Bennette Misalucha
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bennette Espineli Misalucha is an American politician who served as a member of the Hawaii Senate for the 16th district from 2020 to 2022. She was appointed to the seat after incumbent Democrat Breene Harimoto died.[1] She won a special election to fill the term in 2020, but lost re-nomination to Brandon Elefante in 2022.[2][3]
Bennette Misalucha | |
|---|---|
Misalucha in 2019 | |
| Member of the Hawaii Senate from the 16th district | |
| In office July 10, 2020 – November 8, 2022 | |
| Appointed by | David Ige |
| Preceded by | Breene Harimoto |
| Succeeded by | Brandon Elefante |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (BA) |
Early life and education
Misalucha was born in Manila and raised in Davao City and Cebu in the Philippines; her mother, Avelina Espineli, was a school teacher and her father, Benjamin Robledo, was an insurance executive. She immigrated to Hawaii in the early 1980s.[4]
Misalucha attended the University of the Philippines Cebu College, but dropped out during her senior year to work for DYCB-TV. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a bachelor's degree in communications/journalism and graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[3][4]
Career
Misalucha previously worked as a broadcast journalist at KHON-TV and DYCB-TV from 1980 to 1984.[2] She was the executive director of the Hawai’i Crop Improvement Association, vice president at Actus Lend Lease, and also a former senior vice president at Central Pacific Bank.[3][4] She was also a former lobbyist for Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) and was a public relations subcontractor for the Honolulu rail project.[5][6]
She is currently the executive director of the Hawaii Workforce Development Council.[7]
Hawaii State Senate
Following incumbent Democratic state senator Breene Harimoto death from pancreatic cancer, governor David Ige appointed Misalucha to fill his term.[1] She won a special election to fill the term in 2020 with 52.7% of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Kelly Puamailani Kitashima.[2]
In 2022, Honolulu City Councilmember Brandon Elefante challenged Misalucha in the Democratic primary election.[8] He defeated her in a landslide with 70.83% to her 29.17% of the vote.[9]
Electoral history
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brandon Elefante | 9,680 | 70.83 | |
| Democratic | Bennette Misalucha (incumbent) | 3,987 | 29.17 | |
| Total votes | 13,667 | 100.00 | ||
2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bennette Misalucha (incumbent) | 11,508 | 52.7 | |
| Republican | Kelly Kitashima | 10,335 | 47.3 | |
| Total votes | 21,843 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Personal life
Misalucha has a daughter and son, Danielle and Christian Evangelista.[3] She resides in ʻAiea, Hawaii.[11]
Awards and honours
- Banaag Award, Commission on Filipinos Overseas (2022)[12]
- President Biden Lifetime Achievement Award, The Outstanding Filipino Awards (2024)[13]
