Donna Mercado Kim

Hawaii state senator (2000–present); former state senate president (2012-2015)

What is Donna Mercado Kim known for?

Donna Mercado Kim is a notable American Democratic party politician from Hawaii, born on January 31, 1952, in Honolulu, Hawaii, US. She is a proud alumna of Farrington High School in Honolulu. She is an esteemed member of the Hawaii Senate having assumed office on November 7, 2000. She served from Senate District 14 and was recognized as the President of the Hawaiʻi Senate from December 28, 2012, to May 5, 2015.

Before her senate career, Donna Mercado Kim served in a variety of political roles. From 1982 to 1985, she was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives. She then shifted her focus to the Honolulu City Council, where she served from January 17, 1986, to July 26, 2000.

Throughout her time in the Senate, Kim chaired several critical committees including the Committee on Tourism, the Committee on Ways and Means, the Special Committee on Accountability, and the Task Force on Reinventing Government. Between 2003-2008 and 2011-2013, she also served as Vice President of the Senate.

In 2014, Kim sought to expand her political influence by running for congress in order to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. Unfortunately, she did not win, losing the race to Mark Takai. She again attempted to secure the 1st Congressional District seat in 2018 as it was being vacated by Colleen Hanabusa, but met the same fate when losing to former congressman Ed Case.

Donna Mercado Kim is not only known for her political pursuits but also for her diverse heritage. She was born in Honolulu, with her father being Korean and her mother being of Spanish-Filipino-Portuguese descent.