About Duke Aiona

James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr.
Lieutenant Governor

State of Hawai`i

Lieutenant Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr. has dedicated his life to serving the people of Hawai`i. Born and raised in Hawai`i, Duke Aiona has served the public as a city prosecutor, city attorney, state judge, and for the past seven years as Lt. Governor. Throughout his career, Duke has led the fight against crime and illegal drugs while working to strengthen Hawai`i’s families and promote Hawai`i’s businesses.

Duke Aiona was first elected Lt. Governor in 2002, and has worked with Governor Linda Lingle to help bring success to Hawai`i in numerous ways. As the most active Lt. Governor in Hawai`i’s history, Duke has played a vital role in prudently managing our state budget, restoring government accountability and integrity, expanding STEM education for children and young adults, crafting affordable housing solutions and advocating for much-needed tax relief for families and small businesses.

From the very beginning, Duke Aiona’s career in public service has prepared him for the challenges of being Hawai`i’s next Governor. He began serving the City and County of Honolulu as a deputy prosecutor. The legal community recognized his strong leadership and work ethic, leading to his appointment as a Family Court judge in the Hawai‘i State Judiciary in 1990. This experience brought Duke Aiona face-to-face with the real problems facing Hawai`i's families, and cemented his belief that the strength of our state lies in the homes of our people.

In 1996, Duke Aiona spearheaded the innovative Hawai`i Drug Court Program, becoming its first administrative judge and primary architect. This program offers active and effective drug rehabilitation as a way for non-violent offenders to stay out of prison and instead take steps to become law-abiding members of the community. Under Duke’s leadership, this highly successful program saw 85% of offenders stay in the program and out of prison.

Based on this experience, early in his first term as Lt. Governor, Duke saw the need to intensify efforts against the problem of illicit drug abuse, including methamphetamines, and underage drinking, which increasingly plagued our state. In 2003, Lt. Governor Aiona’s efforts led to Hawai`i’s first Drug Control Strategy Summit. This ambitious project gathered together government, nonprofit organizations and members of the community to create an all-encompassing strategy that included community mobilization, prevention, treatment and vigorous law enforcement to deal with illegal drug and alcohol use. These measures have worked, and production and use of crystal methamphetamine has since been greatly reduced in our state.

Duke is forever grateful to the people of Hawai`i for re-electing him and Governor Lingle in 2006 with the largest margin of victory for any gubernatorial race in our state’s history. He hopes to have the privilege of continuing to serve the people of Hawai‘i, as Governor, in working to transform Hawai`i into a worldwide model of clean energy security and sustainability, expand and diversify our economy, improve the quality of public education, and keep our streets and communities safe for all of the people of Hawai`i.

In meeting these challenges, Lt. Governor Aiona will utilize his experience gained from not only his municipal and statewide public service, but also his service on the national level. Duke has been a member of the advisory council for the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the President’s Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities, Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free and the Aerospace States Association, an organization of Lieutenant Governors that promotes aerospace policies furthering education and economic development.

As a proud keiki o ka `aina, nothing is more important to Duke Aiona than the health and well-being of our state’s families, and he has never forgotten his roots. Duke was born in Pearl City and graduated from Saint Louis School. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, he earned his law degree from the University of Hawai`i’s William S. Richardson School of Law.

While attending law school, Duke met his wife, Vivian, and they have been married since 1981. Together, they have four children: Makana, Ohulani, Kuli`a, and Ka`imilani. Duke is a dedicated husband and father, and leader in his church and the community. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Saint Louis School, and was formerly a board member of Maryknoll School.