Young was first elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives's 20th District in 1990 as a Democrat, with 54.02% of the vote to 45.98% for Republican nominee Eve Glover Anderson (incumbent Campbell Cavasso, initially a candidate,Infante, Esme M. "Candidates do the darnedest things to stay in the black" Honolulu Advertiser September 14, 1990] did not run). She was re-elected in 1992 from what was now the 51st district, defeating Anderson with 59.76% of the vote to Anderson's 40.24%. In January 1993, she was elected Vice-Speaker of the State House. In 1994, instead of seeking re-election, she sought the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor, losing to fellow Representative Mazie Hirono, who pulled 65.24% of the vote; Young's 26.29% was second, in a six-way race. (Her House seat was taken by Anderson.)
