Scott Kazuo Saiki (born July 17, 1964) is an American attorney and politician. He has served as a Democratic member of the

Hawaii House of Representatives The Hawaii House of Representatives () is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Pursuant to Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution of Hawaii, amended during the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention, 1978 constit ...

, representing the state's 26th district. He served as majority leader from 2013 to 2017 and as speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2017 to 2024. In the 2024 primary election, Saiki lost his seat in a close race with Kim Coco Iwamoto.

Early life and education

Saiki was born in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

Hawai‘i Hawaii ( ; ) is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only state not on the North American mainland, t ...

on July 17, 1964 and grew up in

Kailua, Hawaii Kailua () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. It lies in the North Koolaupoko, Hawaii, Koolaupoko District of the island of Oahu, Oahu on the windward and leeward, windward coast at Kailua Bay. It is i ...

. He attended Hawaii Baptist Academy in Honolulu. Saiki earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offic ...

and a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 1991. In 1988, he was a student intern for U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka. As a law student, he advocated for requiring students to complete a

pro bono ( English: 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. The term traditionally referred to provision of legal services by legal professionals for people who a ...

program.

Early career

After graduating from law school, Saiki worked as an attorney, practicing disability law and personal injury litigation. He is a former staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and assistant to state Representative David Hagino.

Hawaii House of Representatives

In 1994, Saiki was first elected to the

to represent House District 20, an urban district spanning from Kapahulu to Moiliili. From 2013 to 2017, Saiki served as the majority leader. After Speaker Joe Souki resigned, Saiki was elected

Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives The Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives ( Hawaiian: Ka Luna Hoʻomalu o ka Hale ʻAhaʻōlelo Makaʻāinana) is the speaker ( presiding officer) of the Hawaii House of Representatives. Territorial House of Representatives After sta ...

on May 4, 2017. In addition to serving in office, he continues to practice disability law.

Community involvement and affiliations

* Member, Board of Directors, Advocates for Public Interest Law * Member, Hawaii State Bar Association * Member, Mōʻiliʻili Community Center * President,

National Conference of State Legislatures The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials' association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States. Background ...

, 2019 * Chairperson, Japan-Hawaii Legislators’ Friendship Association

Personal life

Saiki enjoys swimming. He and his wife Patsy have a cat, Emi.

Electoral history

2014

2016

In the 2016 election, Saiki ran unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general election.

2018

In the 2018 election, Saiki once again ran unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general election.

2020

2022

In the 2022 Democratic Primary Saiki once again faced Kim Coco Iwamoto for the nomination. Due to redistricting Saiki was placed in the 25th District which contain Ala Moana and Kakaako. Saiki narrowly won with 51% of the vote. He faced Rob Novak in the general election.

2024

References

External links

Hawaii House of Representatives - Scott Saiki
official government website
Project Vote Smart - Representative Scott K. Saiki (HI)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Scott Saiki
20062004200220001998
campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Saiki, Scott 1964 births Asian American and Pacific Islander state legislators in Hawaii Democratic Party members of the Hawaii House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Hawaii State Legislature Hawaii politicians of Japanese descent Living people Speakers of the Hawaii House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Hawaii State Legislature