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About

Grown with Aloha - The story of Hawaii's

Ikaika Anderson

The Beginning

Ikaika's mother, Kim, was a single parent and raised him with her parents, Whitney and Hannie Anderson, who legally adopted Ikaika when he was just two-years-old. The term, “Hanai” is nothing new to Hawaii’s families, and for the Andersons, it was a way to ensure that Ikaika had the best upbringing they could all collectively provide.
Growing up, Ikaika's Papa Whitney and Tutu Hannie nurtured him, taught him how to be respectful, and most importantly, encouraged him to have aloha for others, his community, and his island home.
When Ikaika was five, his mother met John Puchalski, the coach of Ikaika’s PONY baseball team. They later married and John became Ikaika's stepfather.

Some of Ikaika's fondest childhood memories are of the days he spent with John horseback riding through the trails of Maunawili, spending quality father-and-son-time, attending University of Hawaii sporting events with his family and long days at the beach with his mom.

School Days

After graduating from Kamehameha Schools in 1996, Ikaika started work at Aloha Airlines as a ramp agent where he gained great experience and appreciation for good old-fashioned hard work. After a year there, Ikaika went on to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he became heavily involved in student government—eventually serving on the ASUH Senate, in charge of fiscal affairs.

While attending the University of Hawaii, Ikaika became the assistant committee clerk for the Hawaii State House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. He worked five legislative sessions while attending classes full-time and graduated with two degrees in political science and journalism.

A passion for public service

In 2002, Ikaika met former broadcast journalist and Honolulu City Councilmember Barbara Marshall, who hired him on as a legislative aide. Barbara mentored Ikaika and imparted her high standard of integrity and respect for policy and research. In 2009, Barbara succumbed to a long battle with Cancer.

With the support of her husband, Cliff Ziems, Ikaika was filled with a sense of duty to Windward Oahu to seek her City Council seat in a special election. Ikaika pledged to continue to be the “voice of reason" on the council, a trait for which Barbara was known and respected. In 2012, after completing the remainder of Barbara’s term, Ikaika was re-elected to his first full four-year term by a large margin.

Ikaika For Hawaii 2014

Ikaika Anderson has worked in government for the last 16 years, and has served two terms on the Honolulu City Council tackling Oahu’s toughest issues.

He currently holds the position of Vice Chair of the Council and is regarded as a deliberate decision maker with a passion for ensuring that the community has a voice at the table.

His tenure has produced solid successes, including stabilizing Oahu’s residential real property tax rate, improvements to the City’s handling of its wastewater and solid waste, moving forward on Honolulu's mass transit system, and streamlining the permitting system for renewable energy.

On August 8, 2013, with family, friends and supporters behind him, Ikaika announced that he would enter the race to represent Hawaii’s First Congressional District. It was no surprise to all who know him that Ikaika felt a responsibility to serve Hawaii in a larger capacity—one where he could make a greater impact to the community he has tirelessly been dedicated to for his lifetime.

Ikaika's Values

Ikaika is a warm, passionate man with a value system Hawaii voters most treasure. He believes that family comes first; that honesty is the best policy; and that no one person is better than any other. He also embraces the notion that we must improve education for all of Hawaii’s keiki, nurture the golden years of our Kupuna and mālama this beautiful island we are all proud to call home. He is a loving and giving partner to the love of his life, his wife Lisa, and a dedicated and encouraging father to their four children, Tianni (12), J.W. (10), and twins Kaleb and Kaili (3).