The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) is endorsing Jill Tokuda for Hawaii’s Second Congressional District based on her belief that funding quality public education is essential for the state’s future.
“I’ve known Jill since we were seventh grade classmates in Kaneohe,” HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. said in a July 18 press release. “From then on, I got to witness firsthand the key qualities that were for certain about Jill — she’s determined, she’s dedicated and she’s driven to succeed.”
Tokuda plans to support universal access to free public education from early childhood through college, in addition to post-secondary workforce training programs, as stated in the release.
“As a mom of two boys that attend our public schools, I’m honored and thrilled to receive HSTA’s support and the backing of our hardworking teachers,” Tokuda said in the release. “If elected to Congress, I’ll fight every day to ensure that our teachers and students have the resources they need to be successful in the classroom.”
Tokuda is the co-director of CyberHawaii, affiliated with CyberUSA, where she focuses on workforce development in cyber security and data science, and is the external affairs director for the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, where she helps secure both public and private support.
She previously served in the Hawaii State Senate for 12 years from 2006 to 2018 where she represented Kaneohe and Kailua on Oahu. She helped balance the state’s $14 billion budget as chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. She also held the role of Senate Majority Whip and chaired the Senate’s Labor, Education, Higher Education and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs committees.
Tokuda was recommended for the Second Congressional District by the HSTA Board of Directors based on candidate interviews conducted by volunteers from the organization’s 12 chapters across the state. The HSTA represents more than 13,000 public school teachers statewide and supports teachers with collective bargaining, and issues related to legislature and professional development.
Hawaii’s Second Congressional District covers suburban and rural Oahu, which includes the Leeward and Windward coasts and all of Hawaii’s neighbor islands.