On September 7, 2010, Governor Linda Lingle appointed Ronald D. Kouchi to complete the term of the vacant seventh senatorial district.  Since then Senator Kouchi has been elected to serve in his second term as the current senator representing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.  
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Senator Kouchi currently serves as Vice President of the Senate, as well as Majority Caucus Leader.  He is the Vice Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, and also serves as a member on the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, and the Committee on Ways and Means.  
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Raised on Kaua&#8216;i's Westside, Senator Kouchi graduated from Waimea High School in 1975 and attended Drake University in Des Monies, Iowa.  Senator Kouchi is married to the former Joy Tanimoto and has two sons, Dan and Egan.  Dan is currently working in Washington, DC for U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono and Egan is a senior attending Western Oregon University.