Maryanne Kusaka, American politician and former Mayor of the County of Kaua'i

Kauai County, Hawaii

Kauai County is a county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Kauai, Niihau, Lehua, and Kaula, in the state of Hawaii. As of 2000 Census the population was 58,463...

. She was mayor of Kauai from 1994 to 2002. A career Republican, Kusaka sought a seat in the Hawai'i State Senate in 2004 but lost to the Democratic Party

Democratic 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...

's Gary Hooser

Gary Hooser

Gary Hooser is the former State Senate Majority Leader representing Kauaʻi and Niʻihau since 2002. He formerly served on the Kauai County Council for 4 years before becoming a Senator....

 by 16,274 votes to 8,270.

Kusaka was born in Kamuela on the Big Island of Hawai'i

Hawaii (island)

The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...

. She was raised in Hana on the island of Maui

Maui

The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

. She graduated from Mid Pacific Institute in Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

 and then attended the University of Northern Colorado

University of Northern Colorado

-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...

 to become an elementary school teacher. For over 33 years, Kusaka taught at various elementary schools on the island of Kauai

Kauai

Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...

until her election to the mayor's office in 1994.