Rick Blangiardi

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Rick Blangiardi
Rick Blangiardi.jpg
15th Mayor of Honolulu
Assumed office
January 2, 2021
Preceded byKirk Caldwell
Personal details
Born (1946-09-15) September 15, 1946 (age 75)
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyIndependent
EducationSpringfield College (BS)
University of Hawaii, Manoa (MA)
WebsiteOfficial website
Coaching career
Playing career
1965–1966Hawaii
1967–1968Springfield (MA)
Position(s)Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1972–1973Hawaii (asst.)
1974–1976Hawaii (AHC/DC)

Rick Blangiardi (born September 15, 1946) is an American television executive and politician from the state of Hawaii. He has served as the mayor of Honolulu since 2021.

Early life and career[]

Blangiardi was born on September 15, 1946,[1] to parents who immigrated to the United States from Italy. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was raised there in a tenement.[2] He signed a letter of intent to play college football for Boston College, but when his father, a munitions expert in the United States Navy, was transferred to Naval Station Pearl Harbor, he chose to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Blangiardi played football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors as a linebacker;[3][4] he was a letterman for the Rainbow Warriors in 1965 and 1966.[5]

When his mother moved back to Massachusetts, Blangiardi transferred to Springfield College, where he played for the football team and completed his Bachelor of Science in physical education and biology in 1969.[2][5] From 1972 to 1976, he served as an assistant coach for the Rainbow Warriors under head coaches Dave Holmes and Larry Price. Blangiardi was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach under Price.[5] He earned a Master of Arts in educational administration at the University of Hawaii in 1973.[2][6]

Television career[]

Needing more income to raise his family, Blangiardi left football to work in television.[2] He worked at KGMB from 1977 to 1984. He was vice president and general manager of KIKU (now KHNL) from 1984 to 1989.[7] Blangiardi left Hawaii to become the general manager of KING-TV in Seattle in October 1989. He was fired in February 1992, when the station was sold to new owners.[8] CBS hired him as vice president of new business in June 1992.[9] In 1993, he became vice president and general manager at KPIX-TV in San Francisco.[10] He was hired as president of River City Broadcasting in St. Louis in 1994, and after its sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group, became the chief executive officer of the Premier Horse Network in 1997.[11] He worked as chief operating officer and managing director of the talent firm Brad Marks International in 1999, and was hired that year by Telemundo to oversee its eight affiliates.[12]

In 2002, Blangiardi returned to Hawaii as the senior vice president and general manager of KHON-TV and KGMB.[7][11] He left KHON in 2006 when Emmis Communications sold the station.[13] After the 2008 recession, Blangiardi led the consolidation of KGMB and KHNL into Hawaii News Now.[2]

Political career[]

In January 2020, Blangiardi announced his retirement from television.[14] The next month, he announced his candidacy in the 2020 Honolulu mayoral election.[15] He was endorsed by former Republican governor Linda Lingle[16] and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO), the Honolulu Police Department's police union.[17] He has been described as a "conservative" and in 2005 and 2004 donated to the Republican Party and George W. Bush, respectively, but is not a registered member of the Republican Party and is labeled an independent.[18][19][20] In the August 8 nonpartisan blanket primary, Blangiardi finished in first place with 25.7% of the vote.[21] He defeated Keith Amemiya, 58.2% to 38.8%, in the November general election,[22] and was sworn into office on January 2, 2021.[23]

Personal life[]

Blangiardi has three children.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "29 Aug 2014, C3 – Honolulu Star-Advertiser at". Newspapers.com. August 29, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Jedra, Christina (July 9, 2020). "Rick Blangiardi: This Former TV Exec Wants To Be CEO Of Honolulu". Honolulul Civil Beat. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Michael Malone (April 8, 2013). "GM Blangiardi CoachesSurging Squad to Victory | Broadcasting+Cable". Nexttv.com. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  4. ^ Finnerty, Ryan (July 16, 2020). "Sit-Down With Candidates For Honolulu Mayor: Rick Blangiardi". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c McCracken, David. "Blangiardi sits down to talk about being inducted into Hawaii Sports Circle of Honor". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Angeles, Los (July 23, 2001). "INTERVIEW-Crossing Cultures | Los Angeles Business Journal". Labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Engle, Erika (July 10, 2002). "Blangiardi is back in Hawaii TV". Archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  8. ^ Kit Boss (February 25, 1992). "Blangiardi Fired As General Manager At King Broadcasting". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "Rick Blangiardi Named To V.P. Position At CBS". The Seattle Times. June 17, 1992. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  10. ^ "16 Sep 1993, 52 – Honolulu Star-Bulletin at". Newspapers.com. September 16, 1993. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "TV exec back in Hawai'i to head KHON, KGMB | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper". The Honolulu Advertiser. July 10, 2002. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  12. ^ Michael Schneider (November 18, 1999). "Telemundo taps Blangiardi". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. ^ "KHON-2's new owner to lay off one-third of station's staff | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper". The Honolulu Advertiser. January 12, 2006. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  14. ^ Staff, H. N. N. (January 2, 2020). "HNN General Manager Rick Blangiardi announces he is retiring, considering run for mayor". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  15. ^ "Former HNN General Manager Rick Blangiardi announces run for mayor". Hawaii News Now. February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  16. ^ Pang, Gordon Y.K. (July 26, 2020). "Rick Blangiardi, Colleen Hanabusa lead Honolulu mayoral field, poll finds". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved July 27, 2020. Blangiardi, who's receiving a rare endorsement from former GOP Gov. Linda Lingle...
  17. ^ "Police Union Backs Blangiardi For Mayor Of Honolulu". Honolulu Civil Beat. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  18. ^ "2020 Election: Rick Blangiardi". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. July 18, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  19. ^ A 501tax-exempt, OpenSecrets; NW, charitable organization 1300 L. St; Washington, Suite 200; info, DC 20005 telelphone857-0044. "Donor Lookup". OpenSecrets. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "What Local Election Results Reveal About Hawaii's Politics". Hawai'i Public Radio. November 9, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  21. ^ Pang, Gordon Y. K. (August 9, 2020). "Newcomers Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya to face off in November for Honolulu mayoral seat". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  22. ^ "Honolulu Mayor: Rick Blangiardi Declares Victory, Keith Amemiya Concedes". November 4, 2020.
  23. ^ "After taking oath of office as mayor, Blangiardi warns road ahead won't be easy".

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Honolulu
2021–present 		Incumbent
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