Senator Glenn S. Wakai represents District 15 in the Hawaii State Senate, covering areas from Kalihi to Pearl Harbor. Born on May 14, 1967, in Japan as Mitsuru Shimabukuro, he was adopted at age 1.5 by a Japanese-American couple in Hawaii and raised in the district, attending Moanalua Elementary, Moanalua Intermediate, and graduating from Mid-Pacific Institute in 1985.

Notable achievements include serving as Majority Floor Leader since 2023, Chair of the Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs Committee and the Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism Committee , and Vice Chair of Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism. He previously served in the Hawaii House of Representatives for District 31 from 2002-2010. Wakai is President of High Impact Communications and Reach out Pacific, a nonprofit distributing surplus medical and educational supplies to Pacific islands; his journalism career included roles as reporter at KHNL News 8 and KHON Fox2 , and Assistant News Director in Saipan.

Education and Political Experience

Education:

BA in Broadcast Journalism and Sociology , University of Southern California .

Political Experience:

- Senator, Hawaii State Senate, District 15 ; re-elected in 2022.

- Representative, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 31 .

- Majority Floor Leader, Hawaii State Senate .

- Chair, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs Committee .

- Chair/Vice Chair, Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism Committee .

- Former roles: Chair, Economic Development, Environment and Technology Committee; Vice Chair, Consumer Protection, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committees; member of Judiciary, Tourism, Housing, Human Services, Technology, Water/Land/Agriculture, and Ways and Means Committees.