Abigail MacPherson

**Abigail Louise MacPherson** (born 20 February 1961) is a Hawaiian politician and lawyer who has served as chairperson of the Democratic-Conservative Party since 2021. She additionally served as a deputy chairperson of her party from 2005 until 2021, and as a member of the House of Representatives for Oahu since 2002. A member of the third-generation of the political MacPherson family, she is the granddaughter of Michael and Louise MacPherson, and the mother of Louis and Lena MacPherson-Meeks.

Born in Honolulu, MacPherson attended school at Punahou School, graduating in 1979. She was thrust into the spotlight as a teenager in 1978, following the death of her grandfather and the elevation of her grandmother to prime minister, when she moved into Washington Place to assist her grandmother with management of the residence, in a role akin to the spouse of the prime minister. She took a leave from the spotlight after graduating from high school, moving to New Anglia to enroll in the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in political science in 1982, completing her degree a year early. After graduating, she returned to Hawaii and began residing in Washington Place again, returning to the spotlight. She soon afterwards began law school at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, graduating with her law degree in 1985. MacPherson continued to reside in Washington Place with her grandmother, husband, and children until 1988, when her grandmother left office. Afterwards, MacPherson found work in the general counsel office for the Democratic-Conservative Party. In 1996, she became chief general counsel for the party's headquarters.

MacPherson entered elected politics in 2002, when she stood as a candidate in Oahu during the 2002 general election. She was ultimately elected to the House of Representatives, and took her seat on 1 July 2002. The news of MacPherson joining the DCP party list in Oahu was met with a polarized response, with supporters glad that another member of the MacPherson family would be entering politics, while critics were angry with the continuation of the MacPherson family political dynasty. After taking office, MacPherson instantly received media attention for speeches categorized as racist and xenophobic due to her comments regarding Asian immigrants. Ahead of the 2006 general election, DCP chairperson John Unglert appointed MacPherson to serve as deputy chairperson of the party in 2005; analysts saw this move as an attempt to draw up support from MacPherson family supporters, and also position MacPherson as the clear successor to Unglert upon his retirement. Following the announcement of the 2021 general election, Unglert resigned from the party chairmanship and MacPherson was elected as his successor in a private party conference.

Ideologically, MacPherson has been placed on the right-wing of the political spectrum, and has been identified as a national conservative, nationalist, and right-wing populist. She believes that immigration is the primary barrier to progress in Hawaii, and has advocated for a complete ban on immigrants arriving in Hawaii from Asia. Her comments on immigration and specifically Asian immigrants from countries like China and the Philippines have garnered controversy, and she has been labeled as both racist and xenophobic by critics, although she denies these accusations. Despite her status as a controversial figure, she has also been noted as one of the most powerful women in Hawaiian politics, and some have theorized her as being potentially a future party chairperson or prime minister.

## Family background

The MacPherson lineage can be tracked back to Robert MacPherson (Scottish Gaelic: *Raibeart Mac a' Phearsain*), who was born in Elgin, Scotland in 1585, and worked as a fisherman. The family remained in the Scottish Highlands for the ensuing two centuries, before Robert's seventh-great-grandson David MacPherson (Scottish Gaelic: *Daibhidh Mac a' Phearsain*) emigrated from Elgin to British America with his family in 1734. After arriving in the continent, the family settled in the Province of North Carolina, in the city of Fayetteville. Like many other Scottish Highlanders in the Americas, the family stayed within Scottish communities in the Americas. In the 1850s, the family migrated westward amidst the California Gold Rush, where they ultimately settled in the newly established town of Weaverville. After Hawaii came until Californian control in the 1890s, the family left to settle in the region, becoming some of the earliest Californian settlers in Hawaii.

Through her grandmother Louise MacPherson (née *Clarkson*), MacPherson is descended from the early English settlers in the northeastern United States. Her Clarkson ancestry can be traced back to George Clarkson, born in Warwickshire, England in 1623, who left England for Massachusetts in 1640, aged 17. After arriving in Massachusetts, he settled in Boston and began working as a cooper. His eldest son John Clarkson, born in 1647, went on to become a highly educated lawyer and magistrate in colonial New England, earning the family wealth and prestige. Subsequent generations of the family went on to achieve similar levels of wealth and prestige in New England high society, including several generations of Ivy League graduates. In 1905, Louise's parents relocated to Hawaii in order to expand their business ventures, where she was eventually born and raised.

On her maternal side, MacPherson's ancestry originates from England and Scotland, by way of California.

## Early life and education

### Upbringing

MacPherson was born on 20 February 1961 in Honolulu to parents Robert (born 1938) and Linda MacPherson (née *Ezekiel*; 1940–1967). Robert was a successful businessman who owned his own fishing supplies chain of stores, while Linda was a homemaker. MacPherson is the elder of two children; her younger brother is Michael (born 1964), who worked for their father and later took over his business following his retirement. Both MacPherson's father and brother have spent their lives away from the spotlight despite their famous relatives; MacPherson has stated that they are "non-political" and refused to answer questions regarding whether they are her political supporters.

When she was five years old, MacPherson's mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. She opted to decline treatment, and later died four months afterwards, aged 27. Following her death, Robert did not remarry and raised his two children as a single father, with help from his parents, siblings, and Linda's family. MacPherson was raised in an affluent family, residing in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood of Honolulu. The family was devoutly evangelical Christian, and attended church weekly.

### Education

MacPherson began her education in 1966, enrolling in Punahou School, a private, coeducational, K–12 school. While at Punahou School, MacPherson was said to be "shy" and a "loner." She began high school at Punahou School in 1975, where she was a gifted student. Despite her intelligence, she continued to shy away from social events, and did not attend her senior prom. MacPherson graduated from high school in 1979, as her class salutatorian.

After graduating with her high school diploma, MacPherson moved to Philadelphia to enroll in the University of Pennsylvania, studying political science. While a college student, MacPherson began to gradually break out of her shell. She took summer courses, which allowed her to graduate with her degree a year early in 1982. Afterwards, she returned to Hawaii and began law school at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, receiving her law degree in 1985.

### Washington Place life

In 1978, aged 17, MacPherson's grandfather Michael MacPherson died unexpectedly of a heart attack. As he was serving as the incumbent prime minister, he was later replaced by his wife, MacPherson's grandmother, Louise MacPherson, who had been serving as foreign affairs minister in the Michael MacPherson ministry. Still grieving from the death of her husband, Abigail offered to move into Washington Place, the traditional residence of the prime minister, in order to assist her grandmother. After the move, MacPherson was thrust into the spotlight, and was referred to by the media as a *de facto* spouse of the prime minister of Hawaii.

Upon moving into Washington Place, MacPherson began assisting in organizing a number of state events held at the residence, all while balancing her schoolwork. She additionally accompanied her grandmother to events in Hawaii, and assisted her in greeting foreign dignitaries to Hawaii. Unlike other spouses, MacPherson did not embark on any international trips, due to her school responsibilities. After enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, MacPherson temporarily departed from her assumed duties in order to prioritize her education; she returned to Hawaii during school breaks. After graduating in 1982, she permanently returned to Washington Place.

In 1984, MacPherson married, later giving birth to children in 1985 and 1987. She remained committed to assisting her grandmother even after beginning her own family, and both her husband and children resided in the residence during this time. In 1988, MacPherson's grandmother retired from politics and the family left the residence. Afterwards, she and her husband purchased a six-bedroom estate in the Kahala neighborhood of Honolulu, where they began residing.

## Political career

### Early politics

MacPherson first entered politics in 1988, after she was hired as an attorney in the general counsel office for the Democratic-Conservative Party. In the position, MacPherson assisted the general counsel in granting legal advice to the party headquarters. She was later promoted to general counsel in 1996, becoming the head of the office.

MacPherson entered elected politics in 2002, after she was included on the Democratic-Conservative party list in Oahu for the 2002 general election. Upon the news of her entering elected politics broke, critics lamented another member of the MacPherson family beginning a political career, while supporters praised her decision to stand for election. She was ultimately elected to parliament, and took her seat in the House of Representatives on 1 July 2002. Upon entering parliament, MacPherson received widespread media attention when it became clear that she would take a softer approach to politics than her family members had; in 2003, she gave a speech advocating for "modernization" of the DCP, and was noted by commentators as being instrumental in moving the party from the far-right to the right-wing, easing up on some of their more extreme policies.

### Party deputy chairperson

Ahead of the 2006 general election, MacPherson was appointed by John Unglert to serve as deputy chairperson of the DCP; party rules allow for the party chairperson to appoint deputy chairpeople at any point during their tenure, who serve at the chairperson's pleasure. Commentators noted that this decision was likely to establish MacPherson as the obvious successor to Unglert upon his retirement and stifle any possible opposition within the party's far-right factions, while also appealing to former DCP voters in the 1970s and 1980s who supported the MacPherson family, but abandoned the party upon the resignation of Louise MacPherson in 1988.

As deputy chairperson, MacPherson has continued to advocate for a complete halt on immigration from Asian nations, while also stripping away certain protections granted to immigrants in Hawaii. However, she has continued to take more moderate positions on economic issues, instead of supporting hardline right-wing economic policies. In 2015, MacPherson's children Louis and Lena MacPherson-Meeks were also appointed by Unglert as deputy chairpeople, eliciting criticism and allegations of nepotism, although MacPherson defended the decision.

In November 2020, Unglert announced that he would retire from politics ahead of the next general election, and recommended MacPherson to become his successor. He later clarified that he did not plan to step down from his position as party chairperson until the summer of 2021.

### Party chairperson

Following the announcement of the 2021 general election, John Unglert resigned from the party chairmanship. MacPherson was subsequently elected as his successor in a private party conference. She will lead the party into an election for the first time during the 2021 general election.

## Personal life

### Family

MacPherson began a relationship with Hawaiian advertising executive John Meeks in 1982. They became engaged after only six months of dating, and later married in 1984. Their wedding was broadcast on Hawaii TV, a proposal initiated by Louise MacPherson. MacPherson and Meeks have two children together: Louis MacPherson-Meeks (born 1984) and Lena MacPherson-Meeks (born 1987). Both Louis and Lena are politicians as well, who serve in the House of Representatives. MacPherson is additionally a grandmother to Louis's three children.

MacPherson and Meeks reside together in a six-bedroom estate in the Kahala neighborhood of Honolulu, currently valued at $7.5 million. They also own a beach house in Maui and a vacation ski home in Jackson Hole, Utah. Their total real estate acquisitions amount to $15.5 million, while their total estimated net worth is estimated at $65.5 million.

### Religion

MacPherson was raised as an evangelical Protestant Christian, and she still identifies with the religion. MacPherson has stated that she prays "regularly" and attends church services weekly with her husband, children, and grandchildren.