The Governor of Hawai'i is the chief executive of the State of Hawai'i and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawai'i State Constitution Article V, Section I. He or she is elected by popular suffrage of residents of the state. The governor is responsible for enacting laws passed by the Hawai'i State Legislature and upholding rulings of the Hawai'i State Judiciary. He or she is Commander-in-Chief of the state's national guard bodies as well as principal administrator of public education throughout the state.
Qualifications
He or she is limited to two four-year terms. Inauguration takes place on the first Monday in December following a gubernatorial election. A single term ends at noon four years later. He or she must be thirty years old and be a resident of Hawai'i for five consecutive years previous to election. Unlike other states, the office of Governor of Hawai'i is a full-time position and requires that he or she be barred from other professions or paid positions during the term.