Michelle Kidani

Michelle Naomi Kidani is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Hawaii Senate since November 2012 representing District 18. Kidani served consecutively from 2008 until 2012 in the District 17 seat.

Education

Kidani earned her Associate degree in 1969 as a legal secretary from Honolulu Business College, her AA in liberal arts in 1980 from Leeward Community College, and her Bachelor of Science in 1993 from unaccredited Kennedy-Western University, a defunct higher education institution that was sued for fraudulent practices by former students and deemed a diploma mill by federal investigators. As of 2023, she is the vice-chair of the Hawaii Senate Higher Education Committee.

2012 Redistricted to District 18, and with Democratic Senator Clarence K. Nishihara redistricted to District 17, Kidani won the August 11, 2012 Democratic Primary with 7,434 votes against former Representative Michael Magaoay, and won the November 6, 2012 General election with 14,518 votes against Republican nominee Rojo Herrera.
2008 Kidani challenged incumbent Senator Ron Menor in the three-way September 20, 2008 Democratic Primary, winning with 3,890 votes, and was unopposed for the November 4, 2008 General election.