Charles Djou
Encyclopedia
Charles Kong Djou is the former U.S. Representative
for Hawaii's 1st congressional district
. As a member of the Republican Party
, Djou won his congressional seat in a special election in May 2010, but was defeated in the general election in November.
Djou previously served in the Hawaii House of Representatives
and the Honolulu City Council
. Djou is the first Chinese-American Republican to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
, to a Chinese-American father and a Thai-American mother, Djou grew up in Hawaii
. He graduated from Punahou School
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
in political science
and a Bachelor of Science
in finance
from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
graduating magna cum laude
. He earned his law degree at the University of Southern California Law School
.
Djou is a major
in the United States Army Reserve
. He teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii
.
Djou served as the Vice Chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party
from 1998 to 1999. He was named legislator of the year by Small Business Hawaii in 2002, 2004, and 2006. In 2006 he was selected as one of the 40 most promising leaders in Hawaii under age 40 by Pacific Business News, and in 2005 was named by Honolulu Weekly
as the "Best Politician" in the state.
As a member of the State House of Representatives, Djou served one term in the Hawaii House of Representatives
from 2000 to 2002 and was the Minority Floor Leader. Djou launched a successful campaign to open the State Budget worksheets to the public after being told he could look at the budget worksheets in the committee room but was not allowed to take any notes or make copies of them. The documents detail the budget for various state departments and agencies. He opposed the state "van cam" program launched in 2002 to catch speeders using automated cameras instead of police officers, and successfully campaigned for its elimination.
, representing District 4 (Waikiki
to Hawaii Kai). He was re-elected in 2006. On the City Council he was the Chairman of the Executive Matters & Legal Affairs Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning Committee and as a member of the Transportation and Public Safety & Services committees.
, a bill to legalize civil union
s for same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and supports the federal Defense of Marriage Act
. He stated that lawmakers "ignored the will of the people" who enacted Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2
.
" law.
on June 30, 2007, currently awaiting approval of the Congress.
District 47 seat. He was unopposed in the primary election, but lost to Iris Ikeda Catalani in the general election by a margin of 190 votes.
campaign for President in 2008.
. The seat was vacant because Neil Abercrombie
had resigned to run for Governor of Hawaii
. Djou was endorsed by former Massachusetts Governor and Presidential candidate Mitt Romney
. Former Hawaii Congresswoman Patricia Saiki, whom Djou had once volunteered for as a teenager, served as Djou's campaign chair.
The election was held in May, with Djou receiving 39.4 percent of the vote. He defeated five Democrats, four Republicans, and four independent candidates. Among the candidates Djou defeated were former Congressman Ed Case
and State Senator Colleen Hanabusa
, two Democrats who together polled over 58% of the vote. Djou served the remainder of the 2010 term and ran for a full term in November 2010.
Djou was sworn in three days later. He is the first Republican to represent the district in 20 years.
There has been some controversy over the use of robocalling
by the Djou campaign, both before the election and afterwards. At issue was the use of public funds for automated calls seeking campaign funding, as well as the allegedly high frequency of calls. One individual receiving multiple calls reported that a campaign worker refused to remove him from the calling list. However, as with all official mass communication between Members of the House and their constituents, the phone survey conducted on behalf of Congressman Djou's office was approved by the bipartisan Franking Commission as an appropriate use of official resources for the purpose of communicating with constituents.
. Djou was one of only two Republican incumbents (Joseph Cao
was the other) to lose in the 2010 general election on November 2, 2010.
in 2012. He is currently deployed to Afghanistan
as a mobilized Army Reserve soldier with the 10th Mountain Division
, expecting to return in spring 2012. He stated he would not campaign while on active duty.
Djou is married to Stacey Kawasaki Djou, a Japanese-American. They have three children. His surname "Djou" is a French
transcription of his Chinese surname "Zhou" (周).
Djou served on the Board of Directors of the American Lung Association
and was a member of the Neighborhood Board. He is currently a member of the Young Business Roundtable, the Rotary Club, and the Hawaii Telecommunications Association.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Hawaii's 1st congressional district
Hawaii's 1st congressional district
Hawaii's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The district encompasses the urban areas of the City and County of Honolulu, a consolidated city-county that is coextensive with the island of Oahu. The district includes Oahu's central plains and southern...
. As a member of the Republican Party
Republican 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...
, Djou won his congressional seat in a special election in May 2010, but was defeated in the general election in November.
Djou previously served 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...
and the Honolulu City Council
Honolulu City Council
The Honolulu City Council is the legislative branch of the City & County of Honolulu and is considered the second most powerful parliamentary body in the State of Hawaii, following the Hawaii State Legislature...
. Djou is the first Chinese-American Republican to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Early life, education and career
Born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, to a Chinese-American father and a Thai-American mother, Djou grew up in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He graduated from Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
and 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...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
graduating magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
. He earned his law degree at the University of Southern California Law School
University of Southern California Law School
The University of Southern California Law School , located in Los Angeles, California, is a law school within the University of Southern California...
.
Djou is a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
. He teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
Djou served as the Vice Chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party
Hawaii Republican Party
The Hawaii Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year...
from 1998 to 1999. He was named legislator of the year by Small Business Hawaii in 2002, 2004, and 2006. In 2006 he was selected as one of the 40 most promising leaders in Hawaii under age 40 by Pacific Business News, and in 2005 was named by Honolulu Weekly
Honolulu Weekly
Honolulu Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. Founded by Laurie V. Carlson, it began publishing in the summer of 1991, ostensibly to fill gaps in investigative reporting left by the two main dailies, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser, which were...
as the "Best Politician" in the state.
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 2000 to 2002 and was the Minority Floor Leader. Djou launched a successful campaign to open the State Budget worksheets to the public after being told he could look at the budget worksheets in the committee room but was not allowed to take any notes or make copies of them. The documents detail the budget for various state departments and agencies. He opposed the state "van cam" program launched in 2002 to catch speeders using automated cameras instead of police officers, and successfully campaigned for its elimination.
Honolulu City Council
In 2002, Djou was elected to the Honolulu City CouncilHonolulu City Council
The Honolulu City Council is the legislative branch of the City & County of Honolulu and is considered the second most powerful parliamentary body in the State of Hawaii, following the Hawaii State Legislature...
, representing District 4 (Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
to Hawaii Kai). He was re-elected in 2006. On the City Council he was the Chairman of the Executive Matters & Legal Affairs Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning Committee and as a member of the Transportation and Public Safety & Services committees.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States House Committee on the BudgetThe U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress...
Civil unions and gay marriage
Djou opposes Hawaii House Bill 444Hawaii House Bill 444
House Bill 444 was a 2009 bill of the Hawaii State Legislature, passed in April 2010 and vetoed by Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle, that would have legalized civil unions for couples in the state of Hawaii...
, a bill to legalize civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
s for same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and supports the federal Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
. He stated that lawmakers "ignored the will of the people" who enacted Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2
Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)
Constitutional Amendment 2 of 1998 amended the Constitution of Hawaii, granting the state legislature the power to prevent same-sex marriage from being conducted or recognized in Hawaii. Amendment 2 was the first constitutional amendment adopted in the United States that specifically targeted...
.
Don't ask, don't tell
Djou voted in favor of an amendment to the 2011 Department of Defense Authorization Bill that would repeal the "Don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" law.
South Korean free trade agreement
On May 28, 2010, Djou spoke on the floor of the House in support of Congress passing the South Korean Free Trade Agreement, which was signed by former President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on June 30, 2007, currently awaiting approval of the Congress.
1998
Djou ran as a Republican for the Hawaii State House of RepresentativesHawaii 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...
District 47 seat. He was unopposed in the primary election, but lost to Iris Ikeda Catalani in the general election by a margin of 190 votes.
2000
In 2000, he again ran for the Hawaii State House of Representatives District 47 seat. Unopposed in the primary, he faced incumbent Democrat Iris Ikeda Catalani in the general election. Catalani faced controversy in the campaign, with allegations that she broke a promise to the Outdoor Circle by posting yard signs. Djou won the race, gaining 52.5 percent of the vote to Catalani's 44.2 percent.2002
In 2002, Djou announced he would run for the Honolulu City Council. He also announced he would move to East Honolulu (City Council District 3) from Kaneohe (City Council District 4) to avoid running against fellow Republican Stan Koki. Honolulu City and County elections are officially non-partisan, and any candidate who wins a majority of the votes in the primary election can win outright. However, no candidate received a majority of the votes in the primary election, and Djou and opponent Robert Fishman faced each other in a run-off in the general election. Djou won with 51.3 percent of the vote, to Fishman's 39.2 percent.2006
Djou ran for reelection to the Honolulu City Council. He was unopposed and won the seat by default. Djou subsequently served as the Hawaii co-chair of former New York Mayor Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
campaign for President in 2008.
2010 special
In March 2010, Djou announced he would run for U.S. Congress, seeking a seat in Hawaii's 1st congressional districtHawaii's 1st congressional district
Hawaii's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The district encompasses the urban areas of the City and County of Honolulu, a consolidated city-county that is coextensive with the island of Oahu. The district includes Oahu's central plains and southern...
. The seat was vacant because Neil Abercrombie
Neil Abercrombie
Neil Abercrombie is the 7th and current Governor of Hawaii. He was the Democratic U.S. Representative of the First Congressional District of Hawaii which comprises urban Honolulu. He served in Congress from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010 when he resigned to successfully run for governor...
had resigned to run for Governor of Hawaii
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
. Djou was endorsed by former Massachusetts Governor and Presidential candidate Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
. Former Hawaii Congresswoman Patricia Saiki, whom Djou had once volunteered for as a teenager, served as Djou's campaign chair.
The election was held in May, with Djou receiving 39.4 percent of the vote. He defeated five Democrats, four Republicans, and four independent candidates. Among the candidates Djou defeated were former Congressman Ed Case
Ed Case
Edward Espenett "Ed" Case is a Democratic politician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives. Case, a Blue Dog Democrat, first came to prominence in Hawaii as majority leader of the Hawaii State Legislature and for his campaign for Governor of Hawaii in 2002...
and State Senator Colleen Hanabusa
Colleen Hanabusa
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was formerly a member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1998...
, two Democrats who together polled over 58% of the vote. Djou served the remainder of the 2010 term and ran for a full term in November 2010.
Djou was sworn in three days later. He is the first Republican to represent the district in 20 years.
There has been some controversy over the use of robocalling
Robocall
Robocall is a term for an automated phone call that uses both a computerized autodialer and a computer-delivered pre-recorded message. The implication is that a "robocall" resembles a telephone call from a robot...
by the Djou campaign, both before the election and afterwards. At issue was the use of public funds for automated calls seeking campaign funding, as well as the allegedly high frequency of calls. One individual receiving multiple calls reported that a campaign worker refused to remove him from the calling list. However, as with all official mass communication between Members of the House and their constituents, the phone survey conducted on behalf of Congressman Djou's office was approved by the bipartisan Franking Commission as an appropriate use of official resources for the purpose of communicating with constituents.
2010 general
Djou was defeated by Democratic nominee State Senator Colleen HanabusaColleen Hanabusa
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was formerly a member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1998...
. Djou was one of only two Republican incumbents (Joseph Cao
Joseph Cao
Anh "Joseph" Quang Cao is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. In April 2011, he announced he will be a candidate for Attorney General of Louisiana in 2011, however in September 2011 he pulled out of the race.He was the first...
was the other) to lose in the 2010 general election on November 2, 2010.
2012
Djou announced on August 17, 2011, that he will challenge Colleen Hanabusa in Hawaii's 1st congressional districtHawaii's 1st congressional district
Hawaii's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The district encompasses the urban areas of the City and County of Honolulu, a consolidated city-county that is coextensive with the island of Oahu. The district includes Oahu's central plains and southern...
in 2012. He is currently deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as a mobilized Army Reserve soldier with the 10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
, expecting to return in spring 2012. He stated he would not campaign while on active duty.
Personal life
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
transcription of his Chinese surname "Zhou" (周).
Djou served on the Board of Directors of the American Lung Association
American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is a voluntary health organization whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.-History:...
and was a member of the Neighborhood Board. He is currently a member of the Young Business Roundtable, the Rotary Club, and the Hawaii Telecommunications Association.
External links
- Charles Djou for Congress official campaign site