Charles Djou
| Charles Djou | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Hawaii's 1st Congressional District From: May 22, 2010 – January 3, 2011 | |||
| Predecessor | Neil Abercrombie | ||
| Successor | Colleen Hanabusa | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican (before 2018) Independent (2018 – present) | ||
| Spouse(s) | Stacey Kawasaki Djou | ||
Charles Kong Djou (born August 9, 1970, age 52) is a former House member who represented Barack Obama's hometown, District 1 in Hawaii. A special election was held May 22, 2010 to replace Democrat representative Neil Abercrombie, who has announced a run for Governor. Djou was a State Representative for Hawaii in 2000 and was elected Councilman in 2002 for the city of Honolulu, 4th Council District (Waikiki to Hawaii Kai).[1] He is a fiscal conservative that has a strong legislative voting record. Charles Djou is a JAG Officer of the U.S. Army Reserves 9th Regional Readiness Command. Also, he holds a law degree and is the one time Vice Chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party. Politico has called him the next Scott Brown.[2]
Djou was defeated by Democrat Colleen Hanabusa in both the 2010 and 2012 general elections.
History
Charles Djou was born in Hawaii, his father was born in Shanghai, China and his mother is from Bangkok, Thailand. Charles graduated from Punahou School. He earned both a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, graduating magna cum laude in 1992. Djuo earned his law degree from the University of Southern California law school in 1996. Charles is married to Stacey Kawasaki Djou and they have three children.[3]
Political Resume
- U.S. House of Representatives 2010-2011
- City Councilman, 2003-2010
- State Representative, 2000-2002
- House Minority Floor Leader, 2001-2002
- Assistant House Minority Whip, 2000-2001
- Small Business Hawaii "Legislator of the Year," 2001 and 2003
- Hawaii Republican Party, Vice Chairman, 1998-1999
- Honolulu Weekly, named "Best Politician" in the state in 2005
Special Election
Charles is the only Republican running for Hawaii 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives since Neil Abercombie's decision to step down February 23, 2010. He faced three Democratic challengers. Djou received 67,274 votes, or 39.5 percent. He was trailed by state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, a Democrat who received 52,445 votes, or 30.8 percent. The other leading Democrat, former U.S. Rep. Ed Case, received 47,012 votes, or 27.6 percent.
He won emphasizing fiscal responsibility in Washington D.C., focusing on creating jobs by cutting taxes.
Strong anti-Democrat resentment and a growing TEA Party movement are the deciding factor in the Republican congressional victory.
