Beth Fukumoto

Education

Fukumoto graduated with honors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a B.A. in American Studies with a minor in Sociology. She later received a M.A. in English from Georgetown University.

Hawaii House of Representatives

Fukumoto was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2012 and is the youngest person to serve as the House Minority Leader. She is also the youngest person to serve as the House Minority Floor Leader and the Director of Research for the House Minority.

Fukumoto represents District 36, Mililani, Mililani Mauka, and Waipio Acres, the district in which she grew up..

In 2013, Fukumoto was awarded the James Madison Fellowship by the Millennial Action Project for her demonstrated success in transcending partisan lines. The Daily Beast named Fukumoto one of "Nine Women Remaking the Right." Fukumoto was also named by The Washington Post as a Top 40 under 40 Rising Political Star.

Recently, she was awarded the Aspen-Rodel Fellowship for demonstrating an outstanding ability to work responsibly across partisan divisions.

Elections

Tenure

Fukumoto served as House Minority Leader until 2017, when she was voted out after attending a Women's March event in Hawaii.

In early 2017, Fukumoto announced openness to leaving the Republican Party and potentially seeking membership in the Democratic Party.

In her statement, she noted her disapproval of President Donald Trump's behavior and attitude towards women and minorities and her recent estrangement from the Republican Party:

"In the last couple years, I’ve watched leaders in the Republican Party become less and less tolerant of diverse opinions and dissenting voices. Today, I’m facing demands for my resignation from leadership and possible censure because I raised concerns about our President’s treatment of women and minorities. I’ve been asked by both my party and my caucus to commit to not criticizing the president for the remainder of his term and to take a more partisan approach to working in the Legislature. That is not a commitment I can make. As a representative of my community, it is my job to hold leaders accountable and to work with anyone, regardless of party, to make Hawaii a better place for our families. This morning, I sent a letter to my district explaining that I would like to leave the Republican Party and seek membership in the Democratic Party. When I was re-elected in November, I was elected as a Republican, and I want to honor my community’s choice by consulting them before any decision is made. As I articulated in my letter, I encourage my constituents to contact me with input and provide feedback. I was elected by the people of Mililani, and I am here to represent them."

On March 22, 2017, Fukumoto released a statement indicating her plans to resign from the Republican Party and seek membership in the Democratic Party. She cited Republican partisanship and overlaps with the Democratic party platform as factors in making this decision. Seeking feedback from her constituents, she received more than 470 letters weighing in on her decision to leave the GOP, with approximately three-quarters supporting the switch. Fukumoto remained an independent until approval of her request to join the Democratic Party on June 19, 2017.