Senator Mike Gabbard currently serves as chair of the committee on Energy and Environment. He is also a member of the committees on Judiciary & Labor, Technology & the Arts, and Transportation & International Affairs.

Senator Gabbard represents Hawaii's 20th Senatorial District and has served in the Hawaii State Senate since 2006. Gabbard served on the Honolulu City Council from 2003-2005.

Born on January 15, 1948 in American Samoa, Senator Gabbard and his wife, Carol, have five children: Bhakti, Jai, Ryan, Tulsi, and Vrindavan. Senator Gabbard is a graduate from Choctawhatchee High School and received a B.A. in English from California State University, Sonoma in 1971. He continued his education, receiving an M.A. in Adult Education with emphasis on community college administration from Oregon State University in 1980.