Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa, Hawaiʻi House of Representatives | District 6
Representative Kirstin Kahaloa serves in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, representing House District 6 in Kona on Hawaiʻi Island. First elected in 2022, she serves as Majority Caucus Leader, Chair of the Native Hawaiian Caucus, and is the highest-ranking Native Hawaiian in the House of Representatives. She serves on the Committees on Agriculture and Food Systems, Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, and Energy and Environmental Protection, and previously chaired the Agriculture and Food Systems Committee. 
<br><br>
Rep. Kahaloa is recognized as a leader on issues related to food sovereignty, biosecurity, sustainability, and economic opportunity. She has led legislative efforts to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s biosecurity systems, expand local food procurement, support food manufacturing and agricultural entrepreneurship, and protect iconic Hawaiʻi products such as Kona coffee, māmaki tea, and ʻōkolehao through truth-in-labeling and standards-of-identity laws. Her work reflects a commitment to building resilient local economies, supporting working families, and increasing Hawaiʻi’s self-sufficiency.
<br><br>
Before entering public office, Rep. Kahaloa spent more than a decade working in international education and later dedicated her career to advancing community and economic development in Hawaiʻi. She served as Executive Director of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, helped re-establish the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce on Hawaiʻi Island, and worked with organizations including Kamehameha Schools and the Blue Zones Project to advance local food production, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and community well-being.
<br><br>
Rep. Kahaloa holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science, with a minor in Japanese Studies, and a Master of Science in Public Service Administration from the University of Evansville. She also earned a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University. During her undergraduate studies, she studied abroad in Japan and the United Kingdom, where she attended Harlaxton College and completed an internship with the British Parliament.
<br><br>
A Native Hawaiian, Rep. Kahaloa was born and raised on Oʻahu and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools. She has deep family ties to Hawaiʻi Island, where both of her parents are from Hilo, with genealogical connections stretching from Waipiʻo to Puna and Kaʻū. She is a proud mother who enjoys spending time with family, supporting her daughter’s education activities, and exploring the places and traditions that make Hawaiʻi home.