Maryanne Winona Kusaka (born September 11, 1935) is an American politician, educator and former Mayor of the County of Kaua'i. She was mayor of Kauai from 1994 to 2002. A career Republican, Kusaka sought a seat in the Hawai'i State Senate in 2004 but lost to the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Gary Hooser Gary L. Hooser (born January 19, 1954) 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 Kauai County Council for four years before becoming a Se ...

by 16,274 votes to 8,270. Kusaka was born in

Kamuela Waimea is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,028 at the 2000 census and 9,212 at the 2010 census. Since each U.S. state cannot have more than one post office of the same name, and th ...

on the

Big Island of Hawai'i Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of t ...

. Her parents, George Joseph Pinho and Mary Garcia Pinho moved the family to

Hana Hana or HANA may refer to: Places Europe * Haná, an ethnic region in Moravia, Czech Republic * Traianoupoli, Greece, called Hana during the Ottoman period * Hana, Norway, a borough in the city of Sandnes, Norway West Asia * Hana, Iran, a city ...

on the island of

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

, where Kusaka was raised. She has two brothers, Kirtley Pinho and Glenn Pinho, and an adopted sister, Kehaulani Quartero. Kusaka graduated from

Mid Pacific Institute Mid-Pacific Institute is a private, co-educational college preparatory school for grades preschool through twelve with an approximate enrollment of 1,538 students, the majority of whom are from Hawaii (although many also come from other states and ...

in Honolulu and then attended the University of Northern Colorado to become an elementary school teacher. In 1964, Kusaka moved from Maui to Kauai. For over 33 years, Kusaka taught at various elementary schools on the island of

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

, including at Kapaa Elementary School where she had future Kauai mayor Bernard Carvalho in her classroom. She continued teaching up until her election to the mayor's office in 1994. After her unsuccessful run in 2004 for the Hawai'i State Senate, Kusaka retired from politics. She continued to serve the community as president of the board of directors of the Kauai Museum. Kusaka's husband is Charles Yoshio "Bull" Kusaka. She has one son, "Hawaii’s Entertainer" Junior Kekuewa Jr.

References

External links

The Garden Island: Talk Story: Maryanne Kusaka, Former mayor discusses all the people and work that helped shape Kauai
1935 births Living people Mayors of Kauai Hawaii Republicans Women mayors of places in Hawaii University of Northern Colorado alumni People from Hawaii (island) Schoolteachers from Hawaii American women educators {{Hawaii-mayor-stub