Duke Aiona
Aiona in 2009
11th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
In office
December 4, 2002 – December 6, 2010
GovernorLinda Lingle
Preceded byMazie Hirono
Succeeded byBrian Schatz
Personal details
Born
James Aiona

(1955-06-08) June 8, 1955
Pearl City, Territory of Hawaii
Political partyRepublican
SpouseVivian Welsh
Children4
EducationUniversity of the Pacific (BA)
University of Hawaii, Manoa (JD)
Signature

Aiona was the Republican nominee for Governor of Hawaii in the 2010 election, but was defeated by Democrat Neil Abercrombie in the general election. He was the Republican nominee once again in the 2014 election, but lost to Democrat David Ige, since which he has done legal work and consulting. In June 2022, Aiona announced that he would run again for a third time in the Republican nomination for the 2022 election, which he lost to Democrat Josh Green, the incumbent Hawaii Lieutenant Governor. Aiona said he ran again due to "lack of a moral compass" and because basic issues have worsened without civility and transparency.[1] As of 2023, he is the most recent Republican to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii.

Background

James Aiona was born in Pearl City, Hawaiʻi. He is of Hawaiian and Portuguese descent on his father's side and Chinese on his mother's side. His mother worked as an elementary school teacher and his father worked as a life insurance agent. He attended Saint Louis School, a local academy of the Diocese of Honolulu. Upon graduating high school, Aiona played basketball at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California and pursued a bachelor of arts degree in political science, which he received from there in 1977. Aiona returned to Hawaiʻi and graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1981.[2]

He began his legal career at the City and County of Honolulu as a deputy prosecutor, and was appointed to the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary in 1990 as a Family Court judge. In 1996, while serving as Circuit Court judge, Aiona became the first administrative judge and primary architect of the Drug Court Program in Hawaiʻi. The program gives non-violent offenders a chance to stay out of prison through active and effective drug rehabilitation.

In 1977, while attending law school, he met Vivian Welsh at a dance in Waikīkī. They married in 1981. They have two sons, Kulia and Makana; and two daughters, Ohulani and Kaimilani.[2] As lieutenant governor, Aiona was paid $117,312 per annum.[3]

Electoral history
Lt Governor Aiona attending the 64th commemoration of the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Aiona and Governor Linda Lingle became Hawaii's first Republican administration to win a second term, and they won with the largest margin of victory in any gubernatorial race in the history of the state.[4] Aiona ran to succeed Lingle as governor in 2010, but lost to Neil Abercrombie; he ran for governor again in 2014, losing to Democrat David Ige.

2002 Hawaii gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Linda Lingle/James Aiona 194,338 51.6
Democratic Mazie Hirono/Matt Matsunaga 177,186 47.0
2006 Hawaii gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Linda Lingle/James Aiona (incumbent) 215,313 62.5 +10.9
Democratic Randy Iwase/Malama Solomon 121,717 35.4 −11.6
2010 Hawaii gubernatorial election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Neil Abercrombie / Brian Schatz 222,724 57.8 +22.4
Republican James Aiona / Lynn Finnegan 157,311 40.8 −21.7
Turnout 380,035 55.7
2014 Hawaii gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic David Ige / Shan Tsutsui 181,106 49.45 −8.35
Republican James Aiona / Elwin Ahu 135,775 37.08 −3.72
Independent Mufi Hannemann / Les Chang 42,934 11.72 N/A
Total votes 366,210 100.00 N/A
2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Josh Green / Sylvia Luke 259,901 63.2 +0.54
Republican James Aiona / Seaula Tupa'i Jr. 151,258 36.8 +3.09
Total votes 411,159 100.00 N/A

See also

References
  1. Richardson, Mahealani (June 15, 2022). "'We lack a moral compass': Duke Aiona finally explains his decision to join the race for governor". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  2. "Duke Aiona - Duke Aiona". Archived from the original on 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  3. The Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States: 2008" Archived October 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. http://hawaii.gov/ltgo/lg%5B%5D
  5. "Office of Elections" (PDF). hawaii.gov. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
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