141:, her mother was Fumie Matsuoka and her father was William Bonk. Bill was a professor at the University of Hawaii. He was an anthropologist/archeologist who studied Native Hawaiian. He worked with Kenneth Emory to date the first arrival of people to the Hawaiian islands. Fumie was a public school teacher and ceramicist. Bill and Fumie were both stalwart figures in the progressive wing of the Hawaii Democratic Party, working for decades to elect many of the states most prominent politicians.
211:. She moved to Honolulu with her second husband, Michael Christopher, when he returned to school to pursue a second doctoral degree. Christopher holds doctorates in sociology and clinical psychology, and has been her political partner even before they married in 1998. She met Christopher after he heard of her electoral success. She put him on the county payroll even as she began an affair with him. This led to cries of impropriety. Comments still abound that he is the power behind her.
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meaning that the candidates represent political parties. In Hawaii local government, such as county government, it was formerly necessary to declare your political party. Other people who called themselves "Greens" had been elected to local government offices in the United States prior to Keiko Bonk, but they were not representing a legally established political party. In the United States, it is very difficult to win an election in a partisan race if the candidate does not run as a
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members of Hawaii's
Democratic Party saw the Green Party as a threat to the Democratic Party, and organized to defeat Keiko. Her father, who worked for the Democratic Governor as the Director of the Office of Culture and Historic Preservation, publicly resigned his position, quit the Democratic Party, and joined the Green party to support his daughter's political career.
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Bonk went on to become the campaign coordinator of the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network. She promoted Congress' investigation into corruption in Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the government advisory council responsible for management of the pacific fishery. Bonk worked as the
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Keiko grew up making art with her mother, working on archeological digs with her father, and participating in electoral politics with both. When Keiko co-founded the Hawaii Green Party with
University of Hawaii professor, Ira Rhoter, and decided to run for office herself, the more conservative
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and was the first person in North
America elected to a partisan level office as a member of the Green Party of the United States. In the US most local elected offices are nonpartisan, meaning the candidate is not running as a member of a political party. State and federal offices are partisan,
196:. She was one of the co-founders of the Green Party in Hawaii. She was elected to two terms on the Hawaii County Council from 1992 to 1996, and as chair of the council from 1995 to 1996. In 1996 and 2000 she ran for mayor. In 1996 she was narrowly defeated by the Democratic incumbent,
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After returning to her home in Hawaii, Bonk continued to play original music and paint. Her first band was the Monkey Wrench Gang. She then formed a new band called "Kazan", and released a CD called "Save the World" in 2007.
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Keiko had a show of her paintings at the
Honolulu Academy of Art in 2009. She then spent 15 years caring for her parents and other elderly family members. Her mother Fumie was the last, and passed died in 2019.
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Bonk made her national political reputation as an elected official by becoming the first person in North
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204:, who ran as a Republican. Bonk worked building the Green Party, and spoke in support of Ralph Nader as the presidential nominee of the Green Party in 1996.
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Bonk's first career was as a painter and musician in New York. She sang in the bands "His
Masters Voice," and "Cosmic Oven," in the 1980s.
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129:. Keiko Bonk was the first person in the United States to run as a representative of the Green Party and beat a Republican and Democrat.
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421:"Keiko Bonk, the Green Party's First Partisan Winner in the U.S., is Green Party Nominee for Hawaii Legislative Seat"
282:"Activism began early in Bonk family: The Green Party candidate urges a balance of economic and environmental needs"
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in
Honolulu in 2003. She was fired in February 2005 by its board of directors citing "philosophical differences".
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337:"Existential Pilgrims: Recent work by Duane Preble, Noe Tanigawa, Russell Sunabe and Keiko Bonk"
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Executive
Director of the Hawaii branch of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI).
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degree in 1976. Bonk went on to achieve a master of fine arts degree from
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112:(born 1954) is an American artist, musician and former politician from
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Honolulu, Bonk was chosen as Executive Director of the
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In 2012 Keiko Bonk was nominated as the Green Party candidate for
250:"Big Island archaeologist, political leader Bill Bonk dies"
229:, 20th district. The incumbent in that district, Democrat
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508:American women of Japanese descent in politics
156:and graduated in 1972. She then attended the
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207:After leaving office Bonk taught art at the
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91:University of Hawaii Manoa, Hunter College
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393:"Japanese Cultural Center fires director"
308:Desiree Moana Cruz (February 21, 2007).
473:21st-century American women politicians
468:20th-century American women politicians
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503:Hawaii politicians of Japanese descent
498:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni
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367:"Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News"
160:, where she obtained a bachelor of
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463:20th-century American politicians
391:Sally Apgar (February 16, 2005).
280:Rod Thompson (October 20, 2000).
419:Richard Winger (June 6, 2012).
227:Hawaii House of Representatives
200:. In 2000 she was defeated by
158:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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483:Hawaii County Council members
209:University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
45:Hawaii County Council Member
99:Politician, painter, singer
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168:in New York City in 1982.
371:archives.starbulletin.com
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488:People from Hilo, Hawaii
478:Women in Hawaii politics
216:Japanese Cultural Center
493:Musicians from Honolulu
398:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
343:. 2009. Archived from
287:Honolulu Star-Bulletin
233:was easily reelected.
137:Born July 13, 1954 in
116:. Bonk co-founded the
518:Hunter College alumni
513:Artists from Honolulu
81:Green Party of Hawaii
198:Stephen K. Yamashiro
258:. November 29, 2008
16:American politician
426:Ballot Access News
341:Honolulu Arts Beat
118:Hawaii Green Party
110:Keiko Cecilia Bonk
35:Keiko Bonk in 2007
255:West Hawaii Today
154:Island of Hawaiʻi
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194:Green Party
70:Nationality
447:Categories
376:October 8,
237:References
231:Calvin Say
127:Republican
96:Occupation
87:Alma mater
23:Keiko Bonk
202:Harry Kim
162:fine arts
56:1992–1996
52:In office
188:Politics
139:Honolulu
123:Democrat
73:American
432:June 7,
152:on the
114:Hawaii
434:2012
406:2010
378:2023
353:2010
323:2010
295:2010
264:2010
133:Life
172:Art
125:or
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