Trish La Chica for State Representative | Mililani's Public Health Champion
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Community leader. Public health champion. Super mom.

La Chica Trish La Chica is a dedicated leader committed to creating a better future for Hawaii's working families. Trish has spent over 15 years serving in not-for-profit organizations and state and county government in the areas of health, Medicaid, housing, and homelessness. Her previous roles includes leading public policy for AlohaCare and the Hawaii Public Health Institute, and serving under Governor David Ige and Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

Trish was born in Manila and started her career as an investigative journalist in the Philippines, where she fought for the truth, producing documentaries to expose corruption & shed light on the daily struggles of Filipino families. In her early 20s, she migrated to San Francisco to pursue her Masters in Public Administration while working at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. After getting married, Trish and her husband Cricket moved to Mililani, where they are raising their two kids, Foggy and Ricki. Trish is an active community leader, having served on the Mililani neighborhood board, and various boards and coalitions.

Trish remains a life-long advocate for families, youth, and all voices unheard and often ignored. Trish's advocacy stems from her own personal journey of harship growing up. She believes that we all have our own personal stories of courage and resilience that allow us to live a purposeful life and make meaningful change.

Follow Trish in her personal (@trishlachica) and political (@tlcformililani) journey.

  • Career: City & County of Honolulu • AlohaCare • Hawaii Public Health Institute • Office of the Governor, State of Hawaii • Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum • ABS-CBN
  • Community work: Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board 25 • Mililani Town Association • Soroptimist International of Central Oahu • West Oahu Subarea Health Planning Council
  • Political involvement: Young Democrats of Hawaii • Democratic Party of Hawaii
  • Volunteer involvement: Homeless Point in Time Count • AAUW Hawaii
  • Awards and Recognition: 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (2015)
  • "Trish has been a dedicated advocate for public health for many years. I have worked with her on a variety of public health initiatives and am consistently impressed with her innovative, hands-on approach to public health challenges."
    Senator Rosalyn Baker, Chair, Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health
    "We believe that Trish’s varied experiences, professionalism, and youthful energy will serve us well in assuring the continued well-being of our community. Please vote for her!"
    Marion and Dick Poirier, Long-Time Mililani Town residents and community volunteers
    "We have gotten to know Trish and can see first-hand her commitment to serving our community. Her strong policy background, compassion, and determination to tackle the hard jobs are skills we need in the Legislature. We are confident that she will be the best candidate to represent Mililani in the State Legislature. Please join us in supporting her."
    Jenny and Dean Hazama, Mililani Mauka Resident
  • "Trish has been a dedicated advocate for public health for many years. I have worked with her on a variety of public health initiatives and am consistently impressed with her innovative, hands-on approach to public health challenges."
    Senator Rosalyn Baker, Chair, Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health
    "We believe that Trish’s varied experiences, professionalism, and youthful energy will serve us well in assuring the continued well-being of our community. Please vote for her!"
    Marion and Dick Poirier, Long-Time Mililani Town residents and community volunteers
    "We have gotten to know Trish and can see first-hand her commitment to serving our community. Her strong policy background, compassion, and determination to tackle the hard jobs are skills we need in the Legislature. We are confident that she will be the best candidate to represent Mililani in the State Legislature. Please join us in supporting her."
    Jenny and Dean Hazama, Mililani Mauka Resident
  • "We have gotten to know Trish and can see first-hand her commitment to serving our community. Her strong policy background, compassion, and determination to tackle the hard jobs are skills we need in the Legislature. We are confident that she will be the best candidate to represent Mililani in the State Legislature. Please join us in supporting her."
    Jenny and Dean Hazama, Mililani Mauka Resident
  • "Now more than ever, we need to elect a leader who can challenge the system to make better decisions. I have experienced politicians who talk a good game but don’t get anything done. Trish La Chica has a history of fighting for what we care about and we need people like her in office."
    Vic Kimura, Mililani Mauka Resident
  • "For the first time in a long time, Mililani has an opportunity to elect a leader who has demonstrated tremendous courage to advocate for the health of the people of Hawaii. We’re in the midst of a crisis and we need Trish La Chica in the State House for the years to come."
    Brian Schatz, U.S. Senior Senator for Hawaii (2012 - current)
  • "Trish has been a dedicated advocate for public health for many years. I have worked with her on a variety of public health initiatives and am consistently impressed with her innovative, hands-on approach to public health challenges."
    Senator Rosalyn Baker, Chair, Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health
  • "We believe that Trish’s varied experiences, professionalism, and youthful energy will serve us well in assuring the continued well-being of our community. Please vote for her!"
    Marion and Dick Poirier, Long-Time Mililani Town residents and community volunteers
  • "We have gotten to know Trish and can see first-hand her commitment to serving our community. Her strong policy background, compassion, and determination to tackle the hard jobs are skills we need in the Legislature. We are confident that she will be the best candidate to represent Mililani in the State Legislature. Please join us in supporting her."
    Jenny and Dean Hazama, Mililani Mauka Resident

2020 Endorsements

  • ILWU Local 142 Hawaii
  • Hawaii Government Employees Association
  • Hawaii State Teachers Association
  • Americans for Democratic Action
  • Run For Something
  • Pono Hawaii Initiative
  • Sierra Club
  • IBEW Hawaii
  • AFL-CIO Hawaii
  • UPW Hawaii
  • Our Revolution Oahu Chapter
  • 350 Hawaii
  • Hawaii Nurses Association
  • Hawaii Children's Action Network
  • Hawaii Sheet Metal Workers
  • Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters
  • University of Hawaii Professional Assembly
  • Hawai‘i Youth Climate Coalition
  • Sunrise Movement Honolulu
  • Patsy Mink
  • Planned Parenthood
  • Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council
  • HAWAI'I LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION
  • IUBAC Local 1 of Hawaii
  • Unite Here! Hawaii Local 5

#TLCForMililani

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Featured In

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Chinatown reboot includes an arts hub, more mental health treatment, and activating parks

Trish La Chica, the city’s new director of Housing and Homelessness points out that despite distressing behavior and filth on the streets, crime statistics now are substantially lower than they were in the 1990s. “So what this tells us is, what we’re (experiencing) in Chinatown is not a major crime issue, but really, a public health issue”

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Trish La Chica named new Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Homelessness

Trish La Chica’s fifteen years of public policy, public health, and community engagement at all levels of government is truly admirable,” said Blangiardi. “Her passion for public service and her proven track record in program strategy development and success in promoting those programs across demographics makes her ideal for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Homelessness.”

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Former Hawaii governor, neighborhood boards rally against Reapportionment Commission map

“We’re going to be one of many families where I’m going to be represented by somebody while my son is going to a Mililani school represented by somebody else and my daughter will be going to a preschool again represented by somebody else. I don’t see how that’s going to be an effective way to unify and be a strong voice for our community.”

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Public weighs in on potential Honolulu City Council districts

Trish La Chica, who is on the Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board, emphasized the need for Mililani town and Mililani Mauka to be in the same Council district. “While H-2 (freeway) geographically splits both communities, we are one single community”

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Oahu Parks, Beaches To Reopen – But Only For Solo Activity

“The city should implement policies that make sense to the public so that they voluntarily comply instead of police crackdowns that erode public trust, according to La Chica, who is running for state representative.”

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Vote-By-Mail Helped Perk Up Hawaii Turnout But So Did Some Competitive Races

“District 36 also had the greatest increase in voters since 2016.”

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Candidate Q&A: State House District 36 — Trish La Chica

“I want our youth to help shape the policies that will affect their generation.”

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Candidate Q&A: State House District 36 — Trish La Chica

I have been working in public health for over a decade now. I have experience at the national, state, and local level. I’ve worked in federal policy, working with our Congressional delegation in DC. I worked in the State Executive branch, under Governor Ige as his health policy analyst.

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Hawaii organizations assemble 4,000 face masks for essential workers

Trish La Chica, volunteer and candidate for the state House District 36 seat, transported boxes of parts from the Blaisdell Center to the Mililani High School cafeteria, where she mobilized more than a dozen volunteers. “There is a lot of aloha and love that is happening,” La Chica said.

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Running For Office During A Pandemic? It’s Tough For Newcomers

Trish La Chica has spent more than a decade fighting for affordable health care. “This is second nature for me,” said La Chica, referring to her background in health care. “We are in a crisis mode and there is work to be done, and as fast as possible. Hugs and kisses are like weapons, and not visiting is how we keep each other safe.”

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Pod Squad: Hawaii’s ‘Vaping Epidemic’

Public health advocate Trish La Chica talks about legislative efforts to keep young people healthier.

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The Conversation: Wednesday, March 20th 2019

Regulating vaping

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What They’re Watching: Trish La Chica

Trish La Chica is the Policy and Advocacy Director at Hawaii Public Health Institute. She joins us in this edition of "What They're Watching" to discuss tobacco control and prevention.

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