Mike Gabbard

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Gerald Michael Gabbard, commonly known as Mike Gabbard (born January 15, 1948), is an American businessman, musician and politician from the state of Hawaii. He is a social conservative who rose to prominence for his successful effort to ban the legalization of same-sex marriage through an amendment to the Hawaii State Constitution in 1998.

[edit] Life and pre-political career

Mike was the fourth of seven children born to Benjamin Harrison Gabbard, Jr. and Agnes Yandall Gabbard. He received his BA degree in English from Sonoma State University, and his master's degree in Adult Education with an emphasis in Community College Administration from Oregon State University. He is a father of five children and grandfather of six. He and his wife, Carol, who served from 2000-2004 on the Hawaii State Board of Education, operate a small family business with several lines of natural health products. They also make and distribute Hawaiian Toffee Treasures.

[edit] Political career and related activities

Gabbard was elected to the Honolulu City Council in a nonpartisan race in 2002. In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully in a race as a Republican for the Second Congressional District of Hawaii in the United States House of Representatives. On November 7, 2006, Gabbard defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin to represent West Oahu's District # 19 in the Hawaii State Senate.

Mike and Carol's eldest daughter, Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo, won a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2002. Tulsi, at 21, was the youngest representative ever to be elected to the Hawaii State Legislature. Tulsi completed her two-year term in 2004. She then made the decision to volunteer with the Hawaii Army National Guard’s Support Battalion of the 29th Brigade Combat Team and was stationed in Iraq at Camp Anaconda. Tulsi worked as a field coordinator for U.S. Senator Dan Akaka's re-election campaign in 2006 and currently works as a legislative aide in Senator Akaka's Washington D.C. office.

Mike is the founder/chairman of Stand Up For America (SUFA), a non-profit educational organization that is intended to promote social change and patriotism. Mike founded and is also the chairman of Healthy Hawaii Coalition (HHC), a non-profit group whose two-fold purpose is to protect the environment and to improve individual and community health. HHC has been very active in schools across the state of Hawaii teaching watershed protection.