Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 1st district
In office May 22, 2010 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by
Neil Abercrombie
Succeeded by
Colleen Hanabusa
Member of the Honolulu City Council from the 4th district
In office December 2002 – May 22, 2010
Preceded by
Duke Bainum
Succeeded by
Lee Donohue
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 47th district
In office January 1999 – December 2002
Preceded by
Iris Catalani
Succeeded by
Colleen Meyer
Personal details
Born
Charles Kong Djou
(1970-08-09) August 9, 1970 (age 53) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party
Independent (2018–present)
Other political affiliations
Republican (before 2018)
Spouse
Stacey Kawasaki
Children
3
Residence(s)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Education
University of Pennsylvania (BS, BA) University of Southern California (JD) United States Army War College (MA)
Military service
Allegiance
United States
Branch/service
United States Army
Rank
Colonel
Unit
United States Army Reserve
Chinese name
Chinese
周永康
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
Zhōu Yǒngkāng
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping
Zau1 Wing5 Hong1
Charles Kong Djou (born August 9, 1970) is an American politician who served as U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district from 2010 to 2011.[1] Djou won his House seat in a May 2010 special election. He was defeated in the November general election after the Democratic primary provided a single opponent.[2] He ran for but did not win his old House seat again in 2012 and 2014. Djou, who previously served in the Hawaii House of Representatives and on the Honolulu City Council, was the first Thai American of any party and the first Chinese American Republican to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. In June 2016, he entered the race for mayor of Honolulu, which he lost, 48% to 52%, to incumbent Kirk Caldwell. As of 2023, Djou was the last Republican to have represented Hawaii in Congress. He left the Republican Party in 2018[3] and in 2020 endorsed Joe Biden for president.[4] After Biden won the presidency, he appointed Djou to be Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission.[5]
^U.S. Rep. District 1 Special Vacancy Election – State of Hawaii – Statewide May 22, 2010. Accessed May 22, 2010
^Goodin, Emily (November 3, 2010). "Dems pick up Hawaii seat". The Hill.
^Staff (March 19, 2018). "Djou abandons Republican Party because of Trump". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Charles K. Djou". American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
Charles Kong Djou (born August 9, 1970) is an American politician who served as U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district from 2010...
on his gubernatorial bid. He was succeeded in Congress by Republican CharlesDjou, the first Republican elected to Congress from Hawai'i since Pat Saiki...
2007, he became the first Thai-American mayor of a U.S. city. In 2010, CharlesDjou became the first Thai American elected to Congress; he had previously...
two Democrats candidates ended up splitting Democrat votes, allowing CharlesDjou to win with a plurality of 40% to became the first Republican representative...
former representative Neil Abercrombie's term; then-City Councilman CharlesDjou defeated her without winning a majority of the votes under the rules...
Democrat and former head of Voice of America. Until the swearing-in of CharlesDjou on May 22, 2010, Saiki was the only Republican to ever hold a House seat...
congressional district. With the Democratic vote split, Republican Councilman CharlesDjou's 39% of the vote earned him the seat. Case ran again in the Democratic...
Representative CharlesDjou, advanced to the general election runoff on Tuesday, November 8, 2016; Caldwell won with 52 percent of the vote, to Djou's 48 percent...
perennial candidate John Roco Duke Aiona, former lieutenant governor CharlesDjou, former U.S. representative (running for U.S. House) Mazie Hirono (Democratic)...
Ryan Costello (PA) Tom Davis (VA) Jeff Denham (CA) Charlie Dent (PA) CharlesDjou (HI) Bob Dold (IL) Dan Donovan (NY) Sean Duffy (WI) Vern Ehlers (MI)...
primary. CharlesDjou, former U.S. Representative C. Kaui Amsterdam John Giuffre Colleen Hanabusa (D) Organizations Sierra Club CharlesDjou (R) Organizations...
for the U.S. House in the 2014 elections, defeating former Congressman CharlesDjou to win the seat. Takai announced in May 2016 that he would not seek reelection...
2006) lost to Reid Ribble Two Republicans lost re-election. Hawaii 1, CharlesDjou (first elected in 2010) lost to Colleen Hanabusa Louisiana 2, Joseph...
Chinese Democratic California July 14, 2009 Incumbent 14 years, 319 days CharlesDjou (born 1970) Thai, Chinese Republican Hawaii May 22, 2010 January 3, 2011...
Tom Coleman, Missouri (1976–1993) Geoff Davis, Kentucky (2005–2012) CharlesDjou, Hawaii (2010–2011) Mickey Edwards, Oklahoma (1977–1993) David F. Emery...
November 8, 2016, after facing a runoff with former Republican congressman CharlesDjou, 52.2% to 47.8%. Though both candidates supported the municipal rail...
Individuals Gloria Steinem, feminist journalist and political activist CharlesDjou, former U.S. Representative Allan Levene, technology businessman Linda...
1937) – former member of the United States House of Representatives CharlesDjou (J.D. 1996) – former member of the United States House of Representatives...
Representatives elections in Hawaii by district: Republican Congressman CharlesDjou was first elected in a special election in May 2010, which Republicans...
(2015–17), Co-Chair of the Tuesday Group (2007–18) (endorsed Joe Biden) CharlesDjou, U.S. Representative from HI-01 (2010–11) (Independent since 2018) (endorsed...
2009 to 2013 Sada Cumber, first United States Ambassador to the OIC CharlesDjou, major, U.S. Army. Former Congressman from Hawaii. Tammy Duckworth, major...
Dickerson: New Jersey representative to the US Congress, 1833–36 and 1839–41 CharlesDjou: Hawaii representative to the US Congress, 2010 Frank Joseph Gerard Dorsey...
chaired the Pike Committee investigating Richard Nixon. Republican CharlesDjou ('88) recently finished Neil Abercrombie's term as Congressman from Hawaii...
Global Information
United States
United States Army
Colonel