Tulsi Gabbard’s New Chief Of Staff Raises Eyebrows In Hawaii

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-Hawaii) new chief of staff — a business owner with no government experience — is raising eyebrows in the state.

Gabbard’s announcement on Tuesday that she had named Kainoa Ramananda Penaroza, 30,baffles political insiders

Penaroza has no government experience

Gabbard’s office said in a statement that Penaroza “brings to the office a unique, down-to-earth, and results-driven style of leadership.”

For the past five years, Penaroza has been a sales manager for his family’s health-food business. He also owns an eco-friendly clothing company

According to Civil Beat, “The news of Penaroza’s appointment was met with varying sense of amusement

Local news channel Hawaii News Now reports that Gabbard, 33, and Penaroza have known each other for more than 20 years

In a statement

While Gabbard is frequently referred to as a “rising star” in the Democratic partyfrequent appearances on Fox News

Hawaii News Now notes that Gabbard has “appeared in at least eight live interviews on CNN, FOX and MSNBC networks this month so far.”

The national publicity doesn’t always sit well with constituents in Hawaii, and Gabbard’s newest staff member is causing further unease.

“The way to really be an important member of Congress is grinding out the details and the stuff that Sen. [Dan] Inouye used to do,” Colin Moore, a University of Hawaii political science professor, told Hawaii News Now. “And to do that, you need a staff member who really has a lot of experience at working in this institution.”

Penaroza is the third person to hold the position of chief of staff in the two years Gabbard has represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District. Jessica Vanden Berg, Penaroza’s predecessor, left shortly before the 2014 election.