James Kealoha
| James Kealoha | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
|
In office August 21, 1959 – December 2, 1962 |
|
| Governor | William F. Quinn |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | William S. Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Kimo Kealoha April 29, 1908 Pahoa, Territory of Hawaii |
| Died | August 24, 1983 (aged 75) Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Politician |
James Kimo Kealoha (April 29, 1908 – August 24, 1983) was an American politician who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii in the administration of Governor of Hawaiʻi William F. Quinn. Prior to his election as Lieutenant Governor, Kealoha served a number of years as a legislator on Hawaii island, distinguishing himself as a respected leader.
James Kealoha was born on April 29, 1908, in Pahoa on Hawaii island to Lee Chau and Alice Makanui Kealoha. His father was a Cantonese immigrant who had come to Hawaii as a plantation laborer. While growing up James was raised by his grandparents, whose name he assumed. Later he decided to add Kimo as his middle name. In the Chinese community in Hawaii, he was commonly known as Lee Yat Wo.
He graduated from Hilo High School in 1926 and started working as a clerk for Kwong See Wo, a grocery store in Hilo. In 1929 he married Muilan Young, and together they had two daughters, Leihulu Emma and Leiohu Lillie. In the next year he opened his own grocery, which he operated until 1948.
In 1934, Kealoha was elected to the Territorial House of Representatives, serving as speaker pro tem. He was elected for a second term two years later. In 1938, he successfully ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Territorial Senate, where he served as president pro tem. That same year, he switched to the Republican Party, expressing his unhappiness with the in-fighting amongst island Democrats. People often referred to Kealoha as the “Wonder Boy of Hawaiian politics” because he consistently won elections by sizable margins.
In 1940 Kealoha was elected to the Hawaii County Board of Supervisors, where he won re-election for three successive terms. In 1946, he suffered his first-ever defeat in his political career, losing in a bid for Hawaii County Chairman. In 1948, he ran again, winning the first of six consecutive terms as Hawaii County Chairman.
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