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Donna Mercado Kim

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Donna Kim
Member of the Hawaii Senate
from the 14th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 7, 2000
Preceded byNorman Mizuguchi[1]
13th President of the Hawaii Senate
In office
December 28, 2012 – May 5, 2015
Preceded byShan Tsutsui
Succeeded byRon Kouchi
Member of the Honolulu City Council
In office
January 17, 1986 – July 26, 2000
Preceded byRudy Pacarro
Succeeded byRomy Cachola
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
from the 40th district
29th (1982–1984)
In office
1982–1985
Succeeded byKaren Horita
Personal details
Born (1952-01-31) January 31, 1952 (age 72)
Honolulu, Hawaii, US
Political partyDemocratic
ChildrenMicah Aiu
EducationUniversity of Hawaii, Manoa
Washington State University (BA)
WebsiteSenator Donna Mercado Kim

Donna Mercado Kim is an American Democratic party politician from Hawaii. She is a state senator from Senate District 14 and was President of the Hawaiʻi Senate for almost three years.

Education

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Kim attended, and graduated from Farrington High School, in Kalihi-Palama, Honolulu.[2] Kim is a graduate of Washington State University, although she also attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Kim majored in Recreation during her time at Washington State University with the original goal of becoming a recreation director back in Palama after she graduated. She worked at a hamburger restaurant and cocktail waitress in college to help pay for tuition.[3]

As a state senator, Kim is still highly involved in UH Manoa's governance. In January of 2024, she clashed with UH President David Lassner over state funding to repair student housing. Kim criticized the timing of the request, saying that the university for years has neglected student housing. She also noted that there were other funding sources the university could use.[4]

As of October 2024, Kim is helping both to find a new UH Manoa board member and a replacement for Lassner, who will step down at the end of 2024.[5]

Political career

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Kim describes how she stumbled upon a career in politics by change. In 1982, after she heard about classmates who were legislators, Kim wanted to run as well. She won a tight race by 29 votes to become a member of the Hawai'i House of Representatives.[3]

From 1982 to 1985, Kim was a member of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, where she represented the Moanalua, Aiea, and Kalihi communities of Hawaii.[6]

On October 5, 1985, voters recalled three members on the Honolulu City Council, leaving three vacant seats.[7] Kim won a special election to one of those seats on December 28, 1985 and served on the Honolulu City Council from 1986 to 2000.[8]

Elected to the Senate in 2000, Kim has chaired the Committee on Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs,[9] the Committee on Ways and Means, the Special Committee on Accountability, and the Task Force on Reinventing Government.

From 2003 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2013, Kim served as Vice President of the Senate.

In 2013, Kim became President of the Hawaiʻi Senate, replacing Shan Tsutsui who left the position to become Lieutenant Governor.[10] Kim's tenure as President of the Senate ended in 2015.[11]

In 2014, Kim ran for congress to fill the vacated seat of U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.[12] She lost the race to Mark Takai.[13]

In 2015, Kim was awarded the Korean American Foundation of Hawaii Light of the Orient Award for her contributions to the American American community in Hawaii.[14]

In 2018, Kim once again ran for 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, as she was running for governor, but lost to former congressman Ed Case.[15]

She currently serves as the Chair of the Committee on Higher Education and Vice Chair of Education.[16] She is also involved with community organizations like the Kalihi Business Association and the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce.[17] Throughout her long career in Hawaii state government, Kim has sponsored more than 40 bills and cosponsored more than 360 bills.[18]

Personal

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Kim was born in Honolulu to Andrew Kim and Lily Mercado Kim. Her father is Korean, while her mother is Spanish-Filipino-Portuguese.[19] Her maternal grandparents are Juan Mercado and Mary Carvalho Mercado Atienza. Her maternal great grandparents came from Portugal. Kim's paternal grandmother was a picture bride from Korea who married her paternal grandfather in Hawaii.[3]

She grew up near Palama Settlement on Lakimela Lane along with four other siblings. Kim grew up in a relatively poor environment and lived in tenement housing in the same building as her uncles. [3]

Kim is a devout Catholic, and she has one son.[3] In 2022, Kim and her son became the first mother-son duo to serve in the Hawaii legislature at the same time.[20]

In her free time, Kim has stated she likes sewing clothes and supporting craft fairs with locally crafted goods.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Shapiro, Treena. "Two vie for Mizuguchi’s Senate seat Harding faces 'worthy battle' against Abinsay". The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. October 13, 2000. "This year legislative and City Council veteran Donna Mercado Kim is the Democrat running to fill the vacancy created by Senate President Norman Mizuguchi's retirement."
  2. ^ Nabarro, Moanike'ala (July 15, 2018). "Congressional contender Donna Mercado Kim aims to make Hawaii's voice heard". KITV News 4. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Rath, Paula (May 9, 2023). "Oral History Interview with Senator Donna Mercado Kim".
  4. ^ Tagami, Megan (2024-01-11). "University of Hawaii Budget Request Faces Backlash From Senators". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  5. ^ Blair, Chad (2024-04-03). "UH Regents Are Stepping Up The Search For A New President". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  6. ^ "Hawaii Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D) | TrackBill". trackbill.com. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  7. ^ "Honolulu Voters Elect Democrats to Council". The New York Times. 1985-12-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-14 – via The Associated Press.
  8. ^ "Councilmembers Past". www.honolulu.gov. 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  9. ^ "About Donna Mercado Kim". www.donnamercadokim.com. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  10. ^ "Donna Mercado Kim chosen Hawaiʻi Senate president". Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald. Honolulu. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  11. ^ Dayton, Kevin (5 May 2015). "Kauai's Kouchi replaces Kim as Senate president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim (D), a veteran of 31 years of public service". State Legislatures. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Donna Mercado Kim enters race for US Congress". Hawaii News Now. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Senator Donna Mercado Kim". National Foundation for Women Legislators | WomenLegislators.org. 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  15. ^ "Veteran state senator announces bid for Hanabusa's congressional seat". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  16. ^ "About Donna Mercado Kim". www.donnamercadokim.com. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  17. ^ "Senator Donna Mercado Kim". National Foundation for Women Legislators | WomenLegislators.org. 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  18. ^ "Hawaii Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D) | TrackBill". trackbill.com. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  19. ^ "2018 Candidates for Congress - Korean Americans in Action". Korean Americans in Action. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  20. ^ George, Tom (2022-11-09). "Mother-son political duo prepares to make Hawaii history". KITV Island News. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  21. ^ Robertson, Dawna L. "Senator Donna Mercado Kim, chair of the State Tourism Committee, on holiday craft fairs." TravelAge West, vol. 41, no. 25, 27 Nov. 2006, p. 38. Gale Business: Entrepreneurship, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A156003451/SBRC?u=txshracd2542&sid=bookmark-SBRC&xid=3ca300df. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
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