Dennis Arakaki

{{short description|American politician and social worker|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Dennis Arakaki

|image =

|office = Majority Leader of the Hawaii House of Representatives

|term_start = 1998

|term_end = 1998

|predecessor = Tom Okamura

|successor = Ed Case

|state_house1 = Hawaii

|district1 = 30th

|prior_term1 = 37th (1986–1992)
28th (1992–2002)

|term_start1 = 1986

|term_end1 = 2006

|predecessor1 = Dennis Nakasato

|successor1 = John Mizuno

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|10|18}}

|birth_place = Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|residence =

|party = Democratic

|education = University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

| occupation = politician, social worker

}}

Dennis Arakaki (born October 18, 1943) is an American politician and social worker.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Arakaki graduated from Farrington High School. He then went to University of Hawaii at Manoa. He worked in health care planning. Arakaki served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1985 to 2006 as a Democrat.{{Cite web |title=Dennis Arakaki |url=https://mphawaii.tripod.com/Politics/Legislators/Hou28.htm |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=mphawaii.tripod.com}}{{Cite web |title=The Voter's Self Defense System |url=http://votesmart.org/ |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=Vote Smart}}

Arakaki worked with Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland to establish the Keiki Caucus for children and youth issues.{{Cite web |last=Altonn |first=Helen |date=2006-05-10 |title=Arakaki is praised for social work as legislator |url=https://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/05/10/news/story06.html |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=archives.starbulletin.com}} He also created the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Task Force which was instrumental in improving the state's mental health system.