Keiko Kagura
From Usgs
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| Senator of Rocky Mountains | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Office: 2011-2012; 2012-Present | ||||
| Preceded by | William Pope | |||
| Succeeded by | Incumbent | |||
| Representative of Montana | ||||
| In Office: 2010-2011 | ||||
| Preceded by | Denny Rehberg | |||
| Succeeded by | Ryan De La Vega | |||
| Born | April 15, 1980 (age 38) Eugene, Oregon | |||
| Political Party | Republican | |||
| Spouse | None | |||
| Religion | Not Listed | |||
Keiko Michiko Kagura (born April 15th, 1980 in Eugene, OR) is an American Senator, representing the state of Montana. She is widely known for being very verbose and abrasive against people who show her disrespect or show her constituents disrespect.
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Childhood & Education
Kagura was born on April 15th, 1980 in Eugene, Oregon to Koji Kagura, regional sales manager for the G.I. Joe's sporting goods store chain, and Makoto (Kitagawa) Kagura, a fashion designer. She was born while her mother was at a fashion show in Eugene. Her birth was 1 week early, as Makoto was not expecting to give birth while on the road. She was raised with conservative roots and a respect for the environment around her.
Keiko grew up in Missoula, Montana, where she learned how to fish, hunt, be athletic, and be creative. Her creativity led her to Big Sky High School, where she graduated in 1998 with honors. She also acquired the musical reputation as a keen electric guitar player, as well as a bassist.
Parents's Death
Tragedy fell upon her as both her mother and father died in a plane crash just outside of Lewiston, Idaho, as they were coming back from a sporting goods dealer convention in Seattle. This left her with a house and about $1.2 million (from the estate). After dealing with the troubles of her parents death, and a short bout with depression as a result, she eventually returned to the University of Montana to receive her to a B.A. in Music Production (in 2003). The day after her graduation, and with the proceeds of the sale of her parents' house, she purchased a house in Lolo, Montana, and started her own home studio, Azamamama Studios.
Early Career
Before she started her own career, Kagura produced albums for Bryan Adams, Tom Petty, Mychael and Jeff Danna, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, and Suzanne Vega. In 2008, she released her first solo album, Keiko Kagura. Her cover of Crowded House's "World Where You Live" and her original track, "Bitterroot Valley Weather" got national and regional notice, and garnered a new legion of fans among those who were recovering from the downfall of the post-Teenpop/former teen-pop regime. In 2010, just after her election to the House of Representatives, she released Perfect Seven.
In 2012, she released her third album "Sweet Revenge" immediately after her re-election to the Senate. With covers of songs like "I Won't Back Down" and "Route 101" and original recordings like "Southwest Bible", the album got moderate reviews for it's rounded sound.
2014 saw the release of Kagura's fourth album, "Back To Work", a concept album dedicated to "the working man" and "a typical day of work". Gems like "Doldrums", "Hawaii Five-O", and the original "I Fought The Senate (and I Won)", rounded out the full concept of the album.
2015 was an unusual year for a release of a Kagura album, called "Back To Nature". Kagura stated, in regards to a new focus on the album, "... that's what this album is all about. It's getting back to my nature." The album was critically received, but also given criticism by magazines by stating that the album "was an indicator that Kagura is going stale". In a press conference about this specific album, Kagura's responded to these claims, saying that "As for the critics...they're paid to be critics. They have their opinions, and I have always taken a "Critics mean nothing" attitude. Music is more than just critical acclaim and/or earning money. Music is life, and music is that which can draw out the basest emotion, or liven up a party.
2017 saw the first release of a single CD by Kagura and her band, now fully billed as "The Keiko Kagura Band". It is rumored that the band's next album will come out just before the 2018 elections, where she is up for re-election.
Political Career
In 2010, she ran for the US House, citing the unfair practices of the Recording Industry Association of America and the lack of real Republican representation in the state of Montana. She won against Billings bank manager Shawn Grayson 57% to 43%, taking the normally liberal enclave of Missoula County as her own. She was appointed to the Senate by Governor Daniel Mallory in 2011 after former Senator William Pope was nominated to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court.
In 2012, she defended her seat against Montana rancher Robert Neal, a throwback to the potential campaign of Jon Tester, 59% to 41%. Democrats hailed this as a moral victory, whereas Kagura saw it as just another butt-whooping.
She has been an outspoken critic on the use of suction tools in abortions, and has been very proactive on the national security front, authoring the Revoking Terrorists Act. She has also championed the cause of prescription drug prices, the development of methane digestion and methane power as an alternative fuel energy, as well as conservation and clean-up efforts for places like Lake Coeur D'Alene.
Controversy
Kagura has been at the center of controversies, including her use of the word "rape" to describe Democrat-related tax increase proposals. She has remained defiant in her use of the word, citing multiple uses from places like Indymedia, the Watchtower, and others, where the term "rape" has been used in regards to environmental issues.
Despite this controversy, Kagura won her election in 2012 by a margin of 59% to 41% against Robert Neal, a rancher from outside of Billings.
Another instance of controversy was when Kagura travelled to Chattanooga, Tennessee to speak to people about Dixie Bill 26, which eliminated the "black rage" defense. The crowd was allegedly organized by members of a right-wing hate group, and Kagura's speech, which talked about the NAACP's protest against Dixie Bill 26, their connection with increasing white supremacy, and the desire to stem supremacy issues by doing away with "cultural defenses". Kagura was railed in the liberal press, but had defenders on all sides of the issue. In a Magruder/Quinnipiac poll done after word of the press junket against Kagura, 77% of BSC voters stated that they would not change their vote for or against Kagura.
Other Trivia
- ... She likes nature, fruit, the ocean, and watching the stars at night
- ... She has been criticized for looking too young.
- ... She has a Conceal-Carry Permit from the BSC, and usually carries a Smith and Wesson M&P in the BSC, when she travels.
- ... She has been cited for more bills of censure than any other member of Congress, whether the charges were true or not.
Election Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Keiko Kagura | 1,299,223 | 95.90% | |
| Write-In | Minnie Mouse | 15,679 | 0.11% | |
| Write-In | Other Write Ins | 39,012 | 2.88% | |
| Democrat | Nicole Peebles | 818 | 0.06% | |
| Total | 1,354,822 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Keiko Kagura | 1,053,651 | 59.19% | |
| Democrat | Robert Neal | 720,603 | 40.48% | |
| Total | 1,774,254 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Keiko Kagura | A lot | 57.00% | |
| Democrat | Shawn Grayson | Not enough | 43.00% | |
| Total | A bunch | |||
| Preceded by William Pope | United States Senator (Class 3) from The Rocky Mountains 2011-Present | Succeeded by incumbent |
