Hawaii State House District 5

“I grew up in South Kona on my grandmother's coffee farm in Captain Cook. Out here, you learn early that hard work is not optional, that community is everything, and that you take care of your own. I found my way through dance, training with Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet. I won the title of Miss Hawaii in 2015, and in 2020, at 25, I became the first woman, the first Native Hawaiian, and the first person actually born and raised in HD-5 to represent it.” (Jeanne Kapela campaign website)

“When I walk our district, my kūpuna walk with me. I carry their voices, their stories, and their hopes into the halls of the state Capitol. That is not something I take lightly. It is the reason I show up.” (Jeanne Kapela campaign website)

“Today, I am raising my daughter, Ualani, in the same South Kona soil and values that raised me. She is my north star. Every bill I fight for, every session I show up to, every vote I cast, I am thinking about the Hawaiʻi she and all of our keiki will inherit.” (Jeanne Kapela campaign website)

“After my husband and I became empty nesters, we moved to Hawaiʻi in 2016, where I continued my management career in Kona, bringing years of leadership experience gained while working as a contractor for the State of California.” (Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey)

“I've had the privilege of serving my community as an American Red Cross disaster responder during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and later during a two-week deployment following the Lahaina fires. Those experiences reinforced my belief that leadership is about serving people when they need it most.” (Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey)

“My Christian faith and conservative principles guide every decision I make. I believe in strong families, individual freedom, personal responsibility, and rewarding hard work. Those are the values I will bring with me to represent District 5.” (Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey)