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Mazie Hirono

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Mazie Hirono
広野 慶子
Official portrait, 2013
United States Senator
from Hawaii
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Serving with Brian Schatz
Preceded byDaniel Akaka
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Hawaii's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byEd Case
Succeeded byTulsi Gabbard
10th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
In office
December 2, 1994 – December 2, 2002
GovernorBen Cayetano
Preceded byBen Cayetano
Succeeded byDuke Aiona
Member of the
Hawaii House of Representatives
In office
January 3, 1981 – December 2, 1994
Preceded byClifford Uwaine
David Hagino
Succeeded byTerry Yoshinaga
Constituency12th district (1981–1983)
20th district (1983–1985)
32nd district (1985–1993)
22nd district (1993–1994)
Personal details
Born
Mazie Keiko Hirono

(1947-11-03) November 3, 1947 (age 77)
Koori, Fukushima, Japan
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Leighton Kim Oshima
​
(m. 1987)​
ResidenceHonolulu, Hawaii
EducationUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
Mazie Hirono's voice
Mazie Hirono questions witnesses on Guantanamo Bay detainees
Recorded December 7, 2021

Mazie Keiko Hirono (/ˈmeɪzi hiˈroʊnoʊ/; Japanese name: 広野 慶子, Hirono Keiko; born November 3, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2013 as the senior United States senator from Hawaii. A member of the Democratic Party, Hirono previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013. Hirono also served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1995 and as Hawaii's tenth lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002, under Ben Cayetano. She was the Democratic nominee for governor of Hawaii in 2002, but lost to Republican Linda Lingle.

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 although she considers herself a non-practicing Buddhist.[1][2] She 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 is Hawaii's senior senator because he joined the Senate a week before Hirono, following the death of Daniel Inouye, 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. She was reelected to the Senate in 2018, and won a third term against Republican nominee Bob McDermott in 2024.

Early life and education

[edit]

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 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 later attended Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where she obtained her juris doctor degree in 1978. Hirono then returned to Honolulu, where she practiced law.[11]

Hawaii House of Representatives (1981–1994)

[edit]

Elections

[edit]

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 successfully for the newly redrawn 32nd House District.[14] In 1992, after redistricting, she ran one last time in the newly redrawn 22nd House district. She easily 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

[edit]

Hirono served in the Hawaii House of Representatives for 13 years, sponsoring 120 bills that became state law.

Committee assignments

[edit]

From 1987 to 1992, she was Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.[17]

Lieutenant governor (1994–2002)

[edit]

Elections

[edit]

1994

[edit]

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

[edit]

Hirono ran for reelection in 1998. She defeated Nancy Cook in the primary with 89% of the vote to Cook's 11%.[20] In the general election, Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Stan Koki, 50%–49%, a margin of only 5,254 votes.[21]

Tenure

[edit]

The election of the Democratic ticket was historic with respect to both candidates. Ben Cayetano was the first Filipino American elected governor, and Hirono was the first Japanese immigrant to be elected lieutenant governor.

During her tenure as lieutenant governor, Hirono was president of the National Commission on Teaching, America's Future, and the Hawaii Policy Group. She also spearheaded the Pre-Plus program, a first-in-the-nation comprehensive universal preschool education program.[citation needed]

2002 gubernatorial election

[edit]
Main article: 2002 Hawaii gubernatorial election

Hirono originally planned 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 worked to gain the support of Hawaii Democrats in her primary against former State House Majority Leader Ed Case. After polling almost equally throughout the race, Hirono defeated Case in the September 21 Democratic primary with 41% of the vote to Case's 40%, a margin of 2,613 votes.[22][23][24]

In the general election, Republican nominee and Maui Mayor Linda Lingle defeated Hirono 52–47%, becoming Hawaii's first female governor.[25][26]

U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2013)

[edit]
Congresswoman Hirono during the 110th Congress

Elections

[edit]

2006

[edit]
Main article: 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii § District 2

On September 23, Hirono ran to represent Hawaii's 2nd congressional district in the House of Representatives after incumbent Ed Case chose not to seek another term. The Democratic primary was crowded and 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 led in fundraising, helped by the endorsement of EMILY's List.[27] 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]

In the general election Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Bob Hogue, 61%–39%.[30]

2008

[edit]
Main article: 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii § District 2

Hirono won reelection to a second term with 76% of the vote.[31]

2010

[edit]
Main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii § District 2

Hirono won reelection to a third term with 72% of the vote.[32]

Tenure

[edit]

In 2008, the national preschool advocacy organization named Hirono "Pre-K Champion" for her efforts to pass pre-kindergarten legislation.[33]

Hirono co-sponsored 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] The endorsement helped Hirono in her 2012 senatorial race, contributing $129,714 to her campaign.[35][36]

Committee assignments, 2012

[edit]

Caucus memberships, 2012

[edit]

U.S. Senate (2013–present)

[edit]

Elections

[edit]

2012

[edit]
Main article: 2012 United States Senate election in Hawaii

In 2011, incumbent U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka announced his retirement at the end of his term in 2013. Subsequently, on May 19, 2011, Hirono announced her candidacy for Akaka's seat.[38] She won the Democratic primary election on August 11, 2012.[39] Hirono was endorsed as one of the Dean Dozen, a group of candidates chosen for their progressive values by Democracy for America, an organization founded by former Vermont governor Howard Dean. The Republican nominee was former Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, who had defeated Hirono a decade earlier in the gubernatorial election. Hirono defeated Lingle 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 existed until the election of Mark Takai (an Episcopalian) in 2014 as the representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district.[42]

In the 2012 campaign Hirono raised $5.2 million, with approximately 52% raised from large corporations. Lingle raised $5.5 million, with 74% from large corporations. Hirono spent $5 million and Lingle $4.8 million.[43]

2018

[edit]
Main article: 2018 United States Senate election in Hawaii

On November 6, 2018, Hirono was reelected with 71.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Ron Curtis.[44]

2024

[edit]
Main article: 2024 United States Senate election in Hawaii

Hirono is running for a third term in 2024.[45]

Tenure

[edit]

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.

During the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination hearings in September 2018, Hirono was an outspoken defender of Christine Blasey Ford after Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, telling men to "shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change."[46][47][48] She also said in an NPR interview before Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings that she could vote to confirm him "if he turns miraculously into a Sotomayor".[49]

In the wake of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Hirono called for the resignation of Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley for their opposition to certifying the 2020 presidential election Electoral College count.[50] She also called for the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to be invoked to remove Donald Trump from office.[51]

In April 2021, Hirono sponsored a bill attempting to decrease hate crimes against Asian Americans due to xenophobia associated with COVID-19. The bill passed the Senate 94–1, with only Hawley opposing it.[52]

In July 2022, Hirono co-sponsored the Youth Voting Rights Act, comprehensive legislation to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and expand youth access to voting. This legislation, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, was also introduced in the House by Representative Nikema Williams.[53]

Committee assignments

[edit]
Hirono speaking at the "No Muslim Ban Ever" rally outside the Supreme Court, April 2018

Select caucus memberships

[edit]

Political positions

[edit]
Hirono at a Stop the Bans rally in 2019

According to On the Issues, Hirono's voting history places her in the "left/liberal" camp.[56] The American Conservative Union gave her a 2% lifetime conservative rating in 2020.[57]

Abortion

[edit]

Hirono has a 100% rating from Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America).[56] She has also been consistently endorsed by EMILY's List, an organization that endorses women running on pro-choice platforms.[58] 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".[59]

Hirono called the June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade "a horrific day in America".[60] She proclaimed, "This will go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of the Court."[61]

Gun control

[edit]

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.[62]

Health care

[edit]

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).[63] MSNBC reporter Kyle Griffin filmed Hirono's speech and posted it on Twitter.[64]

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 Drugs Scott 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."[65]

Hirono is a supporter of Medicare for All.[66]

Housing

[edit]

In April 2019, Hirono was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to a Senate subcommittee on housing 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.[67]

LGBTQIA+ rights

[edit]

Hirono supports the right of LGBTQ+ Americans to enlist in the Armed Forces.[68] She also supported H.R. 1681, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, a "non-discrimination" bill that would have decertified any foster care or adoption agency, such as Catholic Charities, that did not accept same-sex foster parents regardless of religious beliefs.[69]

Foreign policy

[edit]

In January 2024, Hirono voted for a resolution, proposed by Bernie Sanders, to apply the human rights provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act to U.S. aid to Israel's military. The proposal was defeated, 72 to 11.[70]

Telecommunications

[edit]

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.[71]

Personal life

[edit]

In May 2017, Hirono was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer, which had spread to her seventh rib.[72] The cancer was discovered in a chest X-ray in April before minor eye surgery.[73] Hirono's right kidney was removed on May 17, 2017, with a Cyberknife procedure to treat the rib lesion.[74][72] She returned to the Senate on May 22, 2017.[75]

As of 2018, according to OpenSecrets.org, Hirono's net worth was more than $4.3 million.[76]

In 2021, Viking Press published Hirono's autobiography, Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story.[77] Marie Claire listed the book among its "25 Great Memoirs to Pre-Order Now".[78]

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".[79]

Electoral history

[edit]
Hawaii gubernatorial election, 2002[80]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Linda Lingle 197,009 51.56% +2.74%
Democratic Mazie Hirono 179,647 47.01% −3.09%
Natural Law Bu Laʻia Hill 2,561 0.67% N/A
Libertarian Tracy Ryan 1,364 0.36% −0.72%
Independent Jim Brewer 1,147 0.30% N/A
Independent Daniel Cunningham 382 0.10% N/A
Total votes 382,110 100.00% N/A
Republican gain from Democratic
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mazie Hirono 106,906 61.04%
Republican Bob Hogue 68,244 38.96%
Total votes 175,150 100.00%
Democratic hold
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mazie Hirono (inc.) 165,748 76.06%
Republican Roger B. Evans 44,425 20.39%
Independent Shaun Stenshol 4,042 1.85%
Libertarian Jeff Mallan 3,699 1.70%
Total votes 217,914 100.00%
Democratic hold
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district election, 2010[81]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mazie Hirono (incumbent) 132,290 72.19%
Republican John W. Willoughby 46,404 25.32%
Libertarian Pat Brock 3,254 1.78%
Independent Andrew Von Sonn 1,310 0.71%
Total votes 183,258 100.00%
Democratic hold
Democratic primary results[82]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mazie Hirono 134,745 57%
Democratic Ed Case 95,553 40%
Blank Votes 3,331 1%
Democratic Arturo Reyes 1,720 1%
Democratic Michael Gillespie 1,104 1%
Democratic Antonio Gimbernat 517 0.2%
Over Votes 110 0%
Total votes 237,080 100%
United States Senate election in Hawaii, 2012[83]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mazie Hirono 269,489 62.60% +1.25%
Republican Linda Lingle 160,994 37.40% +0.62%
Total votes 430,483 100.0% N/A
Democratic hold
Democratic primary results, Hawaii 2018[84]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mazie Hirono (incumbent) 201,679 100%
Total votes 201,679 100%
United States Senate election in Hawaii, 2018[85]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mazie Hirono (incumbent) 276,316 71.15% +8.55%
Republican Ron Curtis 112,035 28.85% −8.55%
Total votes 388,351 100% N/A
Democratic hold

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Buddhists Get the Vote". Manitoba Buddhist Temple. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
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  3. ^ Jonathan Tilove. "New Congress brings with it religious firsts". Newhouse News Service. Archived from the original on December 19, 2006.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rod Ohira (May 8, 1999). "Lieutenant governor reflects on the 'bookends' of her life". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Dan Boylan (March 21, 2007). "The Immigrant Congresswoman". Midweek. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  6. ^ LaFrance, Adrieene (January 12, 2014). "What It's Like To Be The Only Asian-American Woman in the U.S. Senate". Medium. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  7. ^ Dayton, Kevin (September 4, 2002). "Mazie Hirono: From poverty to quiet power". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  8. ^ "Tari Sato". Ancestry.com. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  9. ^ "Hawaii, Senate – Mazie Hirono". NationalJournal.com. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
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  15. ^ "HI State House 22 – D Primary Race". Our Campaigns. September 19, 1992. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  16. ^ "HI State House 22 Race". Our Campaigns. November 3, 1992. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
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  18. ^ "HI Lt. Governor – D Primary Race". Our Campaigns. September 17, 1994. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
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  26. ^ Borreca, Richard (November 6, 2002). "Big responsibility". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  27. ^ Giddins, Carrie. "Emily's list announces endorsement of Mazie Hirono for Hawaii's 2nd congressional District". Archived from the original on June 23, 2006. Retrieved June 14, 2006.
  28. ^ "HI District 2 – D Primary Race". Our Campaigns. September 23, 2006. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  29. ^ Kapochunas, Rachel. "Akaka Survives Challenge from Case in Hawaii Democratic Primary". cqpolitics.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2006.
  30. ^ "HI – District 02 Race". Our Campaigns. November 7, 2006. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  31. ^ "HI – District 02 Race". Our Campaigns. November 4, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  32. ^ "HI – District 02 Race". Our Campaigns. November 2, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  33. ^ "Rep. Mazie Hirono". Politico. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  34. ^ a b c d e f "Mazie Hirono on Abortion". On the Issues. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  35. ^ "Sen. Mazie K. Hirono: Campaign Finance/Money". OpenSecrets.
  36. ^ Strauss, Daniel (June 28, 2011). "EMILY's List backs Rep. Hirono in Hawaii Senate primary". TheHill. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  37. ^ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  38. ^ DePledge, Derrick (May 20, 2011). "Hirono to run for U.S. Senate". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  39. ^ "Election Results". Office of Elections, State of Hawaii. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  40. ^ "Hirono defeats Lingle in Senate race". Honolulu Star Advertiser. Associated Press. November 6, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  41. ^ Koh, Yoree (November 6, 2012). "Hirono Becomes First U.S. Senator Born in Japan". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  42. ^ Sandstrom, Aleksandra (March 21, 2017). "Majority of states have all-Christian congressional delegations". Pew Research Center. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
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  44. ^ "General Election 2018 Final Summary Report" (PDF). State of Hawaii. November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  45. ^ Blair, Chad (February 2, 2024). "Hirono Posts Solid Fundraising Numbers In Reelection Bid". Civil Beat. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  46. ^ Jalonick, Mary Claire (September 21, 2018). "Call for men to 'step up' puts Sen. Hirono in the spotlight". Associated Press.
  47. ^ Cummings, William (September 19, 2018). "Sen. Mazie Hirono to men: 'Just shut up and step up'". USA Today. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  48. ^ Sullivan, Kate (September 18, 2018). "Sen. Hirono's message to men: 'Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing.'". CNN. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  49. ^ "Sen. Mazie Hirono Weighs In On Upcoming Confirmation Hearing For Brett Kavanaugh". NPR. July 10, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  50. ^ Churchill, Owen (January 8, 2021). "US lawmakers say two senators must resign for actions leading to siege". South China Morning Post. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  51. ^ Gutierrez, Ben (January 7, 2021). "Hawaii's congressional delegation backs effort to remove Trump from office". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  52. ^ Wu, Nicholas (April 22, 2021). "Senate passes anti-Asian American hate crime bill". Politico.
  53. ^ "Hirono joins colleagues in introducing legislation to expand youth access to voting | Maui Now". | Hirono joins colleagues in introducing legislation to expand youth access to voting. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  54. ^ "Sen. Hirono Secures Important Hawai'i Priorities". Big Island Now. February 12, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  55. ^ "Members". Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
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  59. ^ Abortion Until Birth: The Need to Pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Senate Judiciary Committee. April 9, 2019. Event occurs at 1h18m. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  60. ^ Hirono, Mazie. ""Today is a horrific day in America. The Supreme Court was confronted with a fundamental question: who should have control over a woman's body, a woman or a bunch of politicians. They decided it should be a bunch of politicians."". Twitter. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  61. ^ Hirono, Mazie. ""The far-right majority on #SCOTUS has stripped women of a fundamental constitutional right we have relied on for nearly 50 years—which is what Trump, McConnell & MAGA Republicans wanted all along. This will go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of the Court."". Twitter. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
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Mazie Hirono
Hawaii House of Representatives
Preceded by
Clifford Uwaine
David Hagino
 Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
from the 12th district
1981–1983 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Mitsuo Shito
Daniel J. Kihano
 Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
from the 20th district
1983–1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
from the 32nd district
1985–1993 		Succeeded by
Len Pepper
Preceded by Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
from the 22nd district
1993–1994 		Succeeded by
Terry Yoshinaga
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
1994–2002 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
1994, 1998 		Succeeded by
Matt Matsunaga
Democratic nominee for Governor of Hawaii
2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Hawaii
(Class 1)
2012, 2018, 2024 		Most recent
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district
2007–2013 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Hawaii
2013–present
Served alongside: Brian Schatz 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas United States Senator from New Mexico Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator from Hawaii
since January 3, 2013 		Succeeded byas United States Senator from Massachusetts
Preceded by United States senators by seniority
46th 		Succeeded by
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