On September 7, 2010, Governor Linda Lingle appointed Ronald D. Kouchi to complete the term of the vacant eighth (formerly seventh) senatorial district.  Since then, Senator Kouchi has been elected to serve in his first term as the current senator representing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.
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Senator Kouchi secured his current position as President of the Hawai&#8216;i State Senate on May 5, 2015.  In the past, Senator Kouchi served as Majority Caucus Leader, Vice Chair for the committee on Tourism, and Vice Chair for the committee on Ways and Means.  He had also served as a member on the committees on Agriculture, Education, Transportation, and International Affairs. 
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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 Moines, Iowa.  Senator Kouchi is married to the former Joy Tanimoto and they have two sons, Dan and Egan.