Kim Coco Iwamoto will be Hawaii’s first trans lawmaker after beating the House speaker

In Hawai’i, trans woman, and former member of the Hawai’i Civil Rights Commission and Hawai’i Board of Education Kim Coco Iwamoto (D) just beat the incumbent in her district’s Democratic primary who has been in office for three decades, becoming the first trans person elected to the body.

Iwamoto defeated incumbent state House Speaker Scott Saiki by around 5% of the votes, with Iwamoto receiving 49.3% and Saiki receiving 44.6%.

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“It feels great to have this experience especially knowing that so many very powerful people endorsed him as well,” said Iwamoto. “So I wasn’t just campaigning against him. I was campaigning against the entire democratic establishment.”

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She’s worked previously as an attorney and has been elected for two terms to the Hawai’i Board of Education. In the mid-2010s, she was appointed as a commissioner to the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.

She previously ran for office unsuccessfully. She ran for lieutenant governor in 2018 and challenged Saiki’s seat twice in the past.

Iwamoto is known for her progressive stance, having been recognized by former President Barack Obama for her work. She’s also been supported by groups mirroring U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) politics. She supports the Green New Deal, wants to increase funding of public education in the state, promotes mass reform of the criminal justice system, and aims to invest in affordable housing.

She is also particularly progressive on LGBTQ+ rights. Her campaign website lists among her proposed policies, “Kim Coco supports measures that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender expression, and identity to ensure that LGBTIQ+ people are protected in our community. Kim Coco supports fully funding the enforcement divisions at all the state agencies that ensure compliance with all of the state’s non-discrimination laws.”

“Kim Coco believes that every unaccompanied minor deserves a home, and that ALL foster homes, including group-homes, should be safe for LGBTIQ+ minors.”

Saiki is less clear about his policy preferences, instead letting his record of public service speak for itself. This includes his contributions to passing a ban on conversion therapy, supporting Title IX protections in the state, opposing financial inequality among men and women, and spending millions to combat homelessness.

Saiki has served as the speaker since 2017.

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