Mazie Hirono 広野 慶子 |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd district |
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Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 3, 2007 |
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Preceded by | Ed Case |
9th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
In office December 2, 1994 – December 2, 2002 |
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Governor | Ben Cayetano |
Preceded by | Ben Cayetano |
Succeeded by | James Aiona |
Personal details | |
Born | Mazie Keiko Hirono November 3, 1947 Fukushima Prefecture, Japan |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Leighton Kim Oshima |
Residence | Honolulu, Hawaii |
Alma mater | University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Georgetown University |
Occupation | attorney |
Religion | Buddhism (non-practicing) |
Mazie Keiko Hirono (メイジー・ヒロノ Meijī Hirono , Japanese name: 広野 慶子 Hirono Keiko, born November 3, 1947) is the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, serving since 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
She was the second Asian immigrant elected lieutenant governor of a state of the United States. She ran against Linda Lingle for governor of Hawaii in 2002, one of the few gubernatorial races in United States history where two major parties nominated women to challenge each other. She considers herself a non-practicing Buddhist,[1] and is often cited with Hank Johnson (D-Georgia), as the first Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress.[2] She is the third woman to be elected to Congress from the state of Hawaii (after Patsy Mink and Pat Saiki). On May 19, 2011, Hirono announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Senator Daniel Akaka.
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Hirono was born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in 1947. In 1955, Hirono's mother escaped an abusive marriage by emigrating to the United States with her children. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hirono attended Kaʻahumanu Elementary and Koko Head Elementary Schools. She later graduated from Kaimuki High School, which at the time of her attendance had a predominantly Japanese American student body. Upon graduating from high school, Hirono enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa where, in 1970, she received B.A. in psychology. She left Hawaii briefly to attend Georgetown University Law School. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and obtained her J.D. in 1978. Hirono quickly returned to Honolulu where she practiced law.
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. From 1987 to 1992, she was the chairman of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.
In 1994, she joined the ticket of incumbent Lieutenant Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano and was consequently elected to an historic administration led by the first Filipino American governor and first Japanese immigrant lieutenant governor. During her tenure as lieutenant governor, Hirono was also president of the National Commission on Teaching, America's Future, as well as the Hawaiʻi Policy Group. She also spearheaded the first-in-the-nation comprehensive Pre-Plus program, a precursor to universal pre-school education in the United States.
With her time as Lieutenant Governor coming to an end, Hirono formed a campaign structure as she set her sights on becoming the next governor of Hawai'i in a 2002 special election to fill a vacancy to be created by Jeremy Harris' entry in the gubernatorial election. Hawaii residents were shocked, considering his high polling numbers, when Harris abruptly dropped from the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Hirono maneuvered to gain the support of potential Harris voters in her challenge against former Hawaii State House of Representatives Majority Leader Ed Case and former Republican Chairman D. G. Anderson for the Democratic ticket. Through the entire primary campaign season, Hirono and Case polled almost equally. Case appealed to Hawaii residents that his campaign was one of government reform as opposed to Hirono whom Case alleged represented the "Old Boys' Network" of Democrats that had ruled over Hawaii for forty years.
In a narrow primary election for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Hirono beat Case, winning by 2,613 votes out of 185,995 valid votes cast.[3][4] Hirono ran against former Mayor of Maui, Republican Linda Lingle, in the general election. Lingle ultimately defeated Hirono to become the first female governor of Hawaii.[5]
On September 23, Hirono won the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, being vacated by Ed Case, in a 10-way race, garnering 21.8 percent of the vote, about 800 votes ahead of state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, who had 21.1 percent. Former state Sen. Matt Matsunaga (14 percent) finished in third.[6]
Hirono entered the race with significant name recognition as the only candidate who had held statewide office, and she raised more money than any other candidate in the race – in part because she was backed by EMILY's List,[7] which supports pro-choice Democratic women. Hirono also loaned her campaign $100,000.
Hirono's primary win all but assured her of election in this heavily Democratic district. She defeated broadcaster Bob Hogue in the general election with 58 percent of the vote.
Hirono won against Republican Roger B. Evans, Independent Shaun Stenshol, and Libertarian Jeff Mallan.
Hirono won against Republican nominee John Willoughby, Libertarian nominee Patric R. Brock, and Independent Andrew Von Sonn.
On May 19, 2011, Mazie Hirono announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Senator Daniel Akaka, who is retiring at the end of his term in 2012.[8]
Results certified by the Office of Elections, State of Hawaii:[9]
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Ben Cayetano |
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii 1994–2002 |
Succeeded by James Aiona Jr. |
United States House of Representatives | ||
Preceded by Ed Case |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district 2007–present |
Incumbent |
United States order of precedence | ||
Preceded by Gabrielle Giffords D-Arizona |
United States Representatives by seniority 274th |
Succeeded by Hank Johnson D-Georgia |
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