The past year was a time of astonishing political foment on the mainland, with Black Lives Matter protests demanding law enforcement reforms and an abrupt shift to a liberal, activist government with the election of President Joe Biden.
But the Hawaii Legislature remained locked in a Capitol building that was closed to the public during the pandemic, and its leaders behaved as if they couldn’t hear all the noise outside.
Hawaii activists made online pleas for dramatic change in areas such as criminal justice, tax policy and the impact of tourism, but almost none of that will become law this year. As for social services, it was the federal government that provided real relief for Hawaii’s working families.
The public could have less transparency in elections and less insight into what political advertisements candidates are paying for under a pair of measures moving through the Hawaii Legislature.
House Bill 144 and House Bill 674 would exempt candidates for office from filing reports on ads with the state. That 20-year-old law was intended to shine a light on how much money candidates and super PACs are spending on ads during election season to sway voters.
Wording in the ad reporting law has confounded some campaigns and led to significant fines in recent years.
The agency in charge of regulating campaign finance has tried to introduce fixes this session. But now, that agency warns that the proposed candidate exemptions would erode scrutiny of campaigns.
The past year was a time of astonishing political foment on the mainland, with Black Lives Matter protests demanding law enforcement reforms and an abrupt shift to a liberal, activist government with the election of President Joe Biden.
But the Hawaii Legislature remained locked in a Capitol building that was closed to the public during the pandemic, and its leaders behaved as if they couldn’t hear all the noise outside.
Hawaii activists made online pleas for dramatic change in areas such as criminal justice, tax policy and the impact of tourism, but almost none of that will become law this year. As for social services, it was the federal government that provided real relief for Hawaii’s working families.
The public could have less transparency in elections and less insight into what political advertisements candidates are paying for under a pair of measures moving through the Hawaii Legislature.
House Bill 144 and House Bill 674 would exempt candidates for office from filing reports on ads with the state. That 20-year-old law was intended to shine a light on how much money candidates and super PACs are spending on ads during election season to sway voters.
Wording in the ad reporting law has confounded some campaigns and led to significant fines in recent years.
The agency in charge of regulating campaign finance has tried to introduce fixes this session. But now, that agency warns that the proposed candidate exemptions would erode scrutiny of campaigns.
This Hawaii onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Hawaiians.
Hawaii onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this Hawaii onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
This Hawaii onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Hawaiians.
Hawaii onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this Hawaii onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
David Yutaka Ige (/ˈiːɡeɪ/; 伊芸 豊, Ige Yutaka, born January 15, 1957) is an American politician and engineer serving as the eighth governor of Hawaii. A Democrat, he previously served in the Hawaii State Senate.
In the 2014 gubernatorial election, he defeated incumbent Governor Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary, and won the general election over Republican nominee Duke Aiona. He was reelected in 2018.
US Senators
Senator Brian Schatz
Current Position: US Senator since 2013 Affiliation: Democrat Hawaii onAir Post
Mazie Keiko Hirono (/ˈmeɪzi hiˈroʊnoʊ/; Japanese name: 広野 慶子, Hirono Keiko; born November 3, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States Senator from Hawaii since 2013. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Hirono served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1995 and as Hawaii’s ninth lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002, under Ben Cayetano. The Democratic nominee for governor of Hawaii in 2002, Hirono was defeated by Republican Linda Lingle. From 2007 to 2013, she served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district.
Hirono is the first elected female senator from Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, the first U.S. senator born in Japan, and the nation’s first Buddhist senator.
Senator Mazie Hirono
Current Position: US Senator since 2012 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Lt. Governor from 2010 – 2012 Hawaii onAir Post
Brian Emanuel Schatz (/ʃɑːts/; born October 20, 1972) is an American educator and politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a seat he has held since 2012. Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Schatz to replace Senator Daniel Inouye after Inouye’s death.
Schatz was the youngest U.S. Senator in the 112th Congress. He won the 2014 special election to complete the remainder of Inouye’s Senate term, and was reelected in 2016 to a full six-year term, defeating Republican John Carroll.
US House Members
Ed Case
Current Position: US Representative for HW District 1 since 2019 Affiliation: Democrat Hawaii onAir Post
Edward Espenett Case (born September 27, 1952) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 1st congressional district, which covers the urban core of Honolulu. He represented the 2nd district, which covers the rest of the state, from 2002 to 2007.
Case, a Blue Dog Democrat, first came to prominence in Hawaii as majority leader of the Hawaii State Legislature and in his 2002 campaign for governor of Hawaii.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 in a special election to fill the seat of Patsy Mink, who died of pneumonia, Case represented Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district until 2006, when he unsuccessfully challenged Daniel Akaka in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate.
Kai Kahele
Current Position: US Representative for HI District 2 since 2021 Affiliation: Democrat Hawaii onAir Post
Kaialiʻi Kahele (born March 28, 1974) is an American politician, educator, and commercial pilot serving as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district since 2021. From 2016 to 2020, he served in the Hawaii Senate from the 1st district. Kahele is a member of the Democratic Party and the son of Hawaii Senate member Gil Kahele.
In January 2019, Kahele announced he would challenge Tulsi Gabbard in Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district in 2020, however Gabbard dropped out of the race to focus on her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Kahele won the Democratic nomination on August 8, 2020. He won the general election, and became the second Native Hawaiian to serve as a voting member of Congress since Hawaii achieved statehood.
Current Position: Governor Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): State Senator from 1995 – 2014; State Delegate from 1985 – 1995
Quotes: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans across the country were questioned about their loyalty to the U.S. Despite this, many signed up to join the military to prove their loyalty. My father included.
Featured Video: Gov. David Ige joins Spotlight Hawaii
HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige today received five lists of judicial nominees from the state Judicial Selection Commission. From these lists, Gov. Ige will make his selections to fill judicial vacancies on the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (Oʻahu), Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (Maui), and Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawaiʻi – Kona).
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT (Oʻahu):
There are three lists of nominees to fill three vacancies on the First Circuit.
The first judicial office has been vacant since former Circuit Judge Karen T. Nakasone was appointed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2020.
Nominees:
Chastity T. Imamura is a hearings officer at the Office of Dispute Resolution, Department of the Attorney General. She is a graduate of Whitman College and the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Clarissa Y. Malinao: is a per diem judge with the District Court of the First Circuit and a self-employed attorney. She is a graduate of Seattle University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and Whittier Law School in California.
Kevin T. Morikone is a District Family Court Judge. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shanlyn A. S. Park is an attorney in private practice. She graduated from Chaminade University with a B.A. in English, and from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shellie K. Park-Hoapili is a staff attorney with the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige today received five lists of judicial nominees from the state Judicial Selection Commission. From these lists, Gov. Ige will make his selections to fill judicial vacancies on the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (Oʻahu), Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (Maui), and Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawaiʻi – Kona).
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT (Oʻahu):
There are three lists of nominees to fill three vacancies on the First Circuit.
The first judicial office has been vacant since former Circuit Judge Karen T. Nakasone was appointed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2020.
Nominees:
Chastity T. Imamura is a hearings officer at the Office of Dispute Resolution, Department of the Attorney General. She is a graduate of Whitman College and the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Clarissa Y. Malinao: is a per diem judge with the District Court of the First Circuit and a self-employed attorney. She is a graduate of Seattle University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and Whittier Law School in California.
Kevin T. Morikone is a District Family Court Judge. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shanlyn A. S. Park is an attorney in private practice. She graduated from Chaminade University with a B.A. in English, and from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shellie K. Park-Hoapili is a staff attorney with the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Gov. David Ige said Monday that there won’t be another full-scale shutdown in Hawaii, despite the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the islands that have strained the resources of hospitals and prompted the governor earlier this month to sign an executive order shielding health care facilities from liability if they have to ration critical care.
If he does enact more restrictions, Ige said they likely would come in the form of curfews or further restrictions on the size of social gatherings.
But for now, hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients have remained stable, and there are signs that the rapid rise in coronavirus cases is abating. The Department of Health reported 461 new coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the seven- day average for new cases to 567. That’s a 37% drop from where it was two weeks ago, according to state data. The number of COVID-19 tests coming back positive also has declined statewide, to 6.9% Monday from 7.8% two weeks ago.
There were 392 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, compared with 435 people a week ago. The number of people in the intensive care units, which has been of particular concern to health care officials, also has declined, to 79 Monday from more than 100 a week ago.
“It is getting a little better, but I think it is still too early to call it a definite trend that would provide relief,” Ige told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser’s Spotlight Hawaii livestream program Monday.
Summary
Current Position: Governor Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): State Senator from 1995 – 2014; State Delegate from 1985 – 1995
Quotes: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans across the country were questioned about their loyalty to the U.S. Despite this, many signed up to join the military to prove their loyalty. My father included.
Featured Video: Gov. David Ige joins Spotlight Hawaii
HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige today received five lists of judicial nominees from the state Judicial Selection Commission. From these lists, Gov. Ige will make his selections to fill judicial vacancies on the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (Oʻahu), Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (Maui), and Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawaiʻi – Kona).
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT (Oʻahu):
There are three lists of nominees to fill three vacancies on the First Circuit.
The first judicial office has been vacant since former Circuit Judge Karen T. Nakasone was appointed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2020.
Nominees:
Chastity T. Imamura is a hearings officer at the Office of Dispute Resolution, Department of the Attorney General. She is a graduate of Whitman College and the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Clarissa Y. Malinao: is a per diem judge with the District Court of the First Circuit and a self-employed attorney. She is a graduate of Seattle University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and Whittier Law School in California.
Kevin T. Morikone is a District Family Court Judge. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shanlyn A. S. Park is an attorney in private practice. She graduated from Chaminade University with a B.A. in English, and from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shellie K. Park-Hoapili is a staff attorney with the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige today received five lists of judicial nominees from the state Judicial Selection Commission. From these lists, Gov. Ige will make his selections to fill judicial vacancies on the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (Oʻahu), Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (Maui), and Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawaiʻi – Kona).
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT (Oʻahu):
There are three lists of nominees to fill three vacancies on the First Circuit.
The first judicial office has been vacant since former Circuit Judge Karen T. Nakasone was appointed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2020.
Nominees:
Chastity T. Imamura is a hearings officer at the Office of Dispute Resolution, Department of the Attorney General. She is a graduate of Whitman College and the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Clarissa Y. Malinao: is a per diem judge with the District Court of the First Circuit and a self-employed attorney. She is a graduate of Seattle University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and Whittier Law School in California.
Kevin T. Morikone is a District Family Court Judge. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shanlyn A. S. Park is an attorney in private practice. She graduated from Chaminade University with a B.A. in English, and from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Shellie K. Park-Hoapili is a staff attorney with the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Gov. David Ige said Monday that there won’t be another full-scale shutdown in Hawaii, despite the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the islands that have strained the resources of hospitals and prompted the governor earlier this month to sign an executive order shielding health care facilities from liability if they have to ration critical care.
If he does enact more restrictions, Ige said they likely would come in the form of curfews or further restrictions on the size of social gatherings.
But for now, hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients have remained stable, and there are signs that the rapid rise in coronavirus cases is abating. The Department of Health reported 461 new coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the seven- day average for new cases to 567. That’s a 37% drop from where it was two weeks ago, according to state data. The number of COVID-19 tests coming back positive also has declined statewide, to 6.9% Monday from 7.8% two weeks ago.
There were 392 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, compared with 435 people a week ago. The number of people in the intensive care units, which has been of particular concern to health care officials, also has declined, to 79 Monday from more than 100 a week ago.
“It is getting a little better, but I think it is still too early to call it a definite trend that would provide relief,” Ige told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser’s Spotlight Hawaii livestream program Monday.
Governor Ige is focused on improving the lives of Hawaiʻi’s people and making the islands a place future generations choose to call home. He is increasing affordable housing, reducing homelessness, moving toward the state’s 100% renewable energy goal, and remodeling public education to prepare students for the innovation economy of the 21st century. Under his leadership, the state has aggressively moved to ensure financial sustainability and enable future growth. He believes that we can achieve our shared goals because we have always been better together than alone.
Governor Ige was born and raised in Pearl City and is the fifth of six sons of Tokio and Tsurue Ige. He is the first governor in the United States of America of Okinawan descent. He attended public schools in Pearl City and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he met his wife, Dawn Amano-Ige.
After college, while working for GTE Hawaiian Tel, a career that spanned 18 years, Governor Ige earned a master’s of Business Administration degree in Decisions Sciences at UH Mānoa. In 1986, Hawaii Business magazine named him one of the university’s Top 10 MBA students. He went on to become a successful electrical engineer and project manager with a 34-year career devoted to information technology, telecommunications, networks, and responsible public policy.
Governor Ige began his political career in 1985 after being appointed by then Governor George Ariyoshi to fill a vacant seat in the Hawai‘i House of Representatives. In 1994, then Representative Ige was elected to the Hawai‘i Senate where he represented his home district of ‘Aiea / Pearl City until 2014.
Governor and Mrs. Ige have three children, Lauren, Amy and Matthew, who are currently pursuing their careers on the mainland.
David Ige attended public schools in Pearl City—Pearl City Elementary School, Highlands Intermediate School, and Pearl City High School—and participated in community sports, playing in the Pearl City Little League for eight years. At the newly built Pearl City High School, Ige excelled in many activities. In his junior year he was elected student body vice president, and he served as senior class president the next year. His campaign for student body president stressed diversity and an end to bullying. Ige also led his varsity tennis team to a championship and was honored as the “Scholar-Athlete of the Year.” He graduated fifth in his class of more than 500 students in 1975.[3]
Before being elected governor of Hawaii, Ige served as project manager with Robert A. Ige and Associates, Inc., Vice President of engineering at NetEnterprise, and senior principal engineer at Pihana Pacific, which established the first world-class data center and carrier-neutral Internet exchange in Hawaii and the Pacific. Before that, he worked as an engineer for GTE Hawaiian Tel for more than 18 years.
Political career
Ige was originally appointed to the Hawaii House of Representatives on December 2, 1985, by Governor George Ariyoshi after Representative Arnold Morgado resigned to run for a seat on the Honolulu City Council.[4][5] He served in the Hawaii State Senate from 1995 to 2015.[6] During his legislative career, Ige served as chair of nine different committees.[7] He focused much of his career as a legislator on information and telecommunications policy,[7] and co-authoried the Hawaii Telecommunications and Information Industries Act that established the state information network and created the Hawaii Information Network Corporation. Ige was at the center of Hawaii’s efforts to diversify its economy. He was responsible for establishing seed capital and venture capital programs, software development initiatives, and technology transfer programs. Ige was a member of the inaugural 1997 class of the Pacific Century Fellows.[8]
2012 reelection campaign
Ige was reelected to the Hawaii State Senate in 2012, defeating Republican challenger and former U.S. Naval Air crewman, Army Captain, and small business executive Mike Greco.[9] Greco was the first challenger Ige faced in a general election in over a decade.[10]
2014 campaign for governor
Ige ran against incumbent Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary for the 2014 gubernatorial election, after Abercrombie upset the supporters of late US senator Daniel Inouye by ignoring his wish to be replaced by Colleen Hanabusa.[6][11] Though outspent in the race, Ige defeated Abercrombie, 66% to 31%.[12][13][14] Ige’s victory made him the first candidate to ever defeat an incumbent governor of Hawaii in a primary election.[15]
Governor Ige’s inauguration theme of “honoring the past and charting a new tomorrow” was on display throughout the ceremony, which paid tribute to his father who served in the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. Army during World War II alongside the late U.S. SenatorDaniel Inouye.[17]
Gubernatorial tenure
Governor David Ige and First Lady Dawn Ige ride in the Kamehameha Day Parade, 2016
Governor Ige with U.S. Navy admiral John Richardson at the 75th Commemoration Event of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Oahu, 2016
In October 2015 Ige declared a state of emergency due to the escalating scale of the homelessness problem; in 2015 Hawaii had the highest rate of homeless persons per capita in the United States.[19] In June 2017, following President Donald Trump‘s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change, Ige signed two bills that respectively committed the state to meeting regardless its greenhouse gas emission targets under the Paris Agreement and established a carbon reduction and soil health task force.[20]
After an incoming missile alert was erroneously sent to all smartphones in the state and broadcast over local television and radio on January 13, 2018, Ige apologized for the mistake,[21] which he attributed to human error during a shift change at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. He pledged to reevaluate the state’s emergency procedures to prevent a recurrence of the false alert, which caused widespread panic and confusion in the state.[22]
On February 22, 2019, President Trump appointed Ige to the bipartisan Council of Governors, on which Ige served as co-chair.[23]
Ige has allowed the Thirty Meter Telescope to be built on Mauna Kea. Some protesters have called for his impeachment because of this. On July 18, 2019, an online petition titled “Impeach Governor David Ige” was posted to Change.org.[24]
Electoral history
1992
Hawaii House of Representatives 34th district Democratic primary, 1992
^Travis, Shannon; Steve Brusk (August 10, 2014). “History made: Incumbent governor loses primary in Hawaii”. CNN. Retrieved August 11, 2014. Hawaii has long rewarded political incumbents. Since its statehood, no governor had ever lost in a primary in Hawaii. Additionally, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser notes that “no incumbent U.S. senator – appointed or elected – has lost an election.”
To have a state government that is honest, transparent and responsive to its citizens.
Our Mission
To change the trajectory of Hawai‘i by restoring faith in government and establishing the Hawaiian Islands as a place future generations choose to call home.
Education
Empower our public schools and university, focus on 21st century skills and learning, and ensure schools provide a healthy and safe learning environment.
Housing & Homelessness
Build homes that people can afford, including rentals, to address the needs of those entering the work force. Renovate the state’s public housing facilities. Transition the homeless from sidewalks, beaches, and parks; provide them with the necessary services so they can attain more permanent housing. On O‘ahu, identify state lands near transit stations for housing, employment centers, daycare, senior centers, and community facilities.
Health
Create a 21st century health system that improves access, treatment, and affordability for all Hawai‘i residents, beginning with our children, honoring our elders, and including rural communities on all islands.
Effective, Efficient, and Open Government
Restore the public’s trust in government by committing to reforms that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve transparency and accountability.
Eliminating unfunded liabilities (pension and health benefits)
Government efficiency (converting to paperless systems, new payroll system, IT dept. overhaul, credit card changes, etc.)
Rehabilitate old buildings for state use
Economy
Promote economic diversification and policies that support growth, including attracting more air carriers to Hawai‘i, expanding the U.S. Customs Pre-clearance program, and upgrading and expanding broadband infrastructure. Recognize and support renewable energy initiatives and the military as crucial pillars of Hawai‘i’s economy.
Energy
Ensure a 100 percent renewable energy future in which we work together as a state, focusing on making solar and other technologies available for all.
Agriculture
Double local food production by 2020; develop water and energy resources to support this effort. Provide loans for farmers and more land for agriculture.
Environment
Foster environmental stewardship from mountain to sea. Protect and more efficiently use our fresh water supply. Provide state lands for public use and enjoyment.
Native Hawaiians
Honor, respect, and promote Native Hawaiian culture and sustainability;
Support the Native Hawaiian community’s ongoing efforts for a Hawaiian-based governance structure.
Traffic
Support the development and completion of public transit systems, including bus and rail. Deploy traffic mitigation initiatives to reduce congestion on our roadways.
Taxes
Modernize our tax system, increase efficiency for taxpayers and hold accountable those who do not pay their taxes.
CORE VALUES
Our core values are centered on collaboration and integrity, guiding the state’s new trajectory.
Aloha: We treat everyone with dignity, respect and kindness, reflecting our belief that people are our greatest source of strength.
Kuleana: We uphold a standard of transparency, accountability and reliability, performing our work as a government that is worthy of the public’s trust.
Laulima: We work collaboratively with business, labor and the community to fulfill our public purpose.
Kūlia: We do our very best to reflect our commitment to excellence.
Pono: We strive to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons to deliver results that are in the best interest of the public.
Lōkahi: We honor the diversity of our employees and our constituents through inclusiveness and respect for the different perspectives that each brings to the table.
Ho‘okumu: We continually seek new and innovative ways to accomplish our work and commit to finding creative solutions to the critical issues facing this state.
The past year was a time of astonishing political foment on the mainland, with Black Lives Matter protests demanding law enforcement reforms and an abrupt shift to a liberal, activist government with the election of President Joe Biden.
But the Hawaii Legislature remained locked in a Capitol building that was closed to the public during the pandemic, and its leaders behaved as if they couldn’t hear all the noise outside.
Hawaii activists made online pleas for dramatic change in areas such as criminal justice, tax policy and the impact of tourism, but almost none of that will become law this year. As for social services, it was the federal government that provided real relief for Hawaii’s working families.
The public could have less transparency in elections and less insight into what political advertisements candidates are paying for under a pair of measures moving through the Hawaii Legislature.
House Bill 144 and House Bill 674 would exempt candidates for office from filing reports on ads with the state. That 20-year-old law was intended to shine a light on how much money candidates and super PACs are spending on ads during election season to sway voters.
Wording in the ad reporting law has confounded some campaigns and led to significant fines in recent years.
The agency in charge of regulating campaign finance has tried to introduce fixes this session. But now, that agency warns that the proposed candidate exemptions would erode scrutiny of campaigns.
The past year was a time of astonishing political foment on the mainland, with Black Lives Matter protests demanding law enforcement reforms and an abrupt shift to a liberal, activist government with the election of President Joe Biden.
But the Hawaii Legislature remained locked in a Capitol building that was closed to the public during the pandemic, and its leaders behaved as if they couldn’t hear all the noise outside.
Hawaii activists made online pleas for dramatic change in areas such as criminal justice, tax policy and the impact of tourism, but almost none of that will become law this year. As for social services, it was the federal government that provided real relief for Hawaii’s working families.
The public could have less transparency in elections and less insight into what political advertisements candidates are paying for under a pair of measures moving through the Hawaii Legislature.
House Bill 144 and House Bill 674 would exempt candidates for office from filing reports on ads with the state. That 20-year-old law was intended to shine a light on how much money candidates and super PACs are spending on ads during election season to sway voters.
Wording in the ad reporting law has confounded some campaigns and led to significant fines in recent years.
The agency in charge of regulating campaign finance has tried to introduce fixes this session. But now, that agency warns that the proposed candidate exemptions would erode scrutiny of campaigns.
Eight new emergency power generators will be installed in Hawaiʻi island wastewater treatment plants and sewer pump stations, in order to help keep the facilities running during a natural disasters.
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced on Friday that the County of Hawai‘i will receive $1,376,067 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the wastewater treatment plants.
The eight generators, four stationary and four trailer mounted, will be installed at:
Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant Kolea Sewer Pump Station Kulaimanu Wastewater Treatment Plant Onekahakaha Sewer Pump Station Papaikou Wastewater Treatment Plant Paukaʻa Sewer Pump Station Wailua Sewer Pump Station Wailuku Sewer Pump Station
Summary
Current Position: US Senator since 2012 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Lt. Governor from 2010 – 2012; State Delegate from 1998 – 2006
Chair, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Chair, Committee on Indian Affairs
Quotes: It is hard to credibly claim you are for bipartisanship if you filibuster bipartisanship.
Featured Video: Sen. Brian Schatz says Trump defenders are ‘afraid of this House of Cards falling all the way down’
Eight new emergency power generators will be installed in Hawaiʻi island wastewater treatment plants and sewer pump stations, in order to help keep the facilities running during a natural disasters.
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced on Friday that the County of Hawai‘i will receive $1,376,067 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the wastewater treatment plants.
The eight generators, four stationary and four trailer mounted, will be installed at:
Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant Kolea Sewer Pump Station Kulaimanu Wastewater Treatment Plant Onekahakaha Sewer Pump Station Papaikou Wastewater Treatment Plant Paukaʻa Sewer Pump Station Wailua Sewer Pump Station Wailuku Sewer Pump Station
Since joining the Senate, he has focused his work on helping workers, veterans, and families and has led key legislation on health care, climate change, and technology.
Senator Schatz chairs the Indian Affairs Committee, and serves on the Appropriations Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Foreign Relations Committee; and the Select Committee on Ethics. He also serves on the Senate Democratic Caucus’s leadership team as Chief Deputy Whip.
Prior to his service in Congress, Senator Schatz was Hawai‘i’s Lieutenant Governor and served for eight years in the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives.
Senator Schatz grew up in Honolulu, and received his bachelor’s degree from Pomona College. He is married to Linda Schatz, an architect. They have a son and a daughter.
Schatz served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1998 to 2006, representing the 25th legislative district, and was chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii from 2008 to 2010. He also worked as chief executive officer of Helping Hands Hawaii, an Oahu nonprofit social service agency, until he resigned to run for lieutenant governor of Hawaii in the 2010 gubernatorial election as Abercrombie’s running mate.[1] He served as lieutenant governor until December 26, 2012, when Abercrombie appointed him to serve the rest of Daniel Inouye‘s U.S. Senate term after Inouye’s death.[2] Schatz was the youngest U.S. senator in the 112th Congress. He won the 2014 special election to complete the remainder of Inouye’s Senate term, and was reelected in 2016 to a full six-year term, defeating RepublicanJohn Carroll.
Early life
Brian Schatz was born into a Jewish-American family in Ann Arbor, Michigan, along with an identical twin brother, Steve. He is the son of Barbara Jane (née Binder) and Irwin Jacob Schatz, a cardiologist and native of Saint Boniface, Manitoba.[3][4]
Schatz’s father was the first to complain about the ethics of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, in a 1965 letter. The letter was ignored until the problem finally came to public attention in 1972. Irwin Schatz wrote that he was “astounded” that “physicians allow patients with potentially fatal disease to remain untreated when effective therapy is available.” Brian Schatz said that his father didn’t talk about the letter, but that it influenced him to pursue the public good.[5][6]
When Schatz and his brother were two years old the family moved to Hawaii,[7] where Schatz graduated from Punahou School.[8][9] Schatz enrolled at Pomona College in Claremont, California; he spent a term studying abroad in Kenya on a program of the School for International Training (SIT).[10][11] As a U.S. senator, Schatz is one of Pomona’s highest-profile alumni; Pomona invited him to be the commencement speaker for its Class of 2017.[12] After graduating in 1994 with a B.A. in philosophy, he returned to Hawaii, where he taught at Punahou before taking on other jobs in the nonprofit sector. He was briefly a member of the Green Party.[13]
Early career
Schatz became active in the community in the 1980s through his involvement in Youth for Environmental Services. He then served as CEO of Helping Hands Hawaii and director of the Makiki Community Library and of the Center for a Sustainable Future. In March 2010, Schatz stepped down from Helping Hands to run for lieutenant governor.[14] He was a member of the 2007 class of the Pacific Century Fellows.[15]
Hawaii House of Representatives (1998–2006)
In 1998, Schatz challenged the incumbent State Representative of the 24th district of the Hawaii House of Representatives, Republican Sam Aiona, and won, 53%–47%.[16] In the 2000 rematch he was reelected, 57%–43%.[17]
In 2002 he ran in the newly redrawn 25th House district, and defeated Republican Bill Hols, 69%–31%.[18] In 2004 he defeated Republican Tracy Okubo, 64%–36%.[19] The 25th district includes Makiki and Tantalus on Oahu.
Schatz ran for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district, vacated by Ed Case, who had decided to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Daniel Akaka. The Democratic primary featured 10 candidates, seven of whom served in the Hawaii Legislature. Mazie Hirono, the lieutenant governor, was the only one who had held statewide office and thus enjoyed the most name recognition. She also raised the most money, mostly because of the endorsement of EMILY’s List,[20] and lent her own campaign $100,000. She won the primary with 22% of the vote, just 845 votes ahead of State Senator Colleen Hanabusa. Schatz finished sixth with 7% of the vote, behind Hirono and four state senators.[21][22]
Support for Obama
One of the earliest supporters of Barack Obamafor president, Schatz founded a group with other Hawaii Democrats in December 2006 to urge Obama to run, saying, “For the last six years we’ve been governed by fear, fear of terrorists, fear of other countries, even fear of the other party…everyone is governing by fear and Barack Obama changes all of that. He wants to govern the United States by hope.”[23] In 2008 Schatz worked as spokesman for Obama’s campaign in Hawaii.[24]
State chairman
In April 2008, Schatz began running for the position of chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii,[25] and won the job at the state convention the following month. During his tenure, the Democrats increased the number of active party members and delivered Obama’s best performance of any state in the country. Hawaii native Obama won the state with 72% of the vote; just 54% of the state voted for Democratic nominee John Kerry in 2004. Schatz stepped down as party chairman on January 9, 2010.[26]
Lieutenant Governor (2010–12)
2010 election
Schatz, his wife, Linda Kwok Kai Yun Schatz; incoming Hawaii First Lady Nancie Caraway; and Governor-elect Neil Abercrombie on Election Day 2010.
On January 10, 2010, Schatz announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Hawaii.[27] His campaign priorities included the creation of clean-energy jobs, public education, and technological improvements in the public sector. He also declared his support for Hawaii House Bill 444,[28] which would have allowed same-sex civil unions in Hawaii but was vetoed by Republican Governor Linda Lingle.[29] A number of Hawaii labor unions endorsed Schatz for lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary, held on September 18, 2010.[30] Schatz won the nomination with 34.8% of the vote, and thus became Neil Abercrombie‘s running mate in the November general election.
Tenure
On December 6, 2010, Schatz was inaugurated as Hawaii’s 11th lieutenant governor alongside Abercrombie, who had defeated Republican incumbent Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona in the gubernatorial election. Hawaii State Supreme Court Associate Justice James E. Duffy, Jr. administered the oath of office at the Coronation Pavilion on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace.
Hawaii law on interim appointments to the U.S. Senate requires the governor to choose from three candidates selected by the party of the previous officeholder. On December 26, 2012, the Hawaii Democratic Party nominated Schatz, Hanabusa, and deputy director of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Esther Kia’aina. The same day, Abercrombie appointed Schatz, despite Inouye’s request.[34] Later that night, Schatz accompanied President Barack Obama back to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One.[35] On December 27 Schatz was sworn in as a senator by Vice President Joe Biden.
Schatz’s appointment to Inouye’s seat on December 27, 2012, made him the senior senator from Hawaii (Mazie Hirono, who had been elected to the other Senate seat that November to replace retiring Senator Daniel Akaka, took office one week later on January 3, 2013). He became only the sixth person to represent Hawaii in the U.S. Senate, and only the second who was not Asian American, after Oren E. Long (1959–1963).
Schatz announced his intention to run for election in the special election to be held in 2014 for a two years term. In April 2013 Hanabusa announced she would challenge Schatz in the primary. The core of the Schatz campaign was climate change and renewable energy.[36] Schatz defeated Hanabusa by 1,782 votes (0.75%)[37] in a primary delayed in two precincts by Hurricane Iselle.[38]
As expected in heavily Democratic Hawaii, Schatz went on to win the general election, defeating Republican Campbell Cavasso with about 70% of the vote.[39]
In 2016, Schatz ran for and easily won his first full six-year Senate term against only nominal opposition.[40]
According to New York magazine, Schatz had a low-profile but highly influential effect on the Democratic primary for the 2020 presidential election by pushing fellow Democrats to commit to progressive positions on issues such as healthcare, climate, college affordability and Social Security.[41]
Schatz has announced he is running for reelection to a second full term.[42] He is being challenged by Republican state representative Bob McDermott.[43]
Tenure
During his time in the Senate, Schatz has developed a reputation as a liberal Democrat. He tends to vote with his party on both policy and procedural issues most of the time.[44] GovTrack ranks Schatz as a more moderate member of his caucus.[45] Schatz has been a part of numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation. He has co-sponsored 48 bills that have become law, including the bipartisan Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021 and the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.[46] He has been the primary sponsor for seven bills, including the Native American Veterans’ Memorial Amendments Act of 2013 and the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act. His primary areas of focus include healthcare, education, government operations, and national security.[45] Schatz was instrumental in increasing the minimum smoking age to 21[47] and securing paid family leave for federal workers.[48] He has also led efforts to expand telehealth services.[42]
Schatz has also brought a large amount of federal funding to Hawaii. He secured reservation funding[49] and transportation funding.[50]
According to New York magazine, Schatz is a progressive but not a “Sanders-style bomb-thrower.”[41] He was characterized as a low-profile yet highly influential senator in pushing fellow Democrats to adopt progressive policy positions.[41] The American Conservative Union gave him a 3% lifetime conservative rating in 2013.[60]
Abortion
Schatz is pro-choice. He supports access to legal abortion without restrictions.[61]NARAL Pro-Choice America gave him a 100% rating.[62]
Budget and economy
Schatz supports income tax increases to balance the budget and federal spending to support economic growth.[62]
Civil rights
Schatz supports same-sex marriage.[63] He sponsored legislation in 2015 to allow married gay couples to have equal access to the veterans benefits and Social Security they have earned.[64] Schatz supports LGBTQ+ rights and same-sex marriage. He received a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign.[62]
Drugs
Schatz stopped short of calling for the legalization of marijuana in Hawaii in 2014, and has called for the criminalization of date-rape drugs. In 2016, he advocated for immunity for banks offering services to marijuana businesses.[61]
Economy
To encourage tourism in West Hawaii, Schatz proposed that customs begin in Japan so that planes can arrive in West Hawaii as domestic flights.[65]
In 2019, Schatz voiced his support for both a Green New Deal and a carbon tax as means to reduce emissions, saying that the two proposals are “perfectly compatible” with each other.[68][69]
Schatz believes that climate change is a threat and has supported clean energy initiatives. In 2013, he wrote an op-ed promoting wind turbines requiring huge subsidies. He has advocated for 50% clean and carbon-free electricity by 2030.[61] He opposed the Keystone Pipeline.[62]
Foreign policy
Schatz criticized China’s island-building activities, saying that “China’s outsized claim to the entire South China Sea has no basis in international law.”[70]
In October 2017, Schatz condemned the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar and called for a stronger response to the crisis.[71]
Schatz spearheaded a nonbinding resolution in July 2018 “warning President Trump not to let the Russian government question diplomats and other officials”. The resolution states the United States “should refuse to make available any current or former diplomat, civil servant, political appointee, law enforcement official or member of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin“. It passed 98-0.[72]
Gun law
Schatz supports gun control legislation. He voted for a 2013 bill banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets, and co-sponsored legislation requiring background checks for every firearm sale in 2019.[61] As of 2010, the National Rifle Association had given Schatz a “C” rating for his mixed voting record regarding gun law.[73]
Schatz participated in the Chris Murphy gun control filibuster in 2016.[74] He expressed disappointment when both the Democrat-proposed Feinstein Amendment (making the sale of firearms to individuals on the terrorist watchlist illegal) and the Republican-supported background check changes and gun sale alert system did not pass the Senate. He said:[75]
More than 90% of Americans demand we take action on gun violence, but again Senate Republicans refuse to act. It’s unacceptable. Right now, known terrorists are banned from getting on an airplane, but they are still allowed to buy military-style weapons. It is absolutely insane. After one of the most horrific mass shootings in our history, we saw people across the country courageously stand up against gun violence and hatred. When will Republicans in Congress finally do the same?
In response to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Schatz said, “We can do more than lower the flag to half-mast. We can take a stand against gun violence by passing common-sense gun safety laws.”[76]
Health care
Schatz supports Sen. Bernie Sanders‘ single-payer proposal, but also introduced his own proposal which would allow states to expand Medicaid into a universal system.[77][78] Schatz supports the Affordable Care Act but supported a religious exemption from its individual mandate.[61]
Housing
In April 2019, Schatz was one of forty-one senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing “HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country” and expressing disappointment that President Trump’s budget “has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development.” The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.[79]
Schatz is married to Linda Kwok Kai Yun. They have two children.[84]
Schatz has three brothers, including an identical twin brother, Steve. Steve is executive director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, an interagency educational partnership at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.[85] He formerly ran the Hawaii Department of Education‘s Office of Strategic Reform.[86]
Current Position: US Senator since 2013 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): US Representative from 2007 – 2013; Lt. Governor from 1994 – 2002; US Representative from 1981 – 1994
Other Positions: Chair, Energy Subcommittee Chair, Seapower Subcommittee
Quotes: Truth hurts Republicans. They ran from it with the sham FBI investigation and confirmed Brett Kavanaugh. They didn’t want the truth three years ago when the Trump White House buried THOUSANDS of tips, and they clearly don’t want it now. But we do.
Featured Video: Sen. Mazie Hirono On Trump DOJ, Voting Rights, Infrastructure
On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the U.S. Department of Education is awarding more than $28 million in 35 grants through the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP). Grants are being awarded to various Native Hawaiian educational organizations, Native Hawaiian community-based organizations, and other similar organizations.
In a press release, Senator Hirono said, “This funding will support Native Hawaiians across our state by providing support for Native Hawaiian students, parents, and teachers through a variety of programs. I will continue to advocate for strong funding in programs that invest in Native Hawaiian communities, especially because Native Hawaiians have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.”
The grantees include the following organizations:
University of Hawaii (Systemwide): $9,348,569
Maui Family Support Services, Inc.: $776,400
Friends of the Future: $1,895,786
Papa Ola Lokahi: $740,577
Hula Preservation Society: $260,948
Malama Loko Ea Foundation: $733,150
Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture: $350,471
Awaiaulu, Inc.: $748,934
Kai Loa, Inc.: $512,494
Kamalani Academy: $675,919
Hooulu Lahui Inc.: $431,052
Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers: $2,207,987
Ke Kula O Nawahiokalaniopuu: $1,278,423
Kanu o ka Aina Learning Ohana: $1,385,750
Pacific American Foundation: $540,000
Partners in Development Foundation: $2,527,045
Consortium for Hawaii Ecological Engineering Education: $787,433
Hui Mauli Ola: $558,798
Kulaniakea: $651,424
Hui Malama O Ke Kai Foundation: $365,593
Hookakoo Corporation: $576,640
Hanona: $742,252
Summary
Current Position: US Senator since 2013 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): US Representative from 2007 – 2013; Lt. Governor from 1994 – 2002; US Representative from 1981 – 1994
Other Positions: Chair, Energy Subcommittee Chair, Seapower Subcommittee
Quotes: Truth hurts Republicans. They ran from it with the sham FBI investigation and confirmed Brett Kavanaugh. They didn’t want the truth three years ago when the Trump White House buried THOUSANDS of tips, and they clearly don’t want it now. But we do.
Featured Video: Sen. Mazie Hirono On Trump DOJ, Voting Rights, Infrastructure
On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the U.S. Department of Education is awarding more than $28 million in 35 grants through the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP). Grants are being awarded to various Native Hawaiian educational organizations, Native Hawaiian community-based organizations, and other similar organizations.
In a press release, Senator Hirono said, “This funding will support Native Hawaiians across our state by providing support for Native Hawaiian students, parents, and teachers through a variety of programs. I will continue to advocate for strong funding in programs that invest in Native Hawaiian communities, especially because Native Hawaiians have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.”
The grantees include the following organizations:
University of Hawaii (Systemwide): $9,348,569
Maui Family Support Services, Inc.: $776,400
Friends of the Future: $1,895,786
Papa Ola Lokahi: $740,577
Hula Preservation Society: $260,948
Malama Loko Ea Foundation: $733,150
Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture: $350,471
Awaiaulu, Inc.: $748,934
Kai Loa, Inc.: $512,494
Kamalani Academy: $675,919
Hooulu Lahui Inc.: $431,052
Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers: $2,207,987
Ke Kula O Nawahiokalaniopuu: $1,278,423
Kanu o ka Aina Learning Ohana: $1,385,750
Pacific American Foundation: $540,000
Partners in Development Foundation: $2,527,045
Consortium for Hawaii Ecological Engineering Education: $787,433
I am privileged to serve the people of Hawaii in the United States Senate. As an immigrant who grew up under difficult circumstances, I recognize that my path to the Senate was unlikely. At the same time, my experiences have shown me the incredible opportunities available in America and have fueled my desire to give back. I owe much to the courage and determination of my mother. My early childhood was spent on my grandparents’ rice farm in Fukushima, Japan. My mother sent me to live with my grandparents because of family circumstances. My father was an alcoholic and compulsive gambler and I did not get to know him much. As a result, our family had little stability or money. At times, he would even sell my mother’s belongings to gamble away.
But instead of watching our family continue to suffer, my mother made the courageous decision to seek a better life for us. She plotted and planned in secret, and when I was nearly eight years old, we literally escaped to this place called Hawaii and this country called America. My mother, brother and I boarded the President Cleveland in Yokohama and crossed the Pacific in steerage.
Like many immigrants, our new life was not easy. In the beginning, my mother worked at a Japanese language newspaper for minimum wages with no benefits. She worked two jobs as a single mother to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. We didn’t have much, but we persevered. Thanks to my mother’s courage, I was able to take advantage of the educational opportunities available in Hawaii’s public schools. When I began elementary school, I neither spoke nor read English. My love of reading was awakened by class trips to our school library where our librarian read to us books like Mary Poppins. I also remember being a student cashier in elementary school to pay for my lunches.
My time at the University of Hawaii at Manoa opened my eyes to a life in public service and advocacy. Through volunteer and tutor work, including weekly visits with patients at the state mental health facility, I saw how important it was for underserved populations to be heard. Participating in grassroots student protests over the Vietnam War and what our government was doing was my political awakening and a path that eventually led me to elected office as a way of being of service.
I went to law school to develop the skills I would need to more effectively advocate for others. I attended Georgetown University Law Center because it had a strong clinical program and I wanted to focus on public interest law. After graduation, I worked in the antitrust division of the Hawaii attorney general’s office.
Although prior to law school I had helped many others run for office, I had not thought about becoming a candidate myself. However, with the encouragement of others, I successfully ran for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives in 1980. As chair of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, I focused on greater protections for Hawaii’s workers and consumers.
After serving more than a decade in the House, I was elected lieutenant governor in 1994. I led an effort to revamp Hawaii’s workers’ compensation insurance laws, saving businesses millions. I also helped lead state efforts to improve early childhood education and promote Hawaii’s tourism industry through visa reform, issues I continue to champion in the U.S. Senate.
As my party’s first female nominee for governor, although I lost the race in 2002, I wanted to help other women running for office and founded the Patsy T. Mink PAC in 2004 to that end. Congresswoman Patsy Mink, for whom Title IX was renamed after her death, was my friend and her legacy lives on in schools and universities across the country.
In 2006, I was elected to Congress by voters in Hawaii’s second congressional district, representing the seat once held by Patsy. During my time in the House, our nation and state faced incredible challenges and opportunities. I supported struggling families by preserving Hawaii’s pre-paid health care law, teamed up with colleagues across the aisle to protect Native Hawaiian education programs, became a nationally recognized advocate for quality early childhood education, promoted food and energy sustainability and sponsored legislation to support Hawaii’s critical tourism industry and create jobs.
With the retirement of Senator Daniel Akaka, the people of Hawaii elected me to the U.S. Senate, where I serve as the first Asian American woman and first woman senator from Hawaii. As Hawaii’s United States Senator, I have put the values, people, and communities of Hawaii at the forefront of my work every day. Whether it is welcoming Hawaii visitors to my Washington D.C. office for weekly Talk Story events, bringing aloha to our nation’s Capital as part of the annual Hawaii on the Hill showcase of local businesses, or sitting down with and helping Hawaii constituents and businesses cut through federal red tape at home, my work as a Senator is driven by my connection to Hawaii and energized by the people and place that we call home.
Working collaboratively both with Hawaii stakeholders and my colleagues in Washington, I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish. As a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees I have the opportunity to work on important legislation that highlights and supports Hawaii’s critical role in our nation’s security in the Asia-Pacific region and honors our commitments to servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Legislation I’ve authored to honor our Filipino World War II Veterans, promote clean energy use by the military, expand opportunities for Hawaii small businesses, and invest in the education, training, and treatment of servicemembers from their time in uniform to their transition home are some of my proudest accomplishments in these areas.
Efforts to take away health care, slash funding for public schools, or undermine the civil rights that so many rely on are things that I strongly oppose and have fought against. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee I have worked to promote these values in fighting against unqualified nominations, promote fairer treatment of immigrants and minority groups, and protect the civil rights of everyone.
It is a privilege to do my very best for Hawaii in the U.S. Senate. With my background and experiences, I never forget where I came from or who I fight for and why.
Hirono is the first elected female senator from Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, the first U.S. senator born in Japan, and the nation’s first Buddhist senator. She considers herself a non-practicing Buddhist[1][2] and is often cited with Hank Johnson as the first Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress.[3] She is also the third woman to be elected to Congress from Hawaii (after Patsy Mink and Pat Saiki).
In 2012, Hirono was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Daniel Akaka. Hirono won the election, defeating Lingle in a landslide, 63% to 37%. She was sworn in on January 3, 2013, by Vice President Joe Biden. Hirono was the only person of Asian ancestry serving in the U.S. Senate from 2013 until 2017, when senators Tammy Duckworth and Kamala Harris were sworn in, representing Illinois and California, respectively. Although Brian Schatz joined the Senate a week before Hirono, following the death of Daniel Inouye, making him Hawaii’s senior senator, Hirono’s three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives make her the dean, or longest-serving member overall, of Hawaii’s congressional delegation.
Early life and education
Mazie Hirono was born on November 3, 1947, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan to Laura Chie Satō, a Japanese American, and Hirono Matabe, a Japanese veteran of World War II. Mazie’s maternal grandfather, Hiroshi Satō, immigrated to Hawaii to work on a sugar plantation at the age of 16; her grandmother, Tari Shinoki, immigrated to Hawaii as a picture bride.[4] After finding plantation work difficult, the couple opened a bathhouse on River Street in Honolulu in 1928. The couple had a daughter, Laura Chie, in 1924, and a son, Akira.
In 1939, Tari returned to Japan with the teenaged Laura and Akira; Hiroshi remained in Hawaii to run the bathhouse for two more years before joining his family in 1941. Laura felt out of place in Japan as one of the many Nisei Japanese Americans who emigrated with their returning Issei parents (barred from US citizenship or land ownership) before World War II and during the Great Depression. But although her brother returned to Hawaii after the war, she remained in Japan and married a veterinarian, Hirono Matabe, in 1946. Laura moved with her husband to southern Fukushima, and had three children, Roy, Mazie, and Wayne. Mazie, the middle child, was the only surviving daughter.[5]
Mazie’s father, Matabe, was a compulsive gambler and alcoholic who pawned even his wife’s possessions for gambling money.[5] Treated “like a slave” by her in-laws,[5] Mazie’s mother finally left the abusive marriage in 1951. Laura later recounted her point of decision: “My brother sent money to buy a school uniform for my son. My husband took the money, went to town and never came back home. It was getting closer to the start of school, so I went to look for him. I found out he had ordered an overcoat for himself with the money. He didn’t need an overcoat in the spring. That’s when I made up my mind to leave.”[4] After telling her in-laws she was going to take her children to school in her hometown, Laura left the house, never to return. Selling her clothes to pay the rail fare, she and the children moved back to her parents’ home. Laura said, “My husband never came around once; my parents were supportive and took all of us in. My mother gave us money. I guess it all boils down to love.”
The Satō-Hirono family decided to return to Hawaii, but under the U.S. quota system Tari and Hiroshi, as Japanese nationals without American citizenship or professional status, could not go with Laura, an American citizen. Thus the family was separated, with three-year-old Wayne staying behind with his grandparents and Laura returning to Honolulu on her own with Mazie and Roy in March 1955. After two years of hard work, she brought her parents and youngest son to Hawaii in 1957.[4] “She determined that she had to get away [from her husband]…she wanted to put thousands of miles between them”, Hirono said of her mother. “That took a lot of courage. I always tell my mom there is nothing I can do—hard as it is to be in politics…harder than what she did.”[4][5]
After first living with Mazie’s uncle Akira, the family moved into a rooming house on Kewalo Street in Honolulu with one room, one table, three chairs and one bed. Laura recalled, “Mazie and Roy slept on the bed. I slept on the floor with a futon. The landlady was so nice. The rent was $35, but she charged us less because I didn’t have a job.”[4] Laura began working for the Hawaii Hochi as a typesetter and also three nights a week for a catering company. Mazie worked in the school cafeteria and had a paper route.[6] Though money was tight and the family was forced to move often, Laura kept them together. Mazie recalled that she and her brother used to get a dime once or twice a week from their mother. “We both had baseball piggy banks. My older brother spent all his dimes but I saved mine. But one day I came home and the dimes were gone. My mother had to use it to buy food.”
Hirono never saw her father again, and he has since died.[7] Laura became a newspaper proofreader in 1961 and retired from the Hawaii Newspaper Agency in 1986; Roy became a Hawaiian Electric supervisor. Wayne drowned in 1978, aged 26. Mazie’s grandfather Hiroshi died in 1989, and her grandmother Tari died in 2000 at age 99.[4][8]
Raised in Honolulu, Hirono became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1959, the year Hawaii became a state.[9] She attended Kaʻahumanu Elementary and Koko Head Elementary Schools. She graduated from Kaimuki High School, which at the time of her attendance had a predominantly Japanese American student body. Hirono then enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in psychology in 1970.[10] She left Hawaii to attend Georgetown University Law Center, where she obtained her J.D. degree in 1978. Hirono then returned to Honolulu, where she practiced law.[11]
Hawaii House of Representatives (1981–1994)
Elections
In 1980, Hirono was elected to Hawaii’s 12th House district in a multi-member district with Democratic State Representative David Hagino.[12] Hawaii eliminated multi-member districts, and after redistricting she ran for Hawaii’s 20th House district and won.[13] After redistricting again in 1984, she ran for the newly redrawn Hawaii’s 32nd House district and won.[14] In 1992, after redistricting, she ran in the newly redrawn Hawaii’s 22nd House district. She won the three-candidate Democratic primary with 91% of the vote.[15] She won the general election and served only one term in the 22nd district before retiring in 1994 to run for statewide office.[16]
Tenure
From 1980 to 1994, Hirono served in the Hawaii House of Representatives, passing more than 120 laws. She was honored by a coalition of leaseholders as Legislator of the Year in 1984.[citation needed]
Committee assignments
From 1987 to 1992, she was Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.[17]
Lieutenant governor (1994–2002)
Elections
1994
Hirono ran for lieutenant governor of Hawaii and won the Democratic primary, defeating fellow State Representative Jackie Young 65%–26%.[18] In the general election she defeated three other candidates: Danny Kaniela Kaleikini (Best Party), State Representative Fred Hemmings (Republican Party), and Jack Morse (Green Party), 37%–31%–29%–4%.[19]
1998
Hirono ran for reelection in 1998. She was challenged in the primary by Nancy L. Cook and defeated her, 89%–11%.[20] In the general election Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Stan Koki 50%–49%, a difference of 5,254 votes.[21]
Tenure
In 1994 Hirono joined the ticket of incumbent Lieutenant Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano and was elected to a historic administration led by the first Filipino American governor and first Japanese immigrant lieutenant governor. During her tenure as lieutenant governor, she was president of the National Commission on Teaching, America’s Future, and the Hawaii Policy Group. She also spearheaded the first-in-the-nation comprehensive Pre-Plus program, a precursor to universal preschool education in the United States.[citation needed]
Hirono originally wanted to run for mayor of Honolulu in a potential 2002 special election created by the vacancy of incumbent Mayor Jeremy Harris, who was planning to resign in order to run for governor of Hawaii. But due to internal controversies, Harris dropped out of the gubernatorial election and remained mayor for another two years. Hirono switched races.
Hirono maneuvered to gain the support of potential Harris voters in her challenge against former State House Majority Leader Ed Case. Throughout the primary campaign, Hirono and Case polled almost equally. Hirono defeated Case in the September 21 Democratic primary, 41%–40%, a difference of 2,613 votes.[22][23][24]
A few weeks later, Republican nominee and Mayor of MauiLinda Lingle defeated Hirono 52–47%, becoming Hawaii’s first female governor.[25][26]
On September 23, Hirono ran for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district being vacated by incumbent Ed Case. The Democratic primary was very competitive. There were ten candidates, seven of whom served in the Hawaii Legislature. Hirono’s advantage was that she was the only candidate who had held statewide office and as a result had the most name recognition. She also raised the most money, mostly because of the endorsement of EMILY’s List,[27] and lent her own campaign $100,000. She won with a plurality of 22% of the vote. State Senator Colleen Hanabusa finished second with 21%, 845 votes short of Hirono.[28][29]
Hirono won reelection to a third term with 72% of the vote.[32]
Tenure
In 2008, Hirono was named the national preschool advocacy organization Pre-K Now’s “Pre-K Champion” for her efforts on behalf of pre-kindergarten legislation.[33]
Hirono co-sponsored and signed the Prevention First Act of 2007. The act aimed to increase public access to contraception and government funding to support the use of contraception.[34] It places an emphasis on informing and protecting women from unintended pregnancy.[34] On May 4, 2011, Hirono voted against the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would have prohibited federal health care programs from covering abortion costs, with exceptions for life-threatening cases.[34]
In July 2011, Hirono voted for the Access to Birth Control Act, which mandates that pharmacies provide birth control to customers without undue delay.[34] The ABP Act also ensures that customers seeking birth control can obtain it without being submitted to unwanted harassment or breaches in patient confidentiality.[34] EMILY’s List, a Democratic pro-choice action committee, pledged support to Hirono for her history of supporting contraceptive and abortion policies during her term.[34] Its endorsement helped Hirono in her 2012 senatorial race, contributing $129,714 to her campaign.[35][36]
On May 19, 2011, Hirono announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Daniel Akaka, who was retiring at the end of his term in 2012.[38] She won the Democratic primary election on August 11, 2012.[39] Hirono was endorsed as one of Democracy for America‘s Dean Dozen. The Republican nominee was former Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle. Hirono won the general election on November 6, 2012, with 63% of the vote.[40] She is the first female senator from Hawaii, as well as the first Asian-born immigrant to be elected to the U.S. Senate.[41] She was a part of the first completely non-Christian Congressional delegation from the state, which continued until the election of Mark Takai (an Episcopalian) in 2014 as Representative of Hawaii’s 1st congressional district.[42]
In the 2012 campaign Hirono raised $5.2 million, with approximately 52% of that from large corporations. Lingle raised $5.5 million, with 74% from large corporations. Hirono spent $5 million and Lingle $4.8 million.[43]
On November 6, 2018, Hirono was reelected with 71.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Ron Curtis.[44]
Tenure
On December 12, 2012, the Senate Democratic Steering Committee announced that Hirono would serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, giving her influence on matters ranging from approving nominations of federal judges to setting criminal-justice policy.
In April 2021, Hirono sponsored and the Senate passed a bill attempting to decrease hate crimes against Asian Americans due to xenophobia associated with COVID-19. The vote was 94–1, with Senator Hawley (R-MO) the only one who voted against the bill.[50]
Hirono has a 100% rating from Naral Pro-Choice America.[53] She is also endorsed by EMILY’s list for pro-choice women.[55]
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Hirono told the panel: “If you don’t support abortion, don’t get one, but leave everyone else to the painful decisions they have to make along with their physicians”.[56]
Gun control
In 2016, she participated in the Chris Murphy gun control filibuster. Hirono expressed disappointment when the Democrat-proposed Feinstein Amendment (banning the sale of firearms to individuals on the terrorist watchlist) and the Republican-backed background check expansion and alert system (regarding guns being sold to terrorist watchlist suspects) both failed to pass the Senate.[57]
Health care
On July 28, 2017, two months after undergoing surgery for stage-four kidney cancer, Hirono spoke on the Senate floor and voted against the so-called “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).[58]MSNBC reporter Kyle Griffin filmed Hirono’s speech and posted it on Twitter.[59]
In January 2019, during the 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown, Hirono was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to Commissioner of Food and DrugsScott Gottlieb recognizing the efforts of the FDA to address the effect of the government shutdown on the public health and employees while expressing alarm “that the continued shutdown will result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency’s employees and the safety and security of the nation’s food and medical products.”[60] Gottlieb said additional staff might be called in as needed.[61]
In April 2019, Hirono was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development‘s Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing “HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country” and expressing disappointment that Trump’s budget “has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development.” The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.[63]
Telecommunications
In April 2019, Hirono was one of seven senators to sponsor the Digital Equity Act of 2019, legislation establishing a $120 million grant program that would fund the creation and implementation of “comprehensive digital equity plans” in every state and a $120 million grant program to support projects developed by individuals and groups. The bill also gave the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) the role of evaluating and providing guidance for digital equity projects.[64]
Personal life
In May 2017, Hirono announced that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer, which had spread to her seventh rib.[65] The cancer was discovered in a chest X-ray in April before minor eye surgery.[66] Hirono’s right kidney was removed on May 17, 2017, with a Cyberknife procedure to treat the rib lesion.[67][65] She returned to the Senate on May 22, 2017, and was reelected to a second term in 2018.[68]
As of 2018, according to OpenSecrets.org, Hirono’s net worth was more than $4.3 million.[69]
In 2021, Viking Press published Hirono’s autobiography, Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter’s Story.[70]Marie Claire listed the book among its “25 Great Memoirs to Pre-Order Now”.[71]
Also in 2021, it was announced that Hirono would receive Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star for her “significant contributions in strengthening bilateral relations and promoting legislative exchanges between Japan and the United States”.[72]
be at least 16 years old (you must be 18 years old by Election Day in order to vote)
not be incarcerated for a felony conviction
not be adjudicated by a court as “non compos mentis”
How to register
Use our Register to Vote form below to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
Sign and date your form. This is very important!
Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Election Day registration If you have missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register to vote and a cast a ballot at the same time during early voting at early walk-in locations and on Election Day at your polling place. Contact your Local Election Office if you have any questions.
Voting Rights restoration
If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Voting with Disabilities
If you are a long stay patient at a care home or a patient unexpectedly admitted to a hospital, you are still eligible to vote. To ensure the security and integrity of election related activities at care facilities, staff members are discouraged from participating directly with a voter in the process of registering and/or voting absentee. Staff may assist only upon receiving specific authorization from the resident (voter). When asked by a voter to give assistance, care facility staff must remain nonpartisan and have at least two people NOT of the same political party present. This will help eliminate the appearance of any election irregularities while assisting a voter. In addition, staff should:
Always be mindful of the voting rights of patients as well as their family members
Refrain from explicit or implicit discriminatory or coercive voter registration practices, as both are prohibited
Not collect completed voter registration forms shall unless specific authorization is provided by the clerk or chief election officer
Mail requests for an absentee ballot directly to the local clerk
Not copy, duplicate or otherwise make use of any information provided on registration forms. Information provided by the voter on the affidavit for registration is confidential
If acting as an intermediary to pick up an absentee ballot, obtain a letter of authorization from the registered voter and submit it to the clerk
Ensure that no one asks a voter to see or look at the contents of a voted ballot or choice of party
Ensure that no one marks a voter’s ballot or directs a voter without authorization
Not attempt to vote in the name of the patient without specific authorization, as it is illegal
If you require assistance to vote by reason of physical, visual, hearing impairment or inability to read or write, you may be given assistance by a person of the your choice, except for your employer, an agent of your employer, or officer or agent of your union.
Poll workers may ask you provide a photo ID with a signature. However, this is not required in order to vote. If you have no ID you will be asked to give your date of birth and address to the poll worker in order to verify the information in the poll book.
Identification is required of first-time voters who register by mail and do not provide proof of identification with their application. Acceptable forms of ID include any current and valid photo ID, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address.
Vote by Mail (Absentee)
Absentee ballot rules
All Hawaii elections are held by mail-in ballot. You may apply for an absentee ballot if you need your ballot mailed someplace other than your usual mailing address.
How to get Absentee ballot
Use our Absentee Ballot form below to prepare your application.
Sign and date the form. This is very important!
Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
What to do next
Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
Sign and date where indicated.
Return your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
Your voted ballot must be received by the close of polls on Election Day or it will not be counted. Ballots that are postmarked but not received by Election Day will not be considered on time.
Act 57 (Bill No. HB 267, 2004) establishes a nine (9) member panel, called the Elections Commission, which replaces the Elections and Appointment Review Panel. This panel is composed of the following:
Two (2) members appointed by the President of the Senate
Two (2) members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader
Two (2) members appointed by the Speaker of the House
Two (2) members appointed by the House Minority Leader
One (1) member selected by a two-thirds vote of the Elections Commission serves as a Chairperson
Each group of four (4) Elections Commission members selected by each house will include one (1) Elections Commission member from each of the four (4) counties in the State: Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.
A person from the same county as the departing Elections Commission member will fill a vacancy in the Elections Commission. If the vacancy is not filled within fifteen (15) days, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will fill the vacancy.
Duties
The duties of the Elections Commission provided under Hawaii Revised Statutes §11-7.5 are as follows:
Hold Public Hearings;
Investigate and hold hearings for receiving evidence of any violations and complaints;
Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91;
Employ, without regard to chapter 76, a full-time Chief Election Officer, pursuant to section 11-1.6; and
Advise the Chief Election Officer on matters relating to elections
Board of Registration
The Board of Registration hears and decides appeals that arise from a voter challenge or a clerk’s decision regarding voter registration.
Each Board of Registration convenes in their respective county on election day. A board may also convene at the request of the Clerk’s Office to hear appeals from registered voters and remain convened until all appeals are heard.
The public could have less transparency in elections and less insight into what political advertisements candidates are paying for under a pair of measures moving through the Hawaii Legislature.
House Bill 144 and House Bill 674 would exempt candidates for office from filing reports on ads with the state. That 20-year-old law was intended to shine a light on how much money candidates and super PACs are spending on ads during election season to sway voters.
Wording in the ad reporting law has confounded some campaigns and led to significant fines in recent years.
The agency in charge of regulating campaign finance has tried to introduce fixes this session. But now, that agency warns that the proposed candidate exemptions would erode scrutiny of campaigns.
The public could have less transparency in elections and less insight into what political advertisements candidates are paying for under a pair of measures moving through the Hawaii Legislature.
House Bill 144 and House Bill 674 would exempt candidates for office from filing reports on ads with the state. That 20-year-old law was intended to shine a light on how much money candidates and super PACs are spending on ads during election season to sway voters.
Wording in the ad reporting law has confounded some campaigns and led to significant fines in recent years.
The agency in charge of regulating campaign finance has tried to introduce fixes this session. But now, that agency warns that the proposed candidate exemptions would erode scrutiny of campaigns.
This Hawaii onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Hawaiians.
Hawaii onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this Hawaii onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
Current Position: Governor Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): State Senator from 1995 – 2014; State Delegate from 1985 – 1995
Quotes: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans across the country were questioned about their loyalty to the U.S. Despite this, many signed up to join the military to prove their loyalty. My father included.
Featured Video: Gov. David Ige joins Spotlight Hawaii
Current Position: US Senator since 2013 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): US Representative from 2007 – 2013; Lt. Governor from 1994 – 2002; US Representative from 1981 – 1994
Other Positions: Chair, Energy Subcommittee Chair, Seapower Subcommittee
Quotes: Truth hurts Republicans. They ran from it with the sham FBI investigation and confirmed Brett Kavanaugh. They didn’t want the truth three years ago when the Trump White House buried THOUSANDS of tips, and they clearly don’t want it now. But we do.
Featured Video: Sen. Mazie Hirono On Trump DOJ, Voting Rights, Infrastructure
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Current Position: Governor
Current Position: US Senator since 2013
Current Position: US Senator since 2012
Current Position: US Representative for HW District 1 since 2019
Current Position: US Representative for HI District 2 since 2021
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