Sonny Ganaden
Ganaden in 2023
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 30th District
Assumed office
November 3, 2020
Preceded byRomeo Munoz Cachola
Personal details
Born
Ernesto Montemayor Ganaden
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceKalihi, Hawaii[1]
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (B.A.)
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (J.D.)

Ernesto Montemayor "Sonny" Ganaden is an American attorney and politician who has served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives' 30th district in 2020.

Background and education

Ernesto Montemayor Ganaden[2] is a second generation Filipino American. Ganaden received his degree in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[3] In 2006, he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's William S. Richardson School of Law.[4]

As an attorney, Ganaden defended the rights of Native Hawaiian elders who were arrested for protesting the construction of the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope.[5] In 2013, Ganaden was the leader writer on the Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force Report,[6] which concluded that Native Hawaiians were disproportionately and unfairly overrepresented in Hawaiian prisons.[7] Ganaden has criticized the existence of private prisons and argued that in "communities where basic human needs are met, crime is rare".[8]

Ganaden was previously an instructor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, teaching in the departments of American studies and ethnic studies.[9] Ganaden contributed an essay to Detours: A Decolonial Guide to Hawai’i, where he wrote about King Kamehameha I's impact on modern Hawaiian law.[10]

Hawaii House of Representatives

Elections

In 2018, Ganaden ran to represent District 30 in of the Hawaii House of Representatives, where he faced incumbent Romeo Munoz Cachola in the Democratic primary.[11] Cachola narrowly defeated Ganaden by a 51-vote margin.[12]

In 2020, Ganaden ran for the seat once again, defeating incumbent Cachola in the Democratic primary[13] and defeating Republican Tess Quillingking in the general election.[14] During the 2020 campaign, Ganaden spoke out against proposed austerity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

Tenure

In office, Ganaden has called for the United States Navy to be investigated for potentially misleading regulators about a fuel release into Pearl Harbor, which is part of Ganaden's district.[16] Ganaden is a member of the Progressive Legislative Caucus, a coalition of left-wing members of the Hawaii Legislature.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Candidate Q&A: State House District 30 — Sonny Ganaden". Honolulu Civil Beat. September 25, 2020.
  2. ↑ "February 2008 Examination For Admission To The Bar Of The State Of Hawai'i" (PDF). Supreme Court of Hawaii. February 2008.
  3. ↑ "Ganaden for Hawaii". Ganaden for Hawaii. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  4. ↑ Nakaso, Dan; Kaya, Travis (July 9, 2010). "The 'CJ' is saluted at school". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Mauna Kea, Mass Incarceration, and Democracy". HAPA: Hawai'i Alliance for Progressive Action. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  6. ↑ "2020 Election: Ernesto "Sonny" Ganaden". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. July 18, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ "The Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force Report" (PDF). Office of Hawaiian Affairs. July 10, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Time To End Mass Incarceration In Hawaii". Honolulu Civil Beat. July 9, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ Arakaki, Marc. "Legislature congratulates ethnic studies on golden anniversary". University of Hawaiʻi System News. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Much more than a tropical paradise: This new travel guide will 'decolonize' the way you look at Hawaii". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  11. ↑ Lee, Suevon (August 21, 2018). "Elections Suit Accuses State Lawmaker Of Voter Fraud And Intimidation". Honolulu Civil Beat.
  12. ↑ "Cachola, Ganaden Have Rematch To Represent Kalihi District In Hawaii House". Honolulu Civil Beat. July 30, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  13. ↑ "With huge voter turnout in 2020 primary, some surprises emerge in key races". HawaiiNewsNow.
  14. ↑ "2020 Hawaii State House – District 30 Election Results". The Gainesville Sun.
  15. ↑ "Candidate Q&A: State House District 30 — Ernesto Ganaden". Honolulu Civil Beat. September 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Lawmakers Call For Investigation Into Whether Navy Misled Regulators On Red Hill". Honolulu Civil Beat. October 20, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  17. ↑ Fawcett, Denby (January 25, 2021). "Chad Blair: New Progressive Caucus Hopes To Be A Force At The Legislature". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
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