Campbell Cavasso
Encyclopedia
Campbell Cavasso (born October 14, 1950), is an American
politician
and businessman. He served three consecutive terms in the Hawaii House of Representatives
from January 1985 to January 1991, representing House District 51 in Windward Oahu
.
and salesman, and June Campbell Cavasso, a homemaker, secretary, and daughter of a New Jersey Christian
minister and pastor
, Charles Henry Campbell, and his wife Elsie Campbell. His paternal great–grandfather, Frank Davey, was a Hawaii adventurer and photographer who served the royalty in the Hawaiian Kingdom in the late 19th Century. Davey's photographs include those of Princess Kaiulani on the steps of her home at Ainahou, Hawaii and the “Lei
Makers” in the early years of Honolulu. Davey’s caricature was carried in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser in their edition of June 28, 1902.
Cavasso and his family relocated to Oahu
, Hawaii in October 1961, and he graduated from Kailua Elementary School, Kailua Intermediate School, and Kailua High School
.
, he earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sociology
in 1973. In his junior year, he spent two semesters as a foreign exchange student at Waseda University
in Tokyo
, Japan
. Upon graduation from the University of Colorado, he served five years in the United States Army
from 1973-78, rising to the rank of Captain.
Cavasso currently resides with Tula, his wife of thirty-two years, and four children and four grandchildren on a small six and one-half acre turf farm in Waimanalo, Hawaii. He is a lay minister in his Christian church and has served as a Bible Study
group teacher.
He is also a longtime avid canoe
paddler and current steersman for a senior master crew, has paddled for Lanikai, Kailua, and Kai One, and has stated that paddling is “rewarding and fun.”
Cavasso is a -year veteran financial advisor with the Mass Mutual Financial Group and the owner of Hydroseed Hawaii, LLC, a small business contracting company specializing in hydromulching.
nomination for Lieutenant Governor
in 2002, and finished third behind current incumbent
James R. “Duke” Aiona Jr.
and media personality Dalton Tanonaka.
U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye in the General Election, with Inouye taking 76% of the vote to Cavasso's 21%.
nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Cavasso won the Republican primary election
on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010 with 67% of the vote[AP Story
and believes that "individuals, not government, are best at solving problems and creating opportunities."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and businessman. He served three consecutive terms in the Hawaii House of Representatives
Hawaii House of Representatives
The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Accord to Article III, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts...
from January 1985 to January 1991, representing House District 51 in Windward Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
.
Early life
Cavasso was born on October 14, 1950 in San Francisco, California, the eldest of three sons (Joseph and David younger brothers) of Leon Cavasso Jr., a coffee brokerBusiness broker
who/which acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of small businesses.Business brokers, also called business transfer agents, or intermediaries, assist buyers and sellers of privately held small business in the buying and selling process...
and salesman, and June Campbell Cavasso, a homemaker, secretary, and daughter of a New Jersey Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
minister and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, Charles Henry Campbell, and his wife Elsie Campbell. His paternal great–grandfather, Frank Davey, was a Hawaii adventurer and photographer who served the royalty in the Hawaiian Kingdom in the late 19th Century. Davey's photographs include those of Princess Kaiulani on the steps of her home at Ainahou, Hawaii and the “Lei
Lei (Hawaii)
Lei is a Hawaiian word for a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a lei in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of flowers draped around the neck presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of...
Makers” in the early years of Honolulu. Davey’s caricature was carried in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser in their edition of June 28, 1902.
Cavasso and his family relocated to Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Hawaii in October 1961, and he graduated from Kailua Elementary School, Kailua Intermediate School, and Kailua High School
Kailua High School
Kailua High School is a four-year public high school located in the Maunawili CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States on the island of O‘ahu, adjacent to the Kailua CDP. The school serves students grades 9 through 12.-History:...
.
Early adulthood
Awarded a four-year ROTC scholarship to attend the University of Colorado at BoulderUniversity of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, he earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 1973. In his junior year, he spent two semesters as a foreign exchange student at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Upon graduation from the University of Colorado, he served five years in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1973-78, rising to the rank of Captain.
Cavasso currently resides with Tula, his wife of thirty-two years, and four children and four grandchildren on a small six and one-half acre turf farm in Waimanalo, Hawaii. He is a lay minister in his Christian church and has served as a Bible Study
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
group teacher.
He is also a longtime avid canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
paddler and current steersman for a senior master crew, has paddled for Lanikai, Kailua, and Kai One, and has stated that paddling is “rewarding and fun.”
Cavasso is a -year veteran financial advisor with the Mass Mutual Financial Group and the owner of Hydroseed Hawaii, LLC, a small business contracting company specializing in hydromulching.
Legislative tenure
Cavasso was elected to three consecutive terms in the Hawaii State House of Representatives, winning elections in the electoral cycles from 1984-1988. He sought the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
in 2002, and finished third behind current incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
James R. “Duke” Aiona Jr.
James Aiona
James R. "Duke" Aiona, Jr. is an American politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii from 2002 to 2010. He is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Portuguese descent...
and media personality Dalton Tanonaka.
2004 U.S. Senate run
Cavasso won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2004 over three challengers, receiving a forty-three percent plurality of the primary vote. He was defeated by incumbent DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye in the General Election, with Inouye taking 76% of the vote to Cavasso's 21%.
2010 U.S. Senate run
Cavasso again ran for the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Cavasso won the Republican primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010 with 67% of the vote[AP Story
Political positions
Cavasso is a strong supporter of social conservative political positions. He identifies as a constitutional and fiscal conservativeFiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
and believes that "individuals, not government, are best at solving problems and creating opportunities."
External links
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org