Meet Josh
More than twenty years ago, Josh started caring for local families as a doctor in a small clinic on Big Island.
He became part of the community and got to know the challenges people faced, like the high cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, and the plague of addiction.
So he ran for office to make a difference in people’s lives, serving in the State House and State Senate from 2004 to 2018 and passing legislation that provided healthcare for every child in Hawaii, more resources to treat addiction, and insurance coverage for kids with autism.
In 2005, Josh met Jaime Ushiroda, a local girl from Kaneohe, and they were married in 2006.
In 2018, Josh became Hawaii’s Lt. Governor, and when he saw the need for real solutions on homelessness, he helped build kauhale communities and the H4 clinic to provide housing and care for those in need.
When a measles epidemic hit Samoa in 2019, Josh led a team of doctors and nurses from Hawaii, and within 48 hours they vaccinated 37,000 people and protected Samoa’s children.
Just a few months later COVID hit Hawaii, and as COVID liaison Josh led the largest healthcare response in state history, pulling Hawaii together to vaccinate over a million people, protect our kupuna, and save thousands of lives.
Josh and his wife Jaime share the values of Hawaii — family and community, diversity, and a responsibility to future generations.
Together they are the proud parents of 16 year-old daughter Maia and 11 year-old son Sam.
Josh was elected the ninth governor of Hawaii on November 8, 2022.
Our Values and Vision
for Hawaii’s Future
I ran for governor because Hawaii needs elected leaders we can trust — to tell us the truth, keep us safe and informed, to care about working families, and to be transparent and accountable to the people.
It’s important that voters know the values that my wife Jaime and I bring to public service, because our values will shape the policies we propose, support, and fight for on behalf of the people of Hawaii.
Along with most people in our islands, we share the values of family, community, respect for basic human dignity, and responsibility to future generations.
We are a family like thousands of other families in Hawaii. We have two young children in school, and their safety, health, and education are the most important things in the world to us. We work hard to save money so we can send them to college one day. We are blessed to have an extended family of aunties, uncles, and cousins who are there for us when we need help and support. We feel lucky and grateful to live in Hawaii, and we want to give back to our community and serve others.
Jaime and I believe that Hawaii is one Ohana, and we must always treat every member of our family with dignity and respect and listen to each other with compassion, even if we don’t always agree.
We recognize and celebrate that Hawaii is a family of many languages, ethnicities and religions, of every age, gender, and sexual orientation, including all shapes, colors, and abilities, and that our diversity is our greatest strength.
We believe that young people in Hawaii should not have to leave our islands because they can’t afford housing or find economic opportunity here. That working people should earn a living wage, and no one in our state who works full time should live in poverty. That no parent should have to choose between earning a living and caring for a sick child, or between buying food or affording medicine.
Jaime and I also believe that in Hawaii we should never turn our backs on anyone or leave anyone behind. That means those struggling with addiction or mental illness should have access to treatment and recovery. It also means that when people are in real need, whether from unemployment, eviction, or homelessness, they should have access to support to help get them back on their feet. No one should go chronically hungry or homeless in our islands.
As parents of two children growing up in Hawaii, Jaime and I will do everything we can to help build the future that we want them to live in. A more just, peaceful, prosperous, and tolerant future where every person has the educational and economic opportunities they need to pursue their goals and dreams, where we treat each other with respect and dignity as members of one Ohana.
A future where we can all rise together.
Mahalo,
