Keanu Ionakana

Keanu Ionakana
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Dustin Fowler
United States Ambassador to Samoa
In office June 13th, 2017 – March 6, 2018
Preceded by	Toni Rosenstein
Succeeded by	Michel Habbard
United States Ambassador to New Zealand
In office June 13, 2017 – March 6, 2018
Preceded by	Toni Rosenstein
Succeeded by	Michel Habbard
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 1st district
In office May 22, 2010 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Stephen Fitch
Succeeded by	Clara Yamamoto
Personal details
Born	Keanu Hawea Ionakana July 2, 1971 (age 49) Pearl City, Hawaii, USA
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Rose Cartman (m. 1994; div. 2004), Trey Ackerman (m. 2014)
Residence(s)	Temeluca, California
Education	United States Naval Academy (BS) University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (MS)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1993 – 2010
Rank	Commander
Commands	USS Curtis Wilbur

Keanu Hawea Ionakana (born July 2, 1971) is an American diplomat and politician who currently serves as the Representative from California's 50th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He previously served as the United States Ambassador to both New Zealand and Samoa under the administration of President Arnold Wolf and before that served as the Chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans. From 2010 to 2011 Ionakana represented Hawaii's 1st district in the House of Representatives. Prior to his involvement in politics Ionakana served in the United States Navy for 17 years and attained the rank of Commander, briefly serving as commanding officer of the USS Curtis Wilbur. He is married to Trey Ackerman, a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers and Superbowl Champion.

Early Life

Born July 2, 1971 in Pearl City, Hawaii to a Samoan mother and a Native Hawaiian father, Keanu Ionakana’s upbringing was an impoverished one, both of his parents working low wage custodial jobs at the Pearl Harbor naval base and struggling to afford to raise him and take care of his maternal grandparents at the same time. Resolving early into his life to improve upon the circumstances he was born into, Keanu looked to the same complex that his parents worked as his ticket out, developing an obsession with the ships that moved in and out of harbor and resolving that one day he would be commanding one of them, not just watching from afar. He excelled in his early schooling, involving himself deeply in student government and other extracurriculars and graduating as Valedictorian from his high school, the result of hard work and a singular focus of being accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy with a full scholarship. Achieving this goal and attending the naval academy in 1989, Keanu’s affection for the American military and what it stood for blossomed tenfold, his interests stretching into politics for the first time in 1992 when he heavily supported the reelection campaign of President John G.W. Burke and became a card-carrying member of the Republican Party. His time in the academy would also spur his sexual awakening, though he would not publicly come out for some time and would marry Rose Cartman in 1994, shortly after his graduation as a naval officer.

Military Career

Upon graduation, Keanu began his service as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Pacific fleet, spending the next 17 years of his life quickly climbing the ranks through diligent service and astute leadership. Praised by commanding officers as an exemplary seaman, Ionakana became widely respected and viewed as a role model among the enlisted crew of whichever vessel he was aboard, though some fellow officers expressed a distaste at his propensity to “ass-kiss” and “show out” for higher command. In 2004, he would amicably divorce his wife, citing “mutual disagreements”, the couple having had no children and the pair remaining friends following their separation. Ionakana was in truth engaged in an affair with an enlisted sailor ten years his junior, and while the two kept their activity secret, Keanu’s wife would find out and agree that they would both be better served in the long run were they to separate. Regardless, his relationship with his subordinate ended shortly afterwards, as the two came dangerously close to being caught and Ionakana wished to preserve his career. The vast majority of his time in the navy would be spent in connection with the seventh fleet, where he would ultimately become commander of the USS Curtis Wilbur, a destroyer, in his 15th year of service. He would command the ship until his retirement from the armed forces. His childhood dream accomplished, Ionakana looked upwards, eyeing admiralty before his life took a turn in an interesting direction.

2010 Election and Early Congressional Tenure

In 2010, Stephen Fitch, the congressman from Hawaii’s 1st congressional district, resigned from his seat, indicating that he intended to run for governor of Hawaii. The state GOP, having not yet settled around a serious candidate for the seat, scrambled to look for one, seeing an opportunity for an unexpected pickup in the face of two prominent democrats announcing in the first past the post jungle primary for the seat. A friend in the Hawaii GOP, with which Keanu was significantly acquainted through donations and various interpersonal associations, successfully recruited him to run for the seat after around a month of persuasion, convincing him that he would be able to propel himself into a position of significant influence over the state party were he to win and promising that he would be able to make a splash in DC. Upon agreeing and being discharged from his position, Ionakana found himself to be a natural campaigner, finding that being in the spotlight appealed to him significantly and determining that politics was as easy a battlefield to navigate as the armed forces. He took to his newfound role with great enthusiasm and generated excitement about the state party, campaigning on a platform of fiscal conservatism and anti-tax sentiment while leaning into his military experience, and when the Special rolled around, he would claim victory with 41% of the vote, the other percentage split between the two Democrats in the race.

Upon entering congress, Ionukana’s brief tenure was marked by votes in favor of repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, in support of the South Korean Free Trade Agreement, and in support of the DREAM Act. It was during his time in congress that he would meet Trey Ackerman at a charity fundraiser, a professional football player 13 years his junior who played as a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers. The two would enter a relationship shortly after meeting, though this would not be public knowledge at the time given both of them remained closeted. He would never leave a campaign footing during his time in the house, and would go into the regularly scheduled election with great optimism that he would be reelected. On election night in November, he would be defeated 51.7% to 48.3%. This defeat would be crushing for Ionakana, who believed his departure from the navy had been a grave mistake and who believed his political career had been severely stunted as a result of his loss.

Private Sector and Logan Cabin Republicans

6 months following his defeat, Keanu would give in to the persistent urging of Akerman and leave Hawaii, the two moving into a home together in the latter’s adoptive hometown of Temeluca, California. Keanu would take up a job as a lobbyist working on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, putting pressure on state and federal governments, regularly flying into DC and visiting with prior colleagues, including then Congressman Nate Richardson, while ensuring they remained acquainted with the interests of the various private consortiums he had adopted an affinity for. He acted in this capacity for a few years, his priorities shifting following the decisions in U.S. v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry. In the days following the announcements, Ionakana penned an Op-Ed in the New York Times coming out as gay and announcing his engagement to Akerman, urging the GOP to accept LGBT conservatives into the movement and writing that married gay couples were “no less likely to support limited government than straight ones”. Drawing mixed reactions, Ionakana was soon after approached to join the board of the Log Cabin Republicans, a position he accepted. Roughly a year later, he would be offered the Chairmanship, and he would accept.

As chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, Ionakana did his best to shape the organization into a political force, endorsing candidates in Republican primaries that were in large part conservative but quiet or sympathetic on issues of LGBT progress. Nate Richardson, Agatha Cragin, and Howard Frankston were among the prominent republicans befriended and bankrolled by the organization’s head as he attempted to channel influence, and as his reach expanded so too did a renewed interest in seeking public office himself. In 2015, a meal ticket showed itself shortly after his organization celebrated the victory in Obergefell v. Hodges.

With the looming ascendancy of Arnold Wolf, Keanu’s political instincts told him this was an opportunity in the making, at least for him. With no record of social conservatism on LGBT issues, Wolf was perhaps the key to reforming the party from the inside on this issue in a permanent way, his more negative qualities aside. Having consolidated significant control over the Log Cabin R’s in the aftermath of his takeover, the former congressman provoked an internal revolt by endorsing Arnold Wolf shortly after Super Tuesday. A short power struggle ensued, with those opposed to Wolf losing out and being effectively expelled as Ionunaka cemented his power and effectively transformed the group into a “Gays For Wolf” SuperPac and campaign booster. Drawing significant donations and the attention of Wolf himself, Ionakana befriended the man despite his private distaste for him and would be used as a campaign surrogate for the gay community on many occasions, both in person and on networks and podcasts. His loyalty and devotion to the Wolf cause would not waver, even with the leak of the Wolf radio show tape, and his consistent support would be rewarded. When Wolf won, Keanu was one of the first to congratulate him, and the victorious President-Elect made clear that he would have a space in a comfortable ambassadorship for him.

Diplomatic Career

Shortly into his term, Wolf would appoint Ionakana as Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, a role he would eagerly accept. His time as Ambassador would be relatively uneventful, being well received by New Zealand and spending more time than usual in Samoa, where he was subject to extensive praise.

Return to Congress

In 2018, Ionakana would again be approached by a state party, this time the California GOP, to run in a vacant seat. This one was California’s 50th, and despite some objections from local activists, Ionakana resigned his position in Wellington and was swiftly endorsed by Wolf, which quieted opposition and allowed him to win the primary handily. He would face significant opposition in the general but finish strong, securing a large percentage of the vote in the general election against a generic democratic challenger.

While in congress, Ionakana has been a proponent of fiscally conservative economic policy, criticizing Democrats for “unrealistic” ideas such as medicare for all and other overarching social programs. He has opposed efforts to reduce military spending and has routinely called for a strong national defense. Ionakana has adopted a more hardline immigration policy since assuming office, opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants and speaking out against sanctuary cities. He has supported coverage for preexisting conditions but spoke out against the ACA, saying that the United States should focus on innovation and ingenuity and that government interference in the private sector is a “mistake more often than not”. He has called for a Flat Tax and a reduction in the corporate tax rate. He is conservative on the vast majority of issues including abortion, with exceptions being in cases of environmental protection and LGBT Rights.

Personal Life

Other Info: Outspoken supporter, friend, and ally of GOP nominee Nate Richardson. Tennis fan and occasional player. Excellent signing voice. Scar down left arm as a result of an accident in 2001. Fluent in Japanese as a result of his time in Japan with the 7th Fleet. Serves on several significant committees, including Armed Services and Civil Rights/Civil Liberties. Married in 2014 with no children, husband took his last name. Obsessed with ships and boats of any and all kinds. Dabbled in fiction by writing a well received psychological horror novel called Dents, the story of a submarine captain on a secret mission in the Mediterranean who is slowly driven insane by the appearance of unexplainable dents in his ship. Muscular and attends the gym frequently. Frequent foil for LGBT Democrats.