:Beth Fukumoto

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bethfukumoto.com/about|title=Beth Fukumoto for State House 36|website=Beth Fukumoto for State House 36|access-date=2017-03-23}}

• In 2016, Fukumoto was re-elected to represent District 36 by winning the general election, 6,792 votes (66.7%) against Democratic nominee, Marilyn B. Lee with 3,274 votes.{{cite web|title=2016 Election results| url=https://files.hawaii.gov/elections/files/results/2016/general/histatewide.pdf}}
• In 2014, Fukumoto won District 36 primary election with 1,319 votes {{cite web|title=2014 Election results| url=https://files.hawaii.gov/elections/files/results/2014/general/histatewide.pdf}} and won the November 4, 2014, general election with 5,880 votes (64.5%) against Democratic nominee, Marilyn B. Lee with 3,034 votes (33.3%)
• In 2012, Fukumoto won the general election with 5,334 votes (51.2%) against incumbent Democratic Representative Marilyn Lee,{{cite web|url=http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2012/general/elections/results/2012/general/files/histatewide.pdf|title=Hawaii General 2012 - State of Hawaii - Statewide November 6, 2012|publisher=Hawaii Office of Elections|location=Honolulu, Hawaii|page=2|access-date=November 25, 2013}} who had been redistricted from District 38.
• In 2010, Fukumoto ran unopposed in the September 18, 2010, Republican primary for District 37,{{cite web|url=http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2010/primary/files/histatewide.pdf|title=Primary Election 2010 - State of Hawaii - Statewide September 18, 2010|publisher=Hawaii Office of Elections|location=Honolulu, Hawaii|page=4|access-date=November 25, 2013}} but lost the November 2, 2010, general election to incumbent Representative Ryan Yamane.{{cite web|url=http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2010/general/files/histatewide.pdf|title=General Election - State of Hawaii - Statewide November 2, 2010|publisher=Hawaii Office of Elections|location=Honolulu, Hawaii|page=2|access-date=November 25, 2013}}

Fukumoto represented 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."{{cite news|last=Murphy|first=Patricia|title=Nine Women Remaking the Right|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/03/9-women-remaking-the-right.html|access-date=November 25, 2013|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=September 3, 2013}} Fukumoto was also named by The Washington Post as a Top 40 under 40 Rising Political Star.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/05/19/the-fixs-40-under-40-part-1/|title=The Fix's 40 Under 40|newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=3 February 2017}}

In February 2017, she was awarded the Aspen-Rodel Fellowship for demonstrating an outstanding ability to work responsibly across partisan divisions.{{cite web|url=https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/rodel-fellowships-public-leadership/|title=Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership - The Aspen Institute|publisher=The Aspen Institute|access-date=3 February 2017}}

Fukumoto served as House Minority Leader until 2017, when she was voted out after speaking at a Women's March event in Hawaii.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/02/513080913/hawaiis-house-republican-leader-says-she-was-ousted-over-womens-march|title=Hawaii's House Republican Leader Says She Was Ousted Over Women's March|last=Chappell|first=Bill|date=February 2, 2017|work=NPR|access-date=2017-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202201445/http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/02/513080913/hawaiis-house-republican-leader-says-she-was-ousted-over-womens-march|archive-date=2017-02-02|url-status=dead|language=en}}

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/02/01/breaking-news/hawaii-rep-beth-fukumoto-leaving-the-republican-party/|title=State Rep. Fukumoto wants to leave Hawaii GOP|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|date=February 1, 2017|access-date=2017-02-02}}

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/hawaii-republican-leader-rep-beth-fukumoto-officially-resigns-gop-n737341|title=Hawaii Republican leader Rep. Beth Fukumoto officially resigns from GOP|work=NBC News|access-date=2017-03-22|language=en}} 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.{{Cite magazine|url=http://time.com/4710443/hawaii-republican-resigns-trump/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323043804/http://time.com/4710443/hawaii-republican-resigns-trump/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 23, 2017|title=Hawaii Republican Resigns From Party After Criticizing Trump|last=Bussewitz|first=Cathy|date=March 22, 2017|magazine=Time|access-date=March 23, 2017}} Fukumoto remained an independent until approval of her request to join the Democratic Party on June 19, 2017.

{{Main|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii#District 1}}

In 2018, she ran for the open United States House of Representatives seat in Hawaii's 1st congressional district, held by Colleen Hanabusa. She finished fifth in the Democratic primary, won by former Congressman Ed Case. She drew 7,473 votes, or 6.3%.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/hawaii-house-district-1-primary-election |title=Hawaii Primary Election Results: First House District |date=August 11, 2018 |website=The New York Times}}

• List of American politicians who switched parties in office

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141128210357/http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=fukumoto Official page] at the Hawaii State Legislature
• {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=127625 | fec= | congress= }}

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Category:1983 births

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