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Charles Djou

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Charles Djou
Official portrait, 2022
Secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 2022
Preceded byWilliam Matz Jr.
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromHawaii's1stdistrict
In office
May 22, 2010 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byNeil Abercrombie
Succeeded byColleen Hanabusa
Member of theHonolulu City Council
from the 4th district
In office
December 2002 – May 22, 2010
Preceded byDuke Bainum
Succeeded byLee Donohue
Member of theHawaii House of Representatives
from the 47th district
In office
January 1999 – December 2002
Preceded byIris Catalani
Succeeded byColleen Meyer
Personal details
Born
Charles Kong Djou

(1970-08-09)August 9, 1970(age 54)
Los Angeles,California,U.S.
Political partyIndependent(2018–present)
Other political
affiliations		Republican(before 2018)
SpouseStacey Kawasaki
Children3
Residence(s)Honolulu,Hawaii, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania(BS,BA)
University of Southern California(JD)
United States Army War College(MA)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
RankColonel
UnitUnited States Army Reserve
Chinese name
ChineseChu vĩnh khang
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōu Yǒngkāng
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingZau1 Wing5 Hong1

Charles Kong Djou(born August 9, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who is currently Secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission.A former member of theRepublican Party,Djou briefly served asU.S. representativefromHawaii's 1st congressional districtfrom May 2010 to January 2011.[1]As of 2024,he is the last Republican to represent Hawaii in Congress.

Djou was elected to Congress in aMay 2010 special electionwith 39.68% of the vote against two Democratic opponents. He was defeated in the November 2010general electionbyColleen Hanabusa.[2]His election made him the firstThai American,as well as the first Republican ofChinese Americandescent, to serve in the House of Representatives. Prior to his election to Congress, he was a member of theHawaii House of Representativesand theHonolulu City Council.

Following his defeat in 2010, he unsuccessfully ran to represent the district in the2012and2014elections. In2016,he was a candidate forMayor of Honolulu,ultimately losing toKirk Caldwellby a 52% to 48% margin. In 2018, Djou left the Republican Party due to his opposition to then-PresidentDonald Trump.[3]Djou supported Democratic nomineeJoe Biden'scandidacyin the2020 presidential election.Following Biden's victory, Djou was appointed Secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission.[4]

Early life and education

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Djou was born on August 9, 1970 inLos Angeles, Californiato a Chinese father fromShanghaiand aThai Chinesemother fromBangkok.His paternal grandfather fled Shanghai following theCommunist revolution,settling inBritish Hong Kong.[5]

Djou grew up inHawaiiafter his father's employer transferred him there when Djou was three.[6][7]He graduated from high school atPunahou School,and earned aBachelor of Artsinpolitical scienceand aBachelor of Scienceineconomicsfrom theWharton School of the University of Pennsylvania,graduatingmagna cum laude.He earned hisJ.D.degree at theUSC Gould School of Lawat theUniversity of Southern California.Djou earned hisM.A.graduate degree in strategic studies at theUS Army War Collegewhere he was a resident student and Carlisle Scholar.[citation needed]

Djou is acolonelin theUnited States Army Reserve.[8]He has taught as an adjunct professor of law at theUniversity of Hawaiiand as an adjunct professor of political science atHawaii Pacific University.

Early political career

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Djou was Vice Chairman of theHawaii Republican Partyfrom 1998 to 1999 and was later 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 byPacific Business News,and in 2005 was named byHonolulu Weeklyas the "Best Politician" in the state.

Hawaii House of Representatives (1999-2002)

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Djou in 2002 as the GOP State House Floor Leader

Elections

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In 1998, Djou ran as a Republican for theHawaii State House of RepresentativesDistrict 47 seat. He was unopposed in the primary election,[9]but lost to Iris Ikeda Catalani in the general election by 190 votes.[10]

In 2000, he again ran for the Hawaii State House of Representatives District 47 seat. Unopposed in the primary, he faced Catalani in the general election. Catalani faced controversy in the campaign, with allegations that she broke a promise tothe Outdoor Circle,a communitybeautificationorganization,[11]by posting yard signs.[12]Djou won the race with 52.5 percent of the vote to Catalani's 44.2 percent.[13]

Tenure

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As a member of the State House of Representatives, Djou had one term in theHawaii House of Representativesfrom 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.[14]

Honolulu City Council (2002-2010)

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Elections

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In 2002, Djou announced he would run for the Honolulu City Council. He also announced he would move toEast Honolulu(City Council District IV) from Kaneohe (City Council District III) to avoid running against fellow Republican Stan Koki.[15]Honolulu City and County elections are officially nonpartisan, and any candidate who wins a majority of the votes in the primary election can win outright. No candidate received a majority of the votes in the primary election,[16]so Djou and Robert Fishman, a former city managing director and chief of staff to the governor, faced each other in a runoff in the general election. Djou won with 51.3 percent of the vote to Fishman's 39.2 percent.[17]

Djou ran for reelection to the Honolulu City Council. He was unopposed and won the seat by default.[18]

Tenure

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In 2002, Djou was elected to theHonolulu City Council,representing District IV (WaikikitoHawaii Kai). He was reelected in 2006 and was on the council until his election to Congress. On the City Council he was the Chairman of the Zoning Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning Committee and as a member of the Transportation and Public Safety & Services committees.

U.S. House of Representatives

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Djou's official congressional portrait, 2010
Rep.Charles K. Djou (R-Hawaii), with his wife and daughters, being sworn in by US House SpeakerNancy Pelosi.

Elections

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2010 special

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Main article:2010 Hawaii's 1st congressional district special election

In March 2008, Djou announced well ahead of time that he would run forU.S. Congressin the 2010 cycle, seekingHawaii's 1st congressional districtseat.[19]The seat became vacant on February 28, 2010, when incumbentNeil Abercrombieresigned to run forGovernor of Hawaii.[20]Abercrombie's resignation precipitated a special election on May 22, 2010, which Djou entered. Djou was endorsed by former Massachusetts Governor and Presidential candidateMitt Romney.[21]Djou subsequently endorsed Romney for president in the summer of 2011.[22]Former Hawaii CongresswomanPatricia Saiki,a Republican for whom Djou had once volunteered as a teenager, was Djou's campaign chair.

In the special election, Djou received 39.4 percent of the vote. He defeated five Democrats, four Republicans, and four independent candidates.[23][24]Among the candidates Djou defeated were former CongressmanEd Caseand State SenatorColleen Hanabusa,two Democrats who together polled over 58% of the vote.[25]Djou was sworn in three days later and was in office for the remainder of Abercrombie's 2008 term. He was the first Republican to represent the district in 20 years.[26]He followed Abercrombie andPatsy Minkas the third person to have been in the Honolulu City Council, Hawaii State Legislature and U.S. Congress, and was the first to be elected to all three chambers before age 40.

Tenure

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Committee assignments

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LGBT rights

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Djou had opposedHawaii House Bill 444in 2009, a bill to legalizecivil unionsfor same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and supported the federalDefense of Marriage Act.He stated that lawmakers "ignored the will of the people" who enactedHawaii Constitutional Amendment 2in 1998.[27]

Djou was one of a handful of Congressional Republicans who voted in favor of an amendment to the 2011 Department of Defense Authorization Bill that would repeal the "Don't ask, don't tell"law and allow gay people to serve in the U.S. military.[28]

Immigration

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Djou supported comprehensive immigration reform and was one of eight Republicans who voted for theDREAM Actto allow immigrants brought to the U.S. as children earn citizenship through service in the military or obtaining a college education and a job.[29]

South Korean Free Trade Agreement

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On May 28, 2010, Djou spoke on the floor of the House in support of approving theSouth Korean Free Trade Agreement,which was signed by former presidentGeorge W. Bushon June 30, 2007.[30]Congress approved the agreement on October 11, 2011.[31]

2010 general

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See also:2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii § District 1

Djou ran for a full term in November 2010.[25]There was some controversy over the use ofrobocallingby the Congressman's official U.S. House office, both before the election and afterward,[32][33][34][35]but as with all official mass communication between members of the House and their constituents, the phone survey conducted on behalf of Djou's office was approved by the bipartisan Franking Commission as an appropriate use of official resources for the purpose of communicating with constituents.[35]

Djou was defeated by the Democratic nominee, State Senate PresidentColleen Hanabusa,53% to 47%.[2]Djou was one of only two Republican incumbents to lose a general election in 2010, along withJoseph Caoin Louisiana.[36]

Post-congressional tenure

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Later candidacies for Congress

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2012

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See also:2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii § District 1
Djou serving with the 10th Mountain Division in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2011

Djou announced on August 17, 2011, that he would challenge Hanabusa in the 1st district in 2012. A major in the U.S. Army Reserve, Djou suspended his campaign for six months while deployed toAfghanistanwith the 3rd Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division,from September 2011[37]to March 2012.[38]Djou lost to Hanabusa in the general election,[39]with 45.4% of the vote.[40]

2014

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See also:2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii § District 1

Djou ran for the 1st district again in 2014.[41]Although he garnered a greater percentage of the vote in a general election than any other Republican running for Congress in Hawaii since 1988, he still narrowly lost to Democratic state representativeMark Takai,who received 51.2% of the vote.[42]

2016 Honolulu mayoral election

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Main article:2016 Honolulu mayoral election

Djou announced on June 7, 2016 that he was running for the nonpartisan office ofMayor of Honoluluagainst incumbent MayorKirk Caldwell,former MayorPeter Carlisle,and at least ten others. In the nonpartisan race, Djou had already received the endorsement of former governorBen Cayetano,an anti-rail Democrat.[43]On June 15, Djou announced that retired Federal Judge and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii,Walter Heen,would chair Djou's campaign, and City Council memberAnn Kobayashi,also a Democrat, supported Djou for mayor.[44]With no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote on August 13, 2016, a decision between the top two candidates, Djou and Caldwell, would be made in the November 8, 2016 election.[45]

Caldwell defeated Djou, 52% to 48%.[46]Though both candidates supported the municipal rail project, its cost overruns were an issue, as well as Caldwell's alleged interference with the Ethics Commission. Labor group support was split between the pair.[47]

Later career

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Djou introducing Pres.Biden at the 80th Anniversary of DDay in Normandy, France in 2024

Djou served as the Hawaii state campaign chair ofJohn Kasich's 2016 presidential campaign and urged voters before the 2016 Hawaii caucuses to rejectDonald Trump.[48]In 2018, Djou left the Republican Party, citing concerns with its policies and President Trump's character.[49]In October 2019, Djou said, "It would be fair to say that I'm an independent Democratic [sic] ".[50]On July 9, 2020,Republican Voters Against Trumpreleased a video in which Djou urged voters to vote against Trump.[51]

Djou is a member of the ReFormers Caucus ofIssue One.[52]

On March 9, 2020, Djou published an op-ed article inHonolulu Civil Beatannouncing that he would not enter the2020 Honolulu mayoral election,though he has accused Honolulu politicians of incompetence in handling important issues.[53]Djou wrote, "while it is clear to all that Honolulu is in desperate need of dramatic change and real leadership, I have come to the difficult decision that I am not the best person to lead this charge in the 2020 election." He said he might endorse a candidate but had not yet made a decision.

In addition to his decision not to run for mayor of Honolulu, Djou announced he was selected to serve in theUnited States Army War Collegeto complete a graduate degree in Strategic Studies. With his decision to set politics aside, Djou wrote, "completing War College will better position me to assume more significant future roles and duties in service to our country. And unfortunately, running for public office this fall would conflict with this military assignment."[54]

In 2020, Djou endorsed DemocratJoe Bidenfor President alongside 26 other former Republican members of Congress.[55]In May 2022, President Biden appointed Djou to be secretary of theAmerican Battle Monuments Commission.[4]In August 2024, Djou wrote an op-ed forFox Newspraising2024Democratic vice-presidential nomineeTim Walz.[56]

Personal life

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Charles Djou and family in 2008

Djou is married to Stacey Kawasaki Djou, aJapanese American.They have three children. His surname is aFrenchtransliteration of the Chinese surnameZhou.[57]This originates from his grandfather's work at a French engineering company in Shanghai in the 1920s, where he was referred to as "Dijou", a name he later wrote on his immigration papers.[5]

Djou was on the board of directors of theAmerican Lung Associationand a member of the Neighborhood Board. He is a member of the Young Business Roundtable, theRotary Club,and the Hawaii Telecommunications Association.[57]

Since 2010, Djou has contributed op-ed articles as a writer forHonolulu Civil Beat,a local nonprofit journalism website.[58]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^U.S. Rep. District 1 Special Vacancy Election – State of Hawaii – StatewideMay 22, 2010. Accessed May 22, 2010
  2. ^abGoodin, Emily (November 3, 2010)."Dems pick up Hawaii seat".The Hill.
  3. ^Staff (March 19, 2018)."Djou abandons Republican Party because of Trump".Honolulu Star-Advertiser.RetrievedApril 21,2018.
  4. ^ab"Charles K. Djou".American Battle Monuments Commission.RetrievedOctober 13,2022.
  5. ^abBlair, Chad (April 3, 2014)."Will Hawaii Elect a Republican to Congress?".Honolulu Civil Beat.RetrievedAugust 7,2024.
  6. ^Nakaso, Dan (May 26, 2010)."Djou welcomed in Congress".Honolulu Advertiser.RetrievedJuly 9,2018.son of immigrant parents from Shanghai and Bangkok
  7. ^Hawaii Republicans are pinning big hopes on a Djou victory
  8. ^"About Charles Djou".Team Djou. Archived fromthe originalon June 23, 2013.
  9. ^"Elections".Hawaii.gov.RetrievedAugust 23,2010.
  10. ^1998 General Elections Precinct Report(Report). Hawaii.gov. November 3, 1998.RetrievedAugust 23,2010.
  11. ^Hill, Tiffany (November 8, 2012)."The Outdoor Circle Celebrates 100 Years Beautifying Honolulu".Honolulu.RetrievedJuly 9,2018.
  12. ^Kua, Crystal.Outdoor Circle says candidate broke yard-sign pledge.Honolulu Star-Bulletin(October 31, 2000)
  13. ^Hawaii 2000 election results, race between Djou and Catalani
  14. ^Daranciang, Nelson (April 11, 2002)."Shutdown of van cams may cost $8 million".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.RetrievedDecember 7,2019.
    Dubford, Bruce (April 9, 2002)."Hawaii Halts Use of Traffic Cameras".Midland Daily News.Michigan. Associated Press.RetrievedDecember 7,2019.
  15. ^Pang, Gordon Y. K.Exodus enlivens Council races.Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  16. ^"Open Primary Election 2002 (results)"(PDF).Election Results.Honolulu, HI: Office of Elections, State of Hawaii. September 28, 2002. p. 6.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 18, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 7,2013.
  17. ^"General Election 2002 – STATE OF HAWAII – STATEWIDE"(PDF).RetrievedAugust 23,2010.
  18. ^Boyland, Peter (March 22, 2008)."Charles Djou to run for Congress in 2010".The Honolulu Advertiser.
  19. ^"Djou to run for Congress in 2010".Honolulu Advertiser.March 22, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 5,2017.
  20. ^"Special mail election to fill Abercrombie seat is May 22".Honolulu Advertiser.March 3, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on April 19, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 7,2013.
  21. ^"Romney wades into Hawaii special election, raises $1.5 million for PAC".The Washington Post.April 12, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2011.
  22. ^"Mitt Romney wins Charles Djou primary".Politico.August 30, 2010.
  23. ^State of Hawaii Office of Elections (February 24, 2010)."FACTSHEET 2010 SPECIAL ELECTION U.S. House of Representatives, District 1"(PDF).RetrievedMarch 15,2010.
  24. ^U.S. Rep District I Special Vacancy Election – State of Hawaii – Statewide
  25. ^ab"GOP's Djou wins Hawaii special election for Congress".The Honolulu Advertiser.May 22, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon May 25, 2010.RetrievedMay 23,2010.
  26. ^Sappenfield, Mark (May 23, 2010)."Charles Djou: How did a Republican win in Obama's Hawaii hometown?".Christian Science Monitor.RetrievedDecember 7,2019.
  27. ^"What he's Djou-ing here".Honolulu Weekly.May 9, 2010.RetrievedMarch 17,2015.
  28. ^"House Vote 317 – Allows Repeal of Ban on Gays in Military".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 24,2010.
  29. ^"DREAM Act Passes Congress".Therightperspective.org. December 13, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 8,2013.
  30. ^Djou, Charles (May 28, 2010)."Rep. Charles Djou (R-HI) calls for South Korea free trade agreement".The Hill.
  31. ^Martin, Eric; McQuillen, William (October 13, 2011)."Congress Approves Biggest U.S. Trade Agreement Since 1994".Business Week.Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2011.RetrievedJuly 23,2012.
  32. ^"Hawaii governor's 'robocall' urges vote for Djou".The Honolulu Advertiser.May 17, 2010.RetrievedJune 16,2010.
  33. ^"Lingle 'robocall' urges voters to choose Djou".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.May 17, 2010.RetrievedJune 16,2010.
  34. ^"Djou camp marshals radio, TV and phone".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.May 18, 2010.RetrievedJune 16,2010.
  35. ^ab"Tax Dollars Paid For Djou's Robo-Calls".KITV.June 16, 2010.RetrievedJune 16,2010.
  36. ^"Who's gone: Incumbents who have lost".Politico.May 11, 2011.RetrievedDecember 7,2019.
  37. ^"Djou announces run for Congress, will deploy to Afghanistan".Honolulu Star-Advertiser.August 17, 2011.
  38. ^"Hawaii ex-lawmaker Djou serves Afghanistan stint".foxnews.com.Associated Press. March 5, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  39. ^"Hanabusa defeats Djou for US House".Seattle Post-Intelligencer.Hearst Communications Inc. Associated Press. November 7, 2012.RetrievedNovember 18,2012.
  40. ^"Hawaii General 2012 – State of Hawaii – Statewide"(PDF).Office of Elections.State of Hawaii. November 7, 2012.RetrievedNovember 18,2012.
  41. ^Ian Scheuring (March 21, 2014)."State GOP chair confirms Djou congressional run".Hawaii News Now.
  42. ^"2014 Certified Election Results".Hawaii Office of Elections.State of Hawaii.RetrievedAugust 3,2015.
  43. ^HNN Staff (June 7, 2016)."Charles Djou announces he's running for mayor".Hawaii News Now.RetrievedJune 11,2016.
  44. ^Chad Blair (June 15, 2016)."Djou Gets Some Democratic Support In Campaign For Mayor".Civil Beat.RetrievedJune 19,2016.
  45. ^"Caldwell fails to clinch majority, will face off against Djou in November".Hawaii News Now.August 13, 2016.RetrievedAugust 14,2016.
  46. ^Honolulu, Hawaii Mayor: Results: Kirk Caldwell Leads,The New York Times,November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  47. ^Mayor Kirk Caldwell Re-Elected Over Charles Djou,Honolulu Civil Beat,Chad Blair, November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  48. ^Blair, Chad (March 7, 2016)."Charles Djou: Don't Vote Trump".Honolulu Civil Beat.RetrievedDecember 12,2022.
  49. ^Djou, Charles (March 19, 2018)."Charles Djou: Why I'm Leaving The GOP".Honolulu Civil Beat.RetrievedMarch 25,2018.
  50. ^Nakaso, Dan (October 29, 2019)."Councilwoman Kymberly Pine enters fight in upcoming mayoral race".Honolulu Star-Advertiser.RetrievedOctober 30,2019.
  51. ^ Djou, Charles (2020),GOP Rep. Charles Djou: Trump is Ignorant of Honor and True Sacrifice,Republican Voters Against Trump,retrievedSeptember 25,2020
  52. ^Wirkus, Elise."Nine new ReFormers join Issue One to fix the broken political system".Issue One.RetrievedMarch 23,2020.
  53. ^Staff, H. N. N. (March 10, 2020)."Djou not running for mayor, but calls out 'incompetence' at city hall".Hawaii News Now.RetrievedMarch 24,2020.
  54. ^"Charles Djou: Why I'm Not Running For Honolulu Mayor".Honolulu Civil Beat.March 9, 2020.RetrievedMarch 24,2020.
  55. ^Beer, Tommy."27 Prominent Republicans, Including Jeff Flake, Announce They'll Endorse Joe Biden".Forbes.RetrievedAugust 24,2020.
  56. ^Burris, Sarah K. (August 7, 2024)."Ex-Republican sings praises of Tim Walz to Fox News - Raw Story".Raw Story.RetrievedAugust 7,2024.
  57. ^ab"About Charles – Team Djou".Team Djou.Honolulu, HI, USA: Djou for Hawaii. Archived fromthe originalon November 6, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 7,2013.
  58. ^"Charles Djou".Honolulu Civil Beat.RetrievedMarch 24,2020.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toCharles Djou.
Hawaii House of Representatives
Preceded by
Iris Catalani
 Member of theHawaii House of Representatives
from the 47th district
1999–2002 		Succeeded by
Colleen Meyer
Political offices
Preceded by Member of theHonolulu City Council
from the 4th district
2002–2010 		Succeeded by
Lee Donohue
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromHawaii's 1st congressional district
2010–2011 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence(ceremonial)
Preceded byas former U.S. Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as former U.S. Representative 		Succeeded byas Deputy U.S. Secretary of State
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