Children Maya | Nationality American Name Kirk Caldwell | |
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Alma mater Tufts UniversityFletcher School of Law and DiplomacyWilliam S. Richardson School of Law Education Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, William S. Richardson School of Law, Tufts University Similar People Profiles | ||
Kirk caldwell biographical video
Kirk William Caldwell (born September 4, 1952) is an American politician who is the 14th and current Mayor of Honolulu since January 2, 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Caldwell held the position of Acting Mayor of Honolulu in 2010 following the resignation of Mayor Mufi Hannemann.
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Live interview with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell
Career
Caldwell represented the 24th Representative District in the Hawaii State House of Representatives of the Hawaii State Legislature from 2002 to 2008, serving as the House Majority Leader between 2007 and 2008. Caldwell left the race for re-election for the House of Representatives to run for City Council in Honolulu. Caldwell was unable to run for council as he had not formally withdrawn from the election for the House of Representatives.
On July 20, 2010, Caldwell assumed the position of interim mayor after Mufi Hannemann resigned to compete in the 2010 Hawaii gubernatorial election. Caldwell held the office of mayor until a special election was held to determine a permanent successor.
Caldwell served as the acting mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii's capital and largest city, during the tsunami evacuation in the absence of Mayor Mufi Hannemann following the 2010 Chile earthquake.
Caldwell lost to former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle in the 2010 special Mayoral election.
Caldwell ran a successful campaign in the 2012 Honolulu mayoral election. Caldwell finished second in the primary election, ahead of incumbent mayor and opponent Peter Carlisle. He faced former Hawaii Governor Ben Cayetano in the 2012 election on November 6, 2012, and won the election by 7.8%.
Caldwell won reelection on November 8, 2016, after facing a runoff with former Republican congressman Charles Djou, 52.2% to 47.8%. Though both candidates supported the municipal rail project, cost overruns were an issue, as well as Caldwell's alleged interference with the Ethics Commission. Labor group support was split between the pair.
His wife, Donna Tanoue, was chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 1998 to 2001.