Senator Gilbert Kahele was born in the fishing village of Miloli‘i in South Kona before moving to Hilo on Hawai‘i Island. Following his graduation from Hilo High School in 1960, Senator Kahele served in the U.S. Marine Corp until 1964 and graduated from Laney College in Oakland, California. After a few years on the Island of O‘ahu, he returned to his hometown in Hilo with his wife Linda in 1976 to raise their family. He retired from the Hawai‘i State Department of Defense after 33 years as the Director of Public Works, Pohakuloa Training Area.
On January 11, 2011, Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Gilbert Kahele as Senator for the 2nd District, encompassing the communities of Hilo, Puna and Ka‘u on Hawai‘i Island. In Senator Kahele's first race for public office, he was elected in 2012 to represent the community of Hilo, now known as the 1st Senatorial District as a result of reapportionment.
Senator Kahele's 2015 legislative accomplishments includes over $45.2 million dollars in new projects for Hilo through capital improvement projects and grant-in-aids, although we were faced with fiscal restraints this past year (see May 2015 Newsletter for more information).
He also served as the chairman of the Hawai‘i County Police Commission from 1988 to 1992 and was the Democratic Party's vice-chairman for East Hawai‘i. He also served as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Today Senator Kahele serves as the Chair of the Senate Tourism and International Affairs Committee, as well as Vice Chair of Higher Education and the Arts. He is also a member of the Senate committees on Judiciary and Labor and Education.