Ben Cayetano

Benjamin Jerome Cayetano (born November 14, 1939) is an American politician and author who served as the fifth governor of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He is the first Filipino American to serve as a state governor in the United States.^[1][2]

Early years

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Cayetano was estranged from his mother at a young age. Cayetano was raised by his father in Kalihi, a Filipino-dominated neighborhood west of downtown Honolulu. He would grow up as a latchkey child.^[1]

Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii

Cayetano joined the John D. Waihe'e III gubernatorial ticket in 1986 and became the first Filipino American lieutenant governor in the United States. The Waihee–Cayetano ticket was re-elected to a second term in 1990.^[1]

Governorship

Term limits forced Waihe'e into retirement and the Democratic Party nominated Cayetano to run for Governor of Hawaiʻi in 1994. With attorney Mazie Hirono as his running mate, Cayetano was voted into office.^[1]

Mayoral race and rail issues

On January 19, 2012, Cayetano came out of retirement to run for the office of Honolulu Mayor. Cayetano's stated focus in his mayoral campaign was greater transparency in local government, but its core was ending the Honolulu Rail Transit Project, a plan to build a 20-mile elevated steel on steel rail system in the city. In the primary election on August 11, 2012, he received more votes than either of his pro-rail primary opponents, Kirk Caldwell and Peter Carlisle.^[1]

Personal life

Cayetano and his first wife, Lorraine Cayetano (née Gueco), divorced in 1996, ending their 37-year marriage. He became the first sitting governor of Hawaii to divorce while in office.^[1]