Andria Tupola
| Andria Tupola | |
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| Minority Leader of the Hawaii House of Representatives | |
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Assumed office February 1, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Beth Fukumoto |
| Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 43rd district |
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Assumed office December 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Karen Awana |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1980 (age 36–37) Oahu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Music Professor |
Andria Tupola (born 1980) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Hawaii House of Representatives since December 2014 representing District 43 (Māʻili, Nānākuli, Ko Olina, Honokai Hale, Kalaeloa, Ewa). In 2015, she served as the minority floor leader for one year. She currently serves as the Minority Leader making her the first Samoan woman to serve in this position.
Andria was born in 1980 at Kahuku hospital to Bode Uale and Beth Parker on the island of Oʻahu. She comes from a long line of Polynesian leaders and pioneers from both parents. Her father was the first Samoan judge in the United States of America and a third generation immigrant from Samoa. Her mother is the daughter of the Grandmaster of Kenpo Karate, Ed Parker and was named mother of the year in 2004. The Parker family has roots in the Waimea and Kohala area especially at the Parker Ranch on Hawaii Island.
Andria was born and raised in Hawaii and attended Kamehameha Schools from 9-12 grade. She was the girls song contest director her sophomore year and a mass song contest director her senior year. Sheʻs played the piano since the age of 4, flute since the age of 10, and ukulele since the age of 14. Her love for music came from her mother who is a music educator and scholar. She pursued degrees in music education because of her love for voice and choir.
Tupola is a 1998 graduate of Kamehameha Schools in Kapālama, Honolulu. In 2005, She earned her bachelor's degree in music education from Brigham Young University, Utah. She earned her M.A. in music education in from the University of Hawaii, Manoa in 2011, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D in music education there with anticipated graduation date of 2017.
In 2014, Tupola was unopposed for the Republican primary in District 43, winning with 771 votes. She came into the race as a brand new candidate with no political background, only 4 years living in the community, and a predecessor who held the seat for eight years. In the general election, she faced incumbent Democrat Karen Awana and won with 56% of the vote unseating the only incumbent in the 2014 general election.
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