After completing his residency in 2000, Green joined the National Health Service Corps and was stationed in Hawaii as a physician for the Big Island. He practiced family medicine and worked in emergency rooms. At times, he was the only physician in the island's rural areas.[2] As of 2012, he remained a physician in the Big Island's rural emergency departments on weekends while he was a state senator.[7]
Green has been awarded Physician of the Year by the Hawaiʻi Medical Association twice in his career, first in 2009, and again in 2022 for his leadership and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
Early political career
Hawaii House of Representatives
Green was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2004. He represented the 6th district, based in a rural area of the western portion of the Big Island. Green served two terms before being elected to the Hawaii Senate in 2008.
Hawaii Senate
Green was first elected to the Hawaii Senate in 2008. He represented the 3rd district, which encompassed the southwestern portion of the Big Island. He was reelected in 2012 and 2014. As a state senator, Green served as majority leader and chaired the Committee on Health and Human Services.
In 2013, Green was honored as "Hawaii Legislator of the Year".[9] He championed the initiative to create an insurance mandate for children with autism via legislation known as Luke's Law. The legislation went into effect on January 1, 2016.
In 2018, Green fought to establish a legal safeguard so that parents with disabilities would no longer have their children taken away from them because of their disabilities. He also led the charge to raise the legal age to obtain tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21, making Hawaii the first U.S. state to do so.
Green opted not to run for reelection to the Senate in 2018. He was succeeded by Dru Kanuha, who now serves as majority leader.
Green's official portrait as Hawaii Lieutenant Governor
In 2018, Green won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor of Hawaii and was the running mate of incumbent Democratic Governor David Ige, who was running for a second term. In Hawaii, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run in separate primaries but on the same ticket in the general election. Ige and Green won the general election on November 6, 2018.[10]
Ige tasked Green with addressing Hawaii's chronic homelessness crisis and called on him to use his background as a physician to address how mental illness and addiction affect Hawaii's homeless population.[11]
In 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, Green led a team of over 75 doctors, nurses and other Hawaii health care workers on an emergency medical mission to Samoa. They aided in vaccination efforts against a measles epidemic across the region.[12]
On March 3, 2020, Ige appointed Green as the administration's liaison between the state and healthcare community as it pertains to COVID-19 preparedness and response.[13]
A poll conducted in April 2021 by Hawaii News Now found that Green had a 63% approval rating, with only 17% of voters disapproving of his work as lieutenant governor, while Ige held an approval rating of 22%.[14] It is speculated that Green's visibility throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and background as an emergency room doctor contributed to the difference.[15]
In August 2019, Green announced he was considering a run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 election.[16] He launched his campaign on February 10, 2022.[17]
Green won the Democratic primary on August 13, 2022; his running mate was Democratic state representative Sylvia Luke. On November 8, 2022, Green won the general election, defeating Republican nominee and former Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona in the general election.[18]
Tenure as governor
Green was inaugurated as the ninth Governor of Hawaii on December 5, 2022, succeeding David Ige. In his inaugural address, Green emphasized unity and addressed Hawaii's rising cost of living, pledging to combat it through affordable housing initiatives and tax reforms. He said, "When we come together, we can meet any challenge, and accomplish anything we set our minds to", highlighting values of ‘ohana and aloha.[19][20][21]
2023: early legislative actions
On March 22, 2023, Green signed legislation expanding access to abortion and protecting healthcare providers from out-of-state prosecution. The laws allowed minors to obtain abortions without parental consent in certain cases and repealed hospital requirements for procedures, aligning with national shifts following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision.[22][23] On June 2, coinciding with National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Green signed two firearms bills in response to the Supreme Court's New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen ruling. Act 52 (SB1230) expanded concealed carry rights but prohibited firearms in sensitive locations such as hospitals, beaches, and theaters, strengthening Hawaii's strict gun laws. Act 53 (HB1239) mandated active shooter training in schools.[24][25] These measures followed similar laws in New York and New Jersey.[26][27] On July 17, Green issued an emergency proclamation addressing Hawaii's housing crisis, citing high costs and outmigration. The order aimed to streamline construction of 50,000 housing units by suspending state and local land use regulations. The move faced legal challenges for potential environmental and cultural impacts but was praised for its ambition.[28][29][30]
2024: comprehensive legislative agenda
In the 2024 legislative session, Green signed 253 bills, addressing healthcare, education, culture, and economic issues. On June 3, he enacted Senate Bill 1035, exempting medical services under Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from Hawaii's General Excise Tax to reduce healthcare costs and support providers.[31][32] On June 26, he signed 22 healthcare bills, including SB 3139, which expanded mental health crisis intervention, strengthened the healthcare workforce, and promoted Native Hawaiian resources.[33] Green advanced Hawaiian language education by signing bills to enhance access in early education and universities. On June 28, Senate Bill 2659 mandated sustainable tourism strategies incorporating Native Hawaiian cultural values, aligning with regenerative tourism goals.[34][35] Additional legislation addressed child and elderly safety, local agriculture, veteran support, and commercial ocean activities. On July 3 and 5, Green signed 11 agriculture bills for biosecurity and fair labeling and 16 bills for fire safety, emergency management, and veteran services.[36][37][38]
Personal life
Green is Jewish.[39] He married Jaime Ushiroda in 2006. The couple met when Ushiroda, a family law expert, was clerking for Suzanne Chun Oakland, who was chair of the state's Human Services committee.[40] They have two children.[41]
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