Lawmakers name Hawaii’s first-ever female House speaker

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Lawmakers have chosen the first-ever female Speaker of the House in Hawaii.
Kauai Rep. Nadine Nakamura on Wednesday assumed the role after she received strong support from a majority of House members.
“I’m deeply honored by the support of my House colleagues to lead the state House of Representatives. I’m committed to ensuring a smooth transition as we prepare for the 33rd legislative session,” Nakamura said, in a statement.
“Our new leadership team is excited to step up and start working now to address the pressing needs of our state.”
Nakamura replaces former Speaker Scott Saiki, who lost his reelection bid in the Democratic primary election to Kim Coco Iwamoto.
Nakamura, who was first elected to the House in 2016, has served as House majority leader for the past two years. Prior to that, she was chair of the House committee on housing.
Previously, she was managing director for Kauai County under Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and served as a member of the Kauai County Council.
A new House leadership team was also announced on Thursday. It includes:
The Legislature will reconvene on Jan. 15.
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