Lingle, Linda (1953–)

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Lingle, Linda (1953–)

American politician. Born 1953 in St. Louis, MO; education: California State, Northridge, degree in journalism.

At 12, moved with family to Southern California; moved to Hawaii (1975), where she founded and began serving as publisher of the Moloka'i Free Press; served 5 terms on the Maui County Council (1980–90); as a Republican, elected mayor of Maui County (1990), the youngest person and 1st woman to hold this office, then reelected (1994); elected governor of Hawaii (2002), the 1st woman to head the state since it achieved statehood in 1959.

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