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The Maui News
Former Mauian Jon Yoshimura has been appointed by Gov. David Ige to the Oahu state Senate seat previously held by Will Espero, the Governor's Office said Monday.
The Baldwin High graduate will represent District 19, which spans Ewa Beach, Ocean Points, Ewa by Gentry, Iroquois Point and a portion of Ewa Villages.
He is not running for the seat and will serve until a new state senator is elected in November, Ige said.
Yoshimura most recently worked in the renewable energy sector for Tesla and SolarCity Hawai'i. He was communications director for former U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, a Honolulu City Council member, an attorney and a reporter at KHON2-TV.
Yoshimura graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor's in journalism and earned his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law.
"Jon has the knowledge and skills to ably represent the people of this district until the new senator is elected in November," said Ige. "I'm pleased that he was willing to take on this responsibility."
"I will use my experience as a former City Council member and concentrate on constituent service during my time in office," Yoshimura said.
Ige was required by law to make his selection from a list of three nominees submitted to him by the Democratic Party of Oahu.
Espero, a Democrat, resigned his office in late May to run for lieutenant governor.