Rick Blangiardi

Last updated

Kathleen Franklin
(div. 1991)

Karen Chang
(m. 2018)
Rick Blangiardi
2022-1026-smithsonian-apac-rick-blangiardi.jpg
15th Mayor of Honolulu
Assumed office
January 2, 2021
Children3
Education Springfield College (BS)
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (MA)
Website Official website
Coaching career
Playing career
1965–1966 Hawaii
1967–1968 Springfield (MA)
Position(s) Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1972–1973 Hawaii (LB)
1974–1976Hawaii (AHC/DC)

Richard John Blangiardi (born September 15, 1946) is an American television executive and politician from the state of Hawaii. Blangiardi was elected mayor of Honolulu in the 2020 mayoral election, and took office on January 2, 2021. He previously worked in the television industry and helped consolidate KHNL and KGMB into Hawaii News Now .

Contents

A political independent, Blangiardi describes himself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative. [1]

Early life and career

Blangiardi was born on September 15, 1946, [2] in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was raised there in a tenement. [3] He signed a letter of intent to play college football for Boston College, but when his father, a munitions expert in the United States Navy, was transferred to Naval Station Pearl Harbor, he chose to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Blangiardi played football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors as a linebacker; [4] [5] he was a letterman for the Rainbow Warriors in 1965 and 1966. [6]

When his mother moved back to Massachusetts, Blangiardi transferred to Springfield College, where he played for the football team and completed his Bachelor of Science in physical education and biology in 1969. [3] [6] From 1972 to 1976, he served as an assistant coach for the Rainbow Warriors under head coaches Dave Holmes and Larry Price. Blangiardi was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach under Price. [6] He earned a Master of Arts in educational administration at the University of Hawaiʻi in 1973. [3] [7]

Television career

Needing more income to raise his family, Blangiardi left football to work in television. [3] He worked at KGMB from 1977 to 1984. He was vice president and general manager of KIKU (now KHNL) from 1984 to 1989. [8] Blangiardi left Hawaii to become the general manager of KING-TV in Seattle in October 1989. He was fired in February 1992, when the station was sold to new owners. [9] CBS hired him as vice president of new business in June 1992. [10]

In 1993, he became vice president and general manager at KPIX-TV in San Francisco. [11] He was hired as president of River City Broadcasting in St. Louis in 1994, and after its sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group, became the chief executive officer of the Premier Horse Network in 1997. [12] He worked as chief operating officer and managing director of the talent firm Brad Marks International in 1999, and was hired that year by Telemundo to oversee its eight affiliates. [13]

In 2002, Blangiardi returned to Hawaii as the senior vice president and general manager of KHON-TV and KGMB. [8] [12] He left KHON in 2006 when Emmis Communications sold the station. [14] After the 2008 recession, Blangiardi led the consolidation of KGMB and KHNL into Hawaii News Now . [3]

Political career

In January 2020, Blangiardi announced his retirement from television. [15] The next month, he announced his candidacy in the 2020 Honolulu mayoral election. [16] He was endorsed by former Republican governor Linda Lingle, [17] the University of Hawaiʻi Professional Assembly, [18] and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) (the Honolulu Police Department's police union). [19]

In the August 8 nonpartisan blanket primary, Blangiardi finished first with 25.7% of the vote. [20] He defeated Keith Amemiya, 58.2% to 38.8%, in the November general election, [21] and was sworn into office on January 2, 2021. [22]

Mayor of Honolulu

2021 State of the City

Blangiardi delivered his first State of the City address on March 15, 2021. He outlined his agenda and goals for the city, as well as discussing his budget plan and accomplishments so far. His outlined goals included expanding affordable housing, closing the funding gap in the Honolulu Rail Project, lifting pandemic restrictions, revitalizing the city's Chinatown, and protecting the city from the effects of climate change. [23]

Budget

Blangiardi presented a $2.9 billion budget to the City Council on March 2, 2022. One of the goals was to ensure city workers would be protected from pay cuts or reductions. Blangiardi had to make budget cuts due to deficits created by a lack of revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. [24]

Gun safety

On March 31, 2023, Blangiardi signed a bill into law that established "gun-free" locations to prevent concealed-carry at a number of public places. At the signing ceremony, Blangiardi said, "We're not a gun carrying society and we're not gonna do anything that's gonna condone that." [25]

Historic preservation

In April 2023, Blangiardi announced candidates for the Oahu Historic Preservation Commission, which was established to preserve historic landmarks in Oahu. [26] Legislation for the commission was passed in 1990, but commissioners weren't appointed until 2023, when city council members Esther Kia'āina and Tommy Waters reintroduced it. [26] The Commission is responsible for protecting and developing guidelines and regulations for the preservation of historic sites in Oahu. [27]

2024 election and campaign

Blangiardi announced in early 2023 that he would be running for re-election. [28]

In August 2023, Blangiardi was reported to have raised $600,000 for re-election efforts, according to his campaign disclosures with the state Campaign Spending Commission. Blangiardi has held few fundraisers or events for re-election, and stated, "We're focused on the work. Job performance is what gets you reelected." [29] No prominent opponents had announced candidacies, and as a result, Blangiardi won a second term outright in the August 10 primary election with 79% of the votes. His next closest challenger, Choon James, received 13% of votes cast. [30]

COVID-19 policy

In the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, Blangiardi began to focus his attention on Honolulu's COVID restrictions. One of his first COVID-related policies was "Safe Access O'ahu", implemented in October 2021. This policy enacted a selective requirement on some forms of business that all persons who enter or work at the establishment have proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Blangiardi also implemented a restriction on the number of people allowed in some gatherings: 10 for indoor events and 25 for outdoor events. While there was quite a bit of support for these policies, several groups were outwardly against them. [31]

About two months after the "Safe Access O'ahu" and gathering restrictions went into effect, Blangiardi began to walk them back. In late November 2021, it was announced that capacity restrictions placed on businesses would be lifted provided that patrons have proof of being COVID-negative at least 48 hours before their visit. [32] Blangiardi received some backlash for easing the policy, due to an increase of positive COVID cases as a result of the then-increasing Omicron variant. [33]

Political views

Blangiardi has been described as conservative and in 2004 and 2005 donated to George W. Bush and the Republican Party, respectively, but is not a registered member of the Republican Party and is labeled an independent. [34] [35] [36]

Blangiardi voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and said, "I think a lot of his policies, despite his personal antics, have been effective". He also said that he has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past. [37]

Personal life

Blangiardi has three children [7] and five grandchildren[ citation needed ]. He lives with his wife Karen Chang in Honolulu. Blangiardi is a board member for the YMCA, American Red Cross, and a Hawaii food bank.[ citation needed ] Blangiardi grew up in an immigrant household speaking Italian and English. [38]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TheBus (Honolulu)</span> Public bus transportation service on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii

TheBus is the public bus transportation service on the island of Oʻahu, Hawai'i, in the United States. In 2023, TheBus had a ridership of 41,661,900, or about 135,000 per weekday, and its fleet comprised 518 buses and 207 paratransit vehicles. As of June 2024, these vehicles provide daily service on 115 routes, including three rapid transit routes and two limited express routes. All buses are equipped with bike racks. TheBus is privately managed by the nonprofit Oahu Transit Services Inc., which operates the system under a public-private partnership with the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KHON-TV</span> Fox/CW affiliate in Honolulu

KHON-TV is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of Fox and an owned-and-operated station of The CW. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate KHII-TV. The two stations share studios at the Haiwaiki Tower in downtown Honolulu; KHON's main transmitter is also located downtown at the Century Center condominium/business complex.

KHNL is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of NBC and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KGMB. The two stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in downtown Honolulu; KHNL's transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii. KHNL is also rebroadcast on the island of Hawaiʻi, Maui, and Kauaʻi.

KITV is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Allen Media Group alongside multicultural independent station KIKU. The two stations share studios on South King Street in downtown Honolulu; KITV's main transmitter is located atop the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. Rebroadcasters on the islands of Maui and Hawaii extend the station's signal.

KGMB is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside dual NBC/Telemundo affiliate KHNL and Kailua-Kona–licensed KFVE, which relays KHNL's second and sixth digital subchannels. The stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in Honolulu's Kapālama neighborhood; KGMB's transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KHII-TV</span> MyNetworkTV affiliate in Honolulu

KHII-TV is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside dual Fox affiliate/CW owned-and-operated station KHON-TV. The two stations share studios at the Haiwaiki Tower in downtown Honolulu; KHII's main transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIKU</span> Independent TV station in Honolulu, Hawaii

KIKU is an independent television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, which primarily airs Japanese and Filipino programming. It is owned by Allen Media Group alongside ABC affiliate KITV. The two stations share studios on South King Street in downtown Honolulu; KIKU's transmitter is located in Nānākuli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Hooser</span> American politician

Gary L. Hooser is an American politician who served as a member of the Hawaii State Senate representing Kauaʻi and Niʻihau from 2002 to 2010. He also served on the Kauaʻi County Council for four years before becoming a Senator.

Genshiro Kawamoto is a Japanese businessman known for his real estate investments in Japan, California and Hawaii. He is also notable for controversial real estate investments in the late 1980s, when he bought more than 170 properties, including many Oʻahu homes. More recently, Kawamoto is known for owning 30 properties in the Kāhala area of Honolulu where he has allowed them to be run down, attracting many complaints and media attention. Although these homes are vacant, boarded up and often vandalized, their estimated total value is $200 million. In September 2013, Kawamoto sold all of his Hawaii assets to Alexander and Baldwin for $128 million. The transaction was brokered by Steve Sombrero, president of NAI ChaneyBrooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Hanabusa</span> American politician (born 1951)

Colleen Wakako Hanabusa is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she ran for her party's nomination for governor of Hawaii in 2018, challenging and losing to incumbent and fellow Democrat David Ige.

The state of Hawaii has the following popular media:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kymberly Pine</span> American politician

Kymberly Marcos Pine is an American politician and Democrat who served two terms on the Honolulu City Council representing District 1 from 2013 to 2021. She was the Chair of the Council Committee on Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Prior to being elected to the City Council, she served as a Representative to the State House of Representatives for four terms. On October 28, 2019, Pine announced her candidacy for Mayor of Honolulu.

Hawaii News Now is a news department shared by three television stations in Honolulu, Hawaii: CBS affiliate KGMB, NBC affiliate KHNL, and Telemundo affiliate KFVE. The newscasts are produced by Gray Television, which owns KGMB, KHNL, and KFVE. It also has a partnership with KBFD, which uses KGMB's taped-on-the-field stories during KBFD's 11 p.m. Korean-language newscast with Korean language subtitles, and a radio partnership with KHKA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew LoPresti</span> American politician

Matthew S. LoPresti is an American politician who served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives for District 41. He previously served from January 2015 to January 2019. He was a candidate for state Senate 19th district in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Honolulu mayoral election</span>

The 2020 Honolulu mayoral election determined the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu for the term commencing in January 2021. Incumbent mayor Kirk Caldwell was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits.

KSIX-TV is a television station licensed to Hilo, Hawaii, United States, serving the Big Island of Hawaii as an affiliate of NBC and CBS. It is a full-time satellite of Honolulu-based KHNL and KGMB which are owned by Gray Television. KSIX-TV's transmitter is located atop the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel; its parent stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in downtown Honolulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii affected all aspects of life in the state, demolishing its economy, closing its schools and straining its healthcare system, even though it experienced far less spread than other US states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Amemiya</span> American business executive and politician (born 1965)

Keith Amemiya is an American business executive and politician who ran in the 2020 Honolulu mayoral election, and in 2022 for lieutenant governor of Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachary Alakaʻi Lum</span>

Zachary Alakaʻi Lum is a Native Hawaiian musician, composer, hula dancer, scholar, activist, educator, and philanthropist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Honolulu mayoral election</span>

The 2024 Honolulu mayoral election took place on August 10, 2024. Candidates included incumbent mayor Rick Blangiardi, Duke Bourgoin, Choon James and Karl Dicks. Mayor Blangiardi won re-election to a second term outright, avoiding a runoff election.

References

  1. Schneider, Michael (January 14, 2021). "How TV Broadcasting Veteran Rick Blangiardi Wound Up As Honolulu's New Mayor". Variety. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  2. "29 Aug 2014, C3 – Honolulu Star-Advertiser at". Newspapers.com. August 29, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jedra, Christina (July 9, 2020). "Rick Blangiardi: This Former TV Exec Wants To Be CEO Of Honolulu". Honolulul Civil Beat. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  4. Michael Malone (April 8, 2013). "GM Blangiardi CoachesSurging Squad to Victory | Broadcasting+Cable". Nexttv.com. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  5. Finnerty, Ryan (July 16, 2020). "Sit-Down With Candidates For Honolulu Mayor: Rick Blangiardi". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 McCracken, David. "Blangiardi sits down to talk about being inducted into Hawaii Sports Circle of Honor". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "INTERVIEW—Crossing Cultures". Los Angeles Business Journal. July 23, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Engle, Erika (July 10, 2002). "Blangiardi is back in Hawaii TV". Archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  9. Kit Boss (February 25, 1992). "Blangiardi Fired As General Manager At King Broadcasting". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  10. "Rick Blangiardi Named To V.P. Position At CBS". The Seattle Times. June 17, 1992. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  11. "16 Sep 1993, 52 – Honolulu Star-Bulletin at". Newspapers.com. September 16, 1993. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  12. 1 2 "TV exec back in Hawai'i to head KHON, KGMB | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper". The Honolulu Advertiser. July 10, 2002. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. Michael Schneider (November 18, 1999). "Telemundo taps Blangiardi". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  14. "KHON-2's new owner to lay off one-third of station's staff | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper". The Honolulu Advertiser. January 12, 2006. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  15. Staff, H. N. N. (January 2, 2020). "HNN General Manager Rick Blangiardi announces he is retiring, considering run for mayor". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  16. "Former HNN General Manager Rick Blangiardi announces run for mayor". Hawaii News Now. February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  17. Pang, Gordon Y.K. (July 26, 2020). "Rick Blangiardi, Colleen Hanabusa lead Honolulu mayoral field, poll finds". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved July 27, 2020. Blangiardi, who's receiving a rare endorsement from former GOP Gov. Linda Lingle...
  18. "UHPA Endorses Mayoral Candidate Rick Blangiardi". University of Hawaiʻi Professional Assembly. University of Hawaiʻi Professional Assembly. September 26, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  19. "Police Union Backs Blangiardi For Mayor Of Honolulu". Honolulu Civil Beat. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  20. Pang, Gordon Y. K. (August 9, 2020). "Newcomers Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya to face off in November for Honolulu mayoral seat". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  21. "Honolulu Mayor: Rick Blangiardi Declares Victory, Keith Amemiya Concedes". November 4, 2020.
  22. "After taking oath of office as mayor, Blangiardi warns road ahead won't be easy".
  23. "Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi delivers first 'State of the City' address". KHON2. March 15, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  24. "Honolulu Mayor outlines FY22 budget: 'When you have less money, things have to happen'". KHON2. March 2, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  25. "Mayor signs bill that bans guns in 'sensitive places,' including schools and hospitals". Hawaii News Now. March 31, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Blangiardi appoints commissioners to protect Oʻahu's historic landmarks". Hawai'i Public Radio. April 11, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  27. HistoricHawaii. "Oahu Historic Preservation Commission members appointed". Historic Hawaii Foundation. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  28. Naktin, Eric (April 30, 2023). "Mayor Blangiardi energized to pursue second term". KITV Island News. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  29. Kew, Allan (August 4, 2023). "Fundraising For Mayor's 2024 Campaign Is Off To A Quiet Start". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  30. Board, The Sunshine Editorial (October 12, 2023). "The Sunshine Blog: Blangiardi Builds His War Chest". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  31. "Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi clashes with anti-vax demonstrators". Yahoo News. September 2, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  32. "HTA Response to Mayor Blangiardi Announcement". Hawaii Tourism Authority. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  33. Hofschneider, Anita (December 30, 2021). "Defiant Honolulu Mayor Defends His Approach To Omicron Surge". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  34. "2020 Election: Rick Blangiardi". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. July 18, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  35. A 501tax-exempt, OpenSecrets; NW, charitable organization 1300 L. St; Washington, Suite 200; info, DC 20005 telelphone857-0044. "Donor Lookup". OpenSecrets. Retrieved August 10, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  36. "What Local Election Results Reveal About Hawaii's Politics". Hawai'i Public Radio. November 9, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  37. Richardson, Mahealani. "As general election nears, party politics takes center stage in nonpartisan mayoral race". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  38. Jedra, Christina (July 9, 2020). "Rick Blangiardi: This Former TV Exec Wants To Be CEO Of Honolulu". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Honolulu
2021–present
Incumbent