Rep. Gene Ward will officially retire from the state House of Representatives on March 31 due to ongoing health concerns.
Ward, a Republican, has been the longest-serving member of the House. He has been in public service for more than three decades, including more than 27 years working for his constituents in District 18, which encompasses Hawaiʻi Kai, Kalama Valley and Portlock.
Ward previously represented District 17 from 1990 to 1998, and served as minority leader of the House from 2018 to 2020. He's also a Vietnam veteran who served as a Peace Corps volunteer and worked at the government agency USAID.
Over the past few months, Ward has been experiencing several health setbacks including a recent diagnosis of pneumonia.
“The recovery from various health issues has been a slow and painful process,” Ward said in a news release. “Despite the many efforts of medical professionals, my recovery has been much slower and more painful in the last few weeks. In the light of the recent pneumonia diagnosis, I have found myself at a difficult crossroad to decide my future as a member of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.”
Ward said it was a privilege to serve the people of East Honolulu from what he always considered the “People's House.”
Current House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto said Ward was a mentor to her and the rest of the Republican Caucus.
"He had these wonderful 'Ward-isms,' is what we called them, that he would always say and one of the ones that would always stick with me, and now I use it all the time, especially for our Republican caucus is — 'We don't have the votes, but we have the voice.' And that was something that he really demonstrated," she said.
"I don't think anybody spoke on the floor and debated on the floor more than Rep. Ward did. That was something that I got to witness throughout the years ... when he truly believed in something, even if the rest of the caucus didn't, he would hold true to it. He would hold true to what he felt was best for Hawaiʻi Kai and of course for the whole state."
In statements released Friday afternoon, Gov. Josh Green and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura thanked Ward for his service in the House.
Nakamura wrote, “Throughout his tenure, Gene served as a passionate Representative for his district, and a strong voice for his East Honolulu constituents."
Green will choose Ward's successor from among three names submitted by the state chair of the Republican Party.
In the meantime, Ward’s legislative office will continue to respond to constituent calls and emails until the appointee takes office.
HPR's Ashley Mizuo contributed to this report.
