Gov. Josh Green today announced the appointment of Danielle Bass to represent Senate District 18, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of State Sen. Michelle Kidani.

Bass will represent the communities of Mililani Town, Waipi‘o Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, a portion of Waipahu, Village Park and Royal Kunia. The appointment is effective until a successor elected in the November 3 general election takes office.

“Danielle brings deep roots in Central Oʻahu, more than two decades of public service and a proven ability to bring people together to address complex challenges,” said Green. “Her experience in the Capitol, statewide planning and community leadership, has prepared her to serve from day one. I am confident she will build on Senator Kidani’s many years of dedicated service and represent Senate District 18 with integrity, compassion and aloha.”

Danielle Bass is a fourth-generation Mililani resident and an award-winning urban planner with more than 21 years of public service. Since 2017, she has served as Hawaiʻi’s State Sustainability Coordinator, leading statewide sustainability and climate resilience efforts and authoring the award-winning Hawaiʻi 2050 Sustainability Plan. Bass previously spent 13 years with the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives, managing legislative operations and advancing investments in Central Oʻahu schools, infrastructure, public safety and community facilities. She has also served on the Mililani Neighborhood Board for 19 years, including five years as chair, and supported state emergency response and recovery efforts. A graduate of Mililani High School, Bass earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s degree in urban and regional planning and a graduate certificate in disaster management and humanitarian assistance from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to serve the people of Central Oʻahu and grateful to Gov. Green for placing his trust in me,” Bass said. “Central Oʻahu has always been my home and I have dedicated my career to serving the communities that raised me. I also extend my deepest gratitude to Senator Kidani for her decades of leadership and dedicated service. I accept this responsibility with great respect and am committed to building on her legacy by listening to residents, working hard and delivering meaningful results for our families and neighborhoods. It is the honor of a lifetime to represent my hometown in the Hawaiʻi State Senate.”