2022 campaign for lieutenant governor In 2021, Luke announced her intention to run for
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. She stated that she would work to implement laws she helped to pass to increase affordable housing, ensure that all 3-4-year olds have access to preschool, increase broadband capacity and use unused school lands for teacher housing. During the race, the Be Change Now super PAC spent $1.2 million opposing Luke, and $2.9 million to support her opponent former City councilmember
Ikaika Anderson, setting the state record for the most money spent by a PAC for a single race in Hawaii. Luke won the Democratic nomination, defeating Anderson and four other candidates with 36.2% of the vote. She joined incumbent lieutenant governor
Josh Green, who won the Democratic nomination for governor, on the ticket. The Green-Luke ticket would defeat the Republican ticket of
Duke Aiona and
Seaula Tupa'i Jr. in a landslide, earning 63% of the vote. Luke was inaugurated as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Hawai'i on December 5, 2022.
Tenure panel with Lt. Governors
Aruna Miller and
Deidre Henderson Universal Access to Preschool (Ready Keiki) In her inauguration speech, Luke described her experiences as a working mother and how important access to preschools and child care is to families who depend on them, citing it as a cost-of-living issue. In January 2023, Luke launched the Ready Keiki initiative to expand preschool services statewide and build hundreds of classrooms to increase the state's capacity to serve underserved children. The plan includes renovating classrooms at Department of Education elementary schools, expanding state subsidies provided under the Preschool Open Doors program to low- and moderate-income families, and creating teaching classrooms at high schools and college campuses.
Broadband Access Luke is working with departments across the state government to maximize the flow of federal money into Hawaiʻi's broadband access and coordinate federal funding strategies.
Secretary of State Modernization Efforts Luke plans to modernize many of the Secretary of State responsibilities and duties for the public, including name changes,
international document certifications, and administrative rules processing, including a searchable database. The state's
Apostille system has largely remained unchanged since 1960.
Annual State Employees' Food Drive Luke launched the 24th Annual State Employees' Food Drive to support the
Hawaii Foodbank. The kickoff was held at a
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors baseball game for the first time in its history. Luke also led the inaugural Food Drive Fest at the
Hawaii State Capitol.
2023 Maui and Hawaii Island Fires Luke served as acting Governor during the start of the August 2023 fires on Hawaii Island and Maui. Luke immediately declared a state of emergency and issued an emergency proclamation which activated the National Guard and authorized expenditures for disaster relief. Tasked by Governor Green with facilitating essential relief for Maui residents, Luke announced a coordinated effort with
Mahi Pono, Maui Economic Opportunity, and the
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement to distribute donations for those affected by the Maui fires. A donation site at Maui's Queen Ka'ahumanu Center was set-up and is led by a partnership between Lt. Governor Luke, the
County of Maui, Mahi Pono, Salvation Army, and Feed My Sheep. Luke also worked with the Council of Native Hawaiian Advancement and the
Office of Hawaiian Affairs to open a new Maui Relief Storage Facility, a 30,000 square feet warehouse to manage Oahu-based donations headed for victims of the Maui fires.
Hawai'i–South Korea relations As a
Korean immigrant and the first American of Korean heritage elected to a statewide office, Luke participates in events that recognize and promote the bilateral ties between the Republic of Korea and both Hawai'i and the United States. Luke met with the Chair of the South Korean National Assembly's intelligence committee in December 2022. She also spoke at an event hosted by the Consulate General of Korea, "Korea Matters for Hawai'i/Hawai'i Matters for Korea." On August 19, 2023, the South Korean government and Consul General Lee Seo Young worked with Luke to donate $2 million USD for Maui fire disaster relief.
2026 Lieutenant Governor Withdrawal On April 19, 2026, Luke
withdrew her candidacy for reelection as Lieutenant Governor amid scandal from campaign finance violations in January, 2022, and the cancellation of Governor Josh Green's trip to Washington D.C. amid the scandal. On April 23, 2026, it was announced that Luke would take a leave of absence and state comptroller Keith Regan would assume her constitutional duties. ==Awards and Recognitions==