Linda Lingle

Governor Linda Lingle became Hawaii’s governor in 2002. Not only is she Hawaii’s first woman governor, but she also is the first Republican governor since 1962. Before her nomination for governor, Lingle was the Mayor of Maui County.

Born in 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri, Governor Lingle’s family moved to Southern California in 1965. After graduating from Birmingham High, she entered California State University and earned a journalism degree. While in college, she married her first husband, Charles Lingle. That marriage would end in divorce three years later. Following her father to Hawaii, she took a job for the Teamsters and Hotel Workers Union. In Hawaii, she married her second husband, an attorney, but divorced him 11 years later. She never had children.

One of Governor Lingle’s biggest accomplishments is Hawaii’s Clean Energy Initiative. The goal of the Hawaiian Government is to have 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from renewable sources by 2030. The reliance on wind and solar power is already increasing. First Wind Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Company teamed up in March 2009.

Facts about Hawaii’s Previous Governors

• Former Governor George Ariyoshi and his wife were detained by U.S. Customs in Honolulu’s International Airport when they failed to declare more than $30,000 in jewelry after a trip to Japan.
• Ben Cayetano, Hawaii’s fifth governor, was a lousy student and almost did not graduate as a result.