Nicholas Sakamoto

**Nicholas James Sakamoto** (born 20 December 1978) is a Hawaiian politician who has served as minister of social affairs and labour in the Kanazawa ministry since 2018. Additionally, Sakamoto has represented Maui in the House of Representatives since 2018, and is a member of the Green-Progressive Party.

Sakamoto was born in Kahului, Maui to a Japanese-Hawaiian family. After graduating from Maui High School in 1997, Sakamoto enrolled in Maui College, and received a bachelor's degree in Hawaiian history in 2001. Sakamoto later received a master's degree in secondary history education from the University of Hawaii, West Oahu in 2004, and began working as a history teacher at Maui public schools.

Sakamoto entered politics in 2014, when he was included as a Hui Pū ʻAna candidate in Maui for the 2014 general election, but was not elected. He returned as a candidate in the 2018 election, and was elected to the House of Representatives. He was nominated by Kenzie Kanazawa to serve as minister of social affairs and labour in her cabinet, and was appointed by Queen Keʻalohilani.

Following the formation of the Green-Progressive Party in 2021, he switched his party membership.

## Early life and education

Sakamoto was born on 20 December 1978 in Kahului, on the island of Maui, to parents Robert Sakamoto (born 1952) and June Uchiyama (born 1954). Both of his parents are Japanese-Hawaiian, being descended from immigrants who came to Hawaii in the 1900s. Robert was a high school mathematics teacher, while June worked as a nurse. Sakamoto is the elder of two sons; his younger brother is Daniel (born 1982).

Sakamoto began his education in 1984, attending a local, public elementary school in Kahului. He began high school in 1993, attending Maui High School. While in high school, Sakamoto was a gifted student who also played varsity boys tennis. He graduated from the school in 1997, and enrolled in Maui College, receiving a degree in Hawaiian history in 2001. After graduating, he began a distance learning program at the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, receiving a master's degree in secondary history education in 2004.

## Teaching career

While in the final year of his undergraduate degree, Sakamoto worked as a student teacher for one semester in the history department of Maui High School. After graduating, he began working as a substitute teacher at the school, before being hired as a history teacher at Maui Waena Intermediate School in 2004, where he taught Hawaiian history to seventh graders.

Sakamoto left the school in 2008, and became a teacher at Maui High School. He began his teaching career there as a world history teacher for ninth and tenth graders, until beginning to teach eleventh grade Hawaiian history in 2012. Sakamoto left his teaching career to enter politics in 2018.

## Political career

### Early politics

Sakamoto first entered politics in 2014, after he was selected by the newly formed Hui Pū ʻAna political party to be a candidate on their party list in Maui for the 2014 general election. He ultimately did not win a seat in parliament, and returned to his teaching career.

Sakamoto later returned to politics in 2018, and was selected again as a candidate in Maui for the 2018 election. This time, he was ultimately elected to the House of Representatives, and took his seat on 30 July 2018.

### Social affairs and labour minister

In the 2018 election, Hui Pū ʻAna expanded their seat count and became the fourth-largest party represented in parliament. After the certification of election results, the party was invited to begin coalition talks with the Workers Party. Negotiations with the Workers Party were not successful, as the parties were unable to reach agreements on key issues such as trade unions and social issues.

After Kenzie Kanazawa was declared the new chairperson of the Hawaii National Party, she opted to begin coalition talks of her own, opening talks with Hui Pū ʻAna. The parties came to an agreement on 12 September, and signed a coalition agreement later that day. After Kanazawa was appointed prime minister of Hawaii on 18 September, Sakamoto was nominated to serve as minister of social affairs and labour in the Kanazawa ministry later that day, and was appointed by Queen Keʻalohilani. As social affairs and labour minister, Sakamoto is responsible for overseeing social work, social protection and assistance, pensions, welfare, social security, elder care, labour unions, and workplace standards.

Following the formation of the Green-Progressive Party in 2021, he switched his party membership.

## Personal life

Sakamoto began a relationship with Hawaiian high school English teacher Ellen Midori in 2008, while both worked at Maui High School. They had previously been classmates at the school when they were teenagers, but did not know each other. They became engaged in 2010, and married later that year. They have two daughters together: Daisy (born 2014) and Naomi (born 2017).

Sakamoto and his family reside in Kahului, Maui, while he also rents an apartment in Downtown Honolulu for government business. Sakamoto is fluent in both English and Japanese. He has identified himself publicly as an atheist.