Cynthia Henry Thielen (born September 22, 1933) is an American politician who served as a member of the

Hawaii House of Representatives The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Pursuant to Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution of Hawaii, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consis ...

representing District 50, the Kailua and Kaneohe Bay areas of Oahu County. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, she served in the state House of Representatives from 1990 until 2020. She served as minority floor leader from 1992 to 1997 and was the assistant minority leader at the time of her retirement. She was the Republican nominee for

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 2006, challenging incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Daniel Akaka Daniel Kahikina Akaka (; September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Akaka was the first U.S. Senator of Nati ...

. She lost to Akaka, 62% to 38%, in the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

Political Positions

Representative Thielen has described herself as a "progressive Republican" and has been described as a moderate Republican. The

American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on ...

gives Rep. Thielen a 28% rating. She supports

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

. She was supported during her 2006 US Senate campaign by The WISH List, which supports pro-abortion rights Republican women. In her 2018 reelection campaign, she was endorsed by Planned Parenthood's political arm. In 2013, she was the only Republican in the State House of Hawaii to support

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

Biography

Thielen was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California. She attended

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location in the Connecticut Western Reser ...

, and the

University of Hawaiʻi The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...

, graduating with a degree in law. She is a founding member of the Law Review. Thielen retired from her role as a state legislator, opting not to run in the 2020 general election.

References

External links

1933 births Living people 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Case Western Reserve University alumni Republican Party members of the Hawaii House of Representatives Politicians from Los Angeles Stanford University alumni William S. Richardson School of Law alumni Women state legislators in Hawaii {{Hawaii-politician-stub

Political Positions

Biography

See also

References

External links