Gary Hooser
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Gary Hooser
|image = Gary Hooser.jpg
|office = Chair of the Hawaii Democratic Party
Acting
|term_start = August 6, 2019
|term_end = August 10, 2019
|predecessor = Keali'i Lopez
|successor = Kate Stanley (Acting)
|state_senate1 = Hawaii
|district1 = 7th
|term_start1 = November 2002
|term_end1 = July 16, 2010
|predecessor1 = Jonathan J. Chun
|successor1 = Ron Kouchi
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|1|19}}
|birth_place = San Diego, California, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse = Claudette
|children = 2
|education = Kauaʻi Community College
University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu (BA)
|website = {{url|garyhooser.com|Official website}}
}}
Gary L. Hooser (born January 19, 1954) is an American politician who served as a member of the Hawaii State Senate representing Kauaʻi and Niʻihau from 2002 to 2010. He also served on the Kaua{{okina}}i County Council for four years before becoming a Senator.
In the summer of 2010, Hooser resigned his Senate seat to run for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Hawai{{okina}}i. He was defeated on September 18, 2010 in the Democratic primary by Brian Schatz. The following year, he was appointed to lead the Hawaiʻi Office of Environmental Quality Control. He left that office in 2014 to make a successful run for a seat on the Kaua'i County Council in 2014, but he lost his seat in the 2016 election to Mason Chock. As of 2020, Hooser serves as president of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action advocacy group.
Background
Hooser and his wife Claudette have two children.{{cite news |last1=Wilkentgi |first1=Dennis |title=Hooser is council's outsider |url=https://www.thegardenisland.com/2000/09/02/hawaii-news/hooser-is-councils-outsider/ |accessdate=August 9, 2020 |work=The Garden Island |date=September 2, 2000}} He graduated from Radford High School.{{cite news |last1=DePledge |first1=Derrick |title=Price's remarks prompt apology |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/May/06/ln/FP705060355.html |accessdate=August 9, 2020 |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |date=May 6, 2007}} He went on to graduate from Kaua{{okina}}i Community College and the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu with a bachelor's degree in public administration.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
Political career
Hooser was first elected to the Kauaʻi County Council in 1998, a position he held until 2002.{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Jenna |title=Gary Hooser wants to increase involvement on Kauai |url=https://www.thegardenisland.com/2016/11/21/hawaii-news/gary-hooser-wants-to-increase-involvement-on-kauai/ |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |work=The Garden Island |date=November 21, 2016}}
Hooser was elected to the Hawaii State Senate in 2002, representing the 7th Senatorial District, which includes the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. He served as the Senate's majority leader from 2006 until 2010.{{cite news |title=Gary L. Hooser |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/07/17/election/gary-l-hooser-2016/ |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=July 17, 2016}} Hooser was a member of the Senate Ways and Means and Energy and Environment committees and also previously co-chaired the Senate Affordable Housing Task Force.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} Hooser, as the incumbent in 2004, defeated former Kauaʻi Mayor Maryanne Kusaka to retain his seat.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
While in the Senate, Hooser introduced a bill establishing the nation's first solar hot water heating system requirement for new homes. The bill ultimately passed into law in 2010.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} In 2009, when the Hawaii State Department of Education partially furloughed teachers due to budget constraints brought by the Great Recession, Hooser spoke out against the furloughs and advocated using money from the Hawaii hurricane relief fund to prevent the loss of instructional time.{{cite web|url=http://www.truth-out.org/1106098 |title=Dead Last: Hawaii Gets an "F" in Education |publisher=t r u t h o u t |date= |accessdate=2010-09-18}}{{cite web |last=Eagle |first=Nathan |url=http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/article_4ef8f7c2-aefa-5c4f-899c-ee3bc2a242fb.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721111219/http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/article_4ef8f7c2-aefa-5c4f-899c-ee3bc2a242fb.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-21 |title=Lingle unveils plan to end school furloughs |publisher=Thegardenisland.com |date=2009-11-16 |accessdate=2010-09-18}} Hooser supported a measure to allow civil unions for same-sex and opposite-sex couples.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
Hooser resigned from his Senate seat in July 2010 in order to run for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi.{{cite news |last1=Associated Press |title=Sen. Gary Hooser resigns to run for lt. gov |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2010/07/16/breaking-news/sen-gary-hooser-resigns-to-run-for-lt-gov/ |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=July 16, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20100730_Dela_Cruz_quits_mayoral_run_joins_Senate_race.html |title=Dela Cruz quits mayoral run, joins Senate race - Hawaii News |publisher=Staradvertiser.com |date=2010-07-30 |accessdate=2010-09-18}}{{cite web |author=Paul C. Curtis - The Garden Island |url=http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_da73a776-9171-11df-b308-001cc4c03286.html |title=Hooser resigns, has to wait to Monday to file lt. gov. papers |publisher=Thegardenisland.com |date=2010-07-16 |accessdate=2010-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721101159/http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_da73a776-9171-11df-b308-001cc4c03286.html |archive-date=2010-07-21 |url-status=dead }} Hooser received endorsements in the race from a variety of organizations, including the Sierra Club of Hawaii,{{cite web|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/global/story.asp?s=12999988 |title=Hawaii Sierra Club endorsing Hanabusa, Hirono and Hooser - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL Home |publisher=Hawaii News Now |date= |accessdate=2010-09-18}} Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association,{{cite web |url=http://www.thehawaiiindependent.com/story/hsta-endorses-gary-hooser-for-lieutenant-governor/ |title=HSTA endorses Gary Hooser for lieutenant governor - The Hawaii Independent :€Â" News · Culture · Community |publisher=The Hawaii Independent |date=2010-08-10 |accessdate=2010-09-18 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003204/http://www.thehawaiiindependent.com/story/hsta-endorses-gary-hooser-for-lieutenant-governor/ |archivedate=2011-07-17 }} Unite Here! Local 5,{{cite web |url=http://www.khon2.com/content/news/developingstories/story/Local-5-endorses-Kauai-Senator-Gary-Hooser-for-Lt/SJh8qlVaEE-eHsnsQALplA.cspx?rss=2433 |title=Local 5 endorses Kauai Senator Gary Hooser for Lt. Governor | KHON2 Hawaii's News Channel |publisher=Khon2.com |date= |accessdate=2010-09-18 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616212744/http://www.khon2.com/content/news/developingstories/story/Local-5-endorses-Kauai-Senator-Gary-Hooser-for-Lt/SJh8qlVaEE-eHsnsQALplA.cspx?rss=2433 |archivedate=2011-06-16 }} and the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi GLBT Caucus. Hooser lost the race to Brian Schatz, coming in fourth place in the Democratic primary.{{cite news |last1=Essoyan |first1=Susan |title=Schatz, Finnegan take primaries for Hawaii lieutenant governor |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2010/09/18/hawaii-news/schatz-finnegan-take-primaries-for-hawaii-lieutenant-governor/ |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |issue=September 18, 2010}}
In February 2011, Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Hooser as director of the Hawaii Office of Environmental Quality Control, an agency within the Hawaii State Department of Health that implements Hawaii's environmental impact statement law.{{cite news |last1=Azambuja |first1=Léo |title=Hooser appointed to Office of Environmental Quality Control |url=https://www.thegardenisland.com/2011/02/08/hawaii-news/hooser-appointed-to-office-of-environmental-quality-control/ |accessdate=August 8, 2020 |work=The Garden Island |issue=February 8, 2011}} He left that office to run successfully on the Kaua'i County Council in 2014, but he lost his seat in the 2016 election to Mason Chock.[http://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/11/08/breaking-news/incumbents-leading-in-neighbor-island-council-races/ Hooser loses Kauai County Council seat], By Timothy Hurley, Hawaii Star Advertiser, November 8, 2016.
As of 2020, Hooser serves as president of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action advocacy group.{{cite web |title=Board Members |url=https://www.hapahi.org/board-members |website=Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action |accessdate=August 9, 2020}}
References
External links
- [http://www.kauai.gov/Council/Councilmembers/GaryLHooser Gary L. Hooser] Kaua'i County Council
- [http://garyhooser.com/ Campaign website]
- [https://garyhooser.wordpress.com/ Official Blog]
- [http://www.staradvertiser.com/election/gary-l-hooser-2016/ Honolulu Star Advertiser]
- [https://www.facebook.com/garyhooser Facebook]
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Keali'i Lopez}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the Hawaii Democratic Party
Acting|years=2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Kate Stanley
Acting}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooser, Gary}}
Category:Admiral Arthur W. Radford High School alumni
Category:Democratic Party Hawaii state senators
Category:Kauai County Council members
Category:University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu alumni
Category:Kauaʻi Community College alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Hawaii State Legislature