Governor of Hawaii
| Governor of the State of Hawaii Ke Kiaʻaina o Hawaiʻi |
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Flag of the Governor of Hawaii
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| Residence |
Washington Place Hale Kia Aina |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once |
| Inaugural holder | William F. Quinn |
| Formation | 1959 |
| Website | Office of the Governor |
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state. The governor is responsible for enforcing laws passed by the Hawaii State Legislature and upholding rulings of the Hawaii State Judiciary. The role includes being commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Hawaii and having the power to use those forces to execute laws, suppress insurrection and violence and repel invasion. The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii becomes acting governor upon the governor's absence from the state or if the governor is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office. Historically, the Governor of Hawaii has been from either the Democratic Party of Hawaii or Hawaii Republican Party.
The current Governor of Hawaii is Democrat David Ige, who assumed the position on December 1, 2014. Hawaii was the first state to have an Asian American governor; George R. Ariyoshi served three terms between 1974–1986. Currently the state has had three Asian American governors, one Native Hawaiian governor, and four white governors.
The Governor of Hawaii is limited to two four-year terms. Inauguration takes place on the first Monday in December following a gubernatorial election. A single term ends at noon four years later. There is no lifetime limit on the number of times a governor may be elected, but a governor who has been elected to two consecutive terms must be out of office for at least one election cycle before being eligible once again for re-election. A Governor is:
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor (running together on the same ticket) are the only two elected statewide executive officers in Hawaii. All other statewide executives (attorney general, auditor, etc.) are appointed by either the governor or the state legislature.
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