William S. Richardson - Political Career

Political Career

Richardson was the Chief Clerk for the Senate of the Territory of Hawaii during the 1955 and 1957 terms. He chaired the Democratic Party of Hawaii from 1956 until 1962 and oversaw its transition from a territorial to a state party. Richardson attended the 1956 and 1960 Democratic National Conventions as a delegate representing Hawaii. In 1962, he successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi as a Democrat. At the end of serving a single term, Governor John A. Burns nominated Richardson as the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii. The Senate confirmed him, and Richardson served as the Chief Justice from the end of 1966 until 1982.