DonateTrish La Chica
For State House
District 37 Mililani / Waipio Gentry / Koa Ridge
Trish La Chica is a trusted leader who prioritizes her constituents, ensures all voices are heard, and works tirelessly to ensure that our community remains the best place to live and raise our families.
Experience and Commitment Matters:
Elect Trish for a Second Term, on Tuesday, November 5th.
Mahalo PBS Hawaii for having me on INSIGHTS for the District 37 Candidate Forum! I’m grateful to engage in thoughtful discussion about what our community and state can accomplish when we work together 💙
Some highlights for me:
- Sharing what motivates me to serve my community and why I work so hard to ensure all voices in our district are heard, represented, and valued
- Talking about our efforts to increase civic participation among our youth and how to get young people excited about our political process
- Sharing my ideas for what the Legislature can do to help working families and stimulate our economy beyond the historic tax relief measures, which I supported this past session
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A Vote for TLC,
is a Vote for Community
Trish La Chica for State House is a grassroots campaign built by community and everyday people who believe that Trish is a different kind of leader who finds solutions, builds coalitions, and accomplishes real results.
- Executive Director, Office of Housing and Homelessness, City & County of Honolulu
- Community and Government Relations Manager, AlohaCare
- Policy & Advocacy Director, Hawaii Public Health Institute
- Policy Analyst, Office of Governor David Ige, State of Hawaii
- Community Engagement Specialist, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
- Journalist, ABS-CBN, Manila, Philippines
- Vice Chair, West Oahu Subarea Health Planning Council (current)
- Chair, District 37, Democratic Party of Hawaii (current)
- Board Member, Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board 25 (past)
- Board Member, Mililani Town Association (past)
- Delegate, Filipino Young Leaders Program (past)
- Volunteer, Oahu Homeless Point in Time Count (past)
Trish La Chica is the State Representative for District 37 proudly serving Mililani Town, Mililani Mauka, Waipio Gentry and Koa Ridge. As representative, Trish has advocated for better public transportation options for the district, successfully pushed for the regulation of e-cigarettes to protect our youth, and brought in funding to improve our schools and address homelessness. Trish currently serves as the Vice Chair for the House Committee on Education.
Prior to joining the legislature, Trish spent over 15 years in leadership roles working for non-profit organizations, as well as state and county government in areas such as health, Medicaid, housing, and homelessness. Her passion for advocacy began as an investigative journalist in Manila, where she produced documentaries that shed light on the daily struggles of Filipino families and fought against corruption.
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Accomplishments
Trish is already in the trenches at the Capitol, advocating for the public policies we need and creating solutions for our community, working families, and keiki. As Representative, she has united our community for neighborhood safety, restored school bus services, cleared the Kipapa gulch homeless encampment, and safeguarded our keiki from the harms caused by e-cigarettes.
Serving the Community
Trish is dedicated to putting her community first. Visit her official legislative website to learn more about her work and accomplishments as well as to submit constituent concerns and inquiries.
Visit reptrishlachica.com
Priorities
Prioritizing the Safety and Well-Being of our Community: Collaborate with law enforcement agencies to implement community policing, promote transparency, and improve relations between law enforcement and residents. Advocate for effective emergency response systems and disaster preparedness plans to safeguard our community during unforeseen crises. Additionally, work to address substance abuse issues through evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, helping families affected by addiction find support and recovery resources.
See More PrioritiesDonate $25 to Support Trish La Chica
Trish and #TeamTLC are ready to work hard and fight, but we can't do it alone. Together, we can build a better future for our kids, our families, and our communities. Mahalo for your support!
Featured In
2025-07-22
Active public school bus routes “on track” to resume this fall
“It’s not easy to recruit and retain drivers,” said La Chica. “And this is happening nationwide, so we really wanted to look at what other options are there.”
State lawmakers say they are trying to give the department some tools to try and solve the problem. For example, they did pass House Bill 862 this past legislative session which extends Governor Green’s emergency proclamation that allows other vehicles, not just yellow buses, to transport students to and from school.
But that’s not possible right now because, according to La Chica, the DOE’s contract with its current bus provider doesn’t allow that. So it would have to be amended.
“I’m here urging the department and asking them to work with us, work with the Governor’s office and just help us be able to realize this law to its fullest extent,” said La Chica.
2025-05-30
Gov. Josh Green signs multiple education-focused bills
HB 862: Addressing School Bus Shortages - Multiple school bus routes were suspended this past academic year due to a nationwide bus driver shortage. This bill reverses the suspensions and allows for alternative vehicles, such as small buses, vans and more, to pick up students and bring them to school. “Hawaiʻi continues to face a school bus crisis, and we’ve heard from countless parents, families and educators about the urgent need to expand transportation options, while keeping safety front and center,” said House Committee on Education Vice Chair Trish La Chica. “This new law paves the way for our students to thrive, by expanding the department’s options to secure reliable transportation and ensuring that transportation barriers don’t stand in the way of our keiki and their opportunities to succeed.”
2025-04-30
In Last-Minute Drama, Legislature Shelves Bill To Ban Assault Weapons
..lawmakers found money in the budget for a variety of initiatives, including $6 million to increase the pay for child welfare workers, and $30 million for loan repayment for health care workers who commit to working in Hawaiʻi.
They also approved Senate Bill 1300 to significantly expand access to free school lunches.
“Because of this bill, fewer kids will sit in the classroom distracted by hunger,” said Rep. Trish La Chica. “More families, especially those who make just a little too much to qualify under outdated rules, will no longer have to worry, knowing their children will eat at school free of charge.”