Kurt Fevella

{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kurt Fevella | image = Hawaii State Senator Kurt Fevella visits PRTF (cropped).jpg | office = Minority Leader of the Hawaii Senate | term_start = November 6, 2018 | term_end = November 8, 2024 | predecessor = Sam Slom (2016) | successor = Brenton Awa | state_senate1 = Hawaii | district1 = 19th | term_start1 = November 6, 2018 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Jon Yoshimura | successor1 = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|10|1}} | birth_place = ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | website = {{URL|fevella4ewa.com|Campaign website}} }} '''Kurt Fevella''' (born October 1, 1967) is an American politician serving as a member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 19th District since 2018. His victory in 2018 made him the only state senator not affiliated with the Democratic Party, and the first Republican elected to the Hawaii State Senate since Sam Slom in 2014.

==Career==

Fevella was born and raised in Ewa Beach, graduating from James Campbell High School.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.civilbeat.org/2018/11/school-custodian-gets-a-new-job-as-hawaiis-only-republican-senator/|title=School Custodian Gets A New Job As Hawaii's Only Republican Senator|last=Lovell|first=Blaze|date=2018-11-30|website=Honolulu Civil Beat|language=en|access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref> Before running for office, Fevella was a school custodian at Ewa Makai Middle School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2018/11/27/kurt-fevella-school-custodian-sole-republican-state-senate/|title=From school custodian to the sole Republican in the state Senate|last=Richardson|first=Mahealani|date=November 27, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref> He became interested in community service and politics after he began attending church during the 1990s. He served on the Ewa Neighborhood board and is the president of the Ewa Lions Club.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/12880165/controversial-ewa-neighborhood-board-discusses-complaints|title=Controversial Ewa neighborhood board discusses complaints|website=Hawaii News Now|date=July 28, 2010 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref>

Fevella ran in 2012 for District 40 of the Hawaii House of Representatives and lost. In 2018, Fevella defeated state Representative Matt LoPresti to represent District 19 in the Hawaii Senate by 116 votes in an upset.<ref>[http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/11/06/breaking-news/lopresti-ahead-of-fevella-in-race-to-represent-ewa-beach-in-state-senate/ Republican Kurt Fevella holds on for close win over Matt LoPresti in state Senate race for Ewa Beach]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/09/breaking-news/hawaii-supreme-court-dismisses-matt-lopresti-case-challenging-kurt-fevellas-senate-win/|title=Hawaii Supreme Court dismisses Matt LoPresti case challenging Kurt Fevella's Senate win|last=Pang|first=Gordon|date=2019-01-09|website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=fevella Hawaii State Legislature – Senator Kurt Fevella] '''official government site''' *[https://fevella4ewa.com/ Campaign site] * {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=109624 | fec= | congress= }}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hi-sen}} |- {{s-vac|last=Sam Slom<br>2016}} {{s-ttl|title=Minority Leader of the Hawaii Senate|years=2018–2024}} {{s-aft|after=Brenton Awa}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fevella, Kurt}} Category:1967 births Category:21st-century members of the Hawaii State Legislature Category:Asian-American and Pacific Islander state legislators in Hawaii Category:Asian conservatism in the United States Category:Candidates in the 2012 United States elections Category:Living people Category:People from Honolulu County, Hawaii Category:Republican Party Hawaii state senators