Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III was elected to the Hawaii State Senate in 2022 to represent the north shore of Hawai‘i Island — from North Kona, through North and South Kohala, to North Hilo. He is a sixth generation “kama‘aina” resident of Hawaii and third-generation to the Big Island. Born and raised in North Kohala, he grew up working on the family owned and operated Kahua Ranch, a cattle and sheep operation. Tim Richards education includes a minor in chemistry and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Washington State University in 1984. His career experience includes working as a veterinarian with Veterinary Associates, Inc., the president and general manager of Kahua Ranch Ltd., and a Hawai‘i County Councilman. He began his journey of becoming an “accidental” politician after being elected to the Hawai‘i County Council in 2016.1
Through these life experiences, and many more, he has a deep appreciation for the lands of Hawaii and the people who work and steward those lands. Leveraging collaborative partnerships in his community, he brings people together — especially those who have no seat at the table.
He is a businessperson, a man of science: dollars and details matter. As an island in the middle of the Pacific, he believes we must come together to become more “self-reliant” and united as one Hawai‘i. His vision is to:
- Ignite the agriculture industry to power our local economy.
- Develop renewable energy options for Hawai‘i
- Update our infrastructure.
- Responsibly manage and steward our land and water resources.
- Take care of our homeless neighbors.
- Spark economic growth.
- Improve access to rural healthcare.
- Remove the barriers and build affordable/workforce housing.
