Representative Lauren Cheape Matsumoto traces her roots in Hawai‘i back to 1859. She is the 6th generation to be born and raised in the islands and is a member of the prestigious Daughters of Hawai‘i. Her great-grandfather founded Peterson’s Upland Farm in 1910, and the farm continues the over 100-year-long family-run business of supplying fresh eggs to our communities.
Lauren is a product of the Hawai‘i public school system, having attended Mililani Waena Elementary School, Mililani Middle School, and Mililani High School. After graduating from Mililani High, Lauren spent time volunteering at an orphanage in Malawi, Africa. When she returned, Lauren attended the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, where she earned a BA in Film Production from the Academy of Creative Media and minored in both Business and Japanese. Lauren was a four-year Division I scholar-athlete, playing Wahine (Women's) Water Polo. She also served on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. Continuing her education, in 2015 she earned an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University, where she was a Valedictorian and was selected as the commencement speaker. Lauren is continuing her studies, currently pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Development.
After graduating from the University of Hawai‘i, Lauren went on to win the title of Miss Hawai‘i 2011. She represented our state at the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas, where she was a Quality of Life Finalist (recognizing community service efforts) and was awarded for raising the most money nationally for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. She also won the talent portion of the pageant by performing a jump rope routine to the theme of Hawai‘i 5-0. To this day, Lauren continues to perform her jump rope routine while speaking to children across the state and encouraging them to lead a healthy lifestyle and volunteer in their community.
Representative Matsumoto's political career followed soon after Miss Hawaii. She began serving in the House of Representatives in 2012 at the age of 25. She is an active member of the Council of State Government (CSG) and was selected to attend their Western Legislative Academy program in 2014. She was then named a Toll Fellow in 2015, participating in CSG’s selective leadership development program for state officials. In 2015 she was also chosen to be a part of Governing Institute inaugural class of women in government. In addition, she was elected as the Western Regional Board director on the Women In Government National Board, having previously served as the Hawaii State Director. Lauren also serves as a founding member of the Echelon Board of the Salvation Army - Hawaiian and Pacific Islands.
Outside of the legislature Lauren enjoys spending time with her family and lifelong hobbies. She shares her love for dance as a professional hula dancer in Waikiki. Lauren is an active member of her church, One Love, where she met her husband Scott Matsumoto, a firefighter with the Honolulu Fire Department. In August of 2017 they were blessed with the birth of their first child, Noah Matsumoto. The couple reside in Mililani, in the heart of District 45.