Shan Tsutsui | |
Office: | 13th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii |
Governor: | Neil Abercrombie David Ige |
Term Start: | December 27, 2012 |
Term End: | January 31, 2018 |
Predecessor: | Brian Schatz |
Successor: | Doug Chin |
Office1: | 12th President of the Hawaii Senate |
Term Start1: | November 6, 2010 |
Term End1: | December 27, 2012 |
Predecessor1: | Colleen Hanabusa |
Successor1: | Donna Mercado Kim |
State Senate2: | Hawaii |
District2: | 5th |
Prior Term2: | 4th (2002–November 2012) |
Term Start2: | 2002 |
Term End2: | December 27, 2012 |
Predecessor2: | Redistricted |
Successor2: | Gilbert Keith-Agaran |
Birth Date: | 9 August 1971 |
Birth Place: | Wailuku, Hawaii, U.S. |
Party: | Democratic |
Spouse: | Lyndelle Lee |
Education: | University of Hawaii at Manoa (BA) |
Shan S. Tsutsui (born August 9, 1971) is an American politician who was the 13th lieutenant governor of Hawaii from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he was previously a member of the Hawaii Senate from 2003 to 2012, and he served as President of the Senate from 2010 to 2012.[1] On January 29, 2018, Tsutsui announced his resignation, which was put into effect on January 31.
Born in Wailuku, Tsutsui graduated from Maui High School in 1989 and received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1994.[2]
Tsutsui was a member of the Hawaii Senate from 2003 until becoming lieutenant governor in 2012. From 2003 to 2011, he represented district 4, which includes Waihee, Wailuku, and Kahului.[3] Subsequently he represented district 5.
Following the death of U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz to replace Inouye in the U.S. Senate.[4] As president of the Hawaii Senate, Tsutsui was first in line to replace Schatz as lieutenant governor.[4] After consulting with his family, Senate leaders, and Governor Abercrombie, Tsutsui accepted the position.[5] Tsutsui's successor in the Senate (who served until 2014) was selected by Governor Abercrombie from a list of three names submitted by the local Democratic Party central committee.[5] Tsutsui's position as Senate president was filled by Senate vice president Donna Mercado Kim until Senate members voted on a new president on the opening day of the 2013 session.[5]
Tsutsui was elected to a second term as lieutenant governor in 2014. Tsutsui had expected to share the ticket with Abercrombie in the general election, but Ige defeated Abercrombie in the primary.[6] He announced in October 2017 that he would not run for a third term as lieutenant governor in 2018, even though he was eligible to do so because his first term was only the completion of an unexpired term.[7]
Tsutsui resigned as lieutenant governor effective January 31, 2018, to take a job with Strategies 360, a communications firm.[8]
Tsutsui and his wife Lyndelle have three daughters, Mikayla, Kaylee and Kenna.[2] [9]
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Democratic Primary Election, 2002 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui | 4,255 | 53.12 | |
Democratic | Jan Yagi Buen | 2,921 | 36.47 | |
Democratic | Thomas Cerizo | 834 | 10.41 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Election, 2002 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui | n/a | 100.00 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Election, 2004 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | n/a | 100.00 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Democratic Primary Election, 2006 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | 6,177 | 68.32 | |
Democratic | Jan Yagi Buen | 2,864 | 31.68 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Election, 2006 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | n/a | 100.00 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Election, 2008 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | n/a | 100.00 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 4 Election, 2010 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | 10,931 | 77.83 | |
Republican | Eric Seibert | 3,113 | 22.17 |
Hawai'i State Senate District 5 Election, 2012 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | n/a | 100.00 |
Hawai'i Lieutenant Governor Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shan Tsutsui (inc.) | 120,779 | 47.36 | |
Democratic | Clayton Hee | 81,255 | 36.11 | |
Democratic | Mary Zanakis | 18,274 | 8.12 | |
Democratic | Miles Shiratori | 2,593 | 1.15 | |
Democratic | Sam Puletasi | 2,126 | 0.94 |
|-|-