Mazie Keiko Hirono (; Japanese name: , ; born November 3, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2013 as the junior 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. She has been the dean of Hawaii's congressional delegations since 2013, when Senator Daniel Akaka retired. Hirono also served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1994 and as Hawaii's tenth lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002. 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. She is often cited with Hank Johnson as the first Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress. 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 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. Hirono is Hawaii's junior senator, and Brian Schatz is its senior senator. She was reelected to the Senate in 2018 and won a third term against Republican nominee Bob McDermott in 2024. She is expected to be the oldest serving female U.S. senator when Jeanne Shaheen retires in 2027.
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. Laura decided to return to Hawaii with Mazie and one of Mazie's brothers in March 1955. Hirono never saw her father again before he died. Laura became a newspaper proofreader in 1961 and retired from the Hawaii Newspaper Agency in 1986.
Raised in Honolulu, Hirono became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1959. She graduated from Kaimuki High School, which had a predominantly Japanese American student body at the time. Hirono then enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1970. She later attended Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where she obtained her Juris Doctor in 1978. Hirono then returned to Honolulu, where she practiced law.
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. Hawaii eliminated multi-member districts, and after redistricting she ran for Hawaii's 20th House district and won. After redistricting again in 1984, she ran successfully for the newly redrawn 32nd House District. 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. She won the general election and served only one term in the 22nd district before retiring in 1994 to run for statewide office.
Tenure Hirono served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1994, sponsoring many bills that became state law.
Committee assignments From 1987 to 1992, she was Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.
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%. 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%.
1998 Hirono ran for reelection in 1998. She defeated Nancy Cook in the primary with 89% of the vote to Cook's 11%. In the general election, Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Stan Koki, 50%–49%, a margin of only 5,254 votes.
Tenure The election of the Democratic ticket was historic for 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.
2002 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 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.
In the general election, Republican nominee and Maui Mayor Linda Lingle defeated Hirono 52–47%, becoming Hawaii's first female governor.
U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2013)
Elections 2006
On September 23, Hirono ran to represent 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. She won with a plurality of 22% of the vote. State Senator Colleen Hanabusa finished second with 21%, 845 votes short of Hirono.
In the general election Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Bob Hogue, 61%–39%.
2008
Hirono won reelection to a second term with 76% of the vote.
2010
Hirono won reelection to a third term with 72% of the vote.
Tenure In 2008, the national preschool advocacy organization named Hirono "Pre-K Champion" for her efforts to pass pre-kindergarten legislation.
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. It places an emphasis on informing and protecting women from unintended pregnancy. 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.
In July 2011, Hirono voted for the Access to Birth Control Act, which mandates that pharmacies provide birth control to customers without undue delay. The ABP Act also ensures that customers seeking birth control can obtain it without being submitted to unwanted harassment or breaches in patient confidentiality. 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. The endorsement helped Hirono in her 2012 senatorial race, contributing $129,714 to her campaign.
Committee assignments, 2012 Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Caucus memberships, 2012 Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Congressional Bike Caucus Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues Congressional Lantos Human Rights Commission Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Congressional National Parks Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus House Oceans Caucus House Rural Health Care Coalition International Conservation Caucus National Marine Sanctuary Caucus National Service Caucus Port Security Caucus Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition
U.S. Senate (2013–present) Elections 2012
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. She won the Democratic primary election on August 11, 2012. 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. She is the first female senator from Hawaii, as well as the first Asian-born immigrant to be elected to the U.S. Senate. 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.
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.
2018
On November 6, 2018, Hirono was reelected with 71.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Ron Curtis.
2024
Hirono was elected to a third term in 2024.
Tenure On December 12, 2012, the Senate Democratic Steering Committee announced that Hirono would serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would give 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." 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".
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. She also called for the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to be invoked to remove Donald Trump from office.
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.
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.
Committee assignments
Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support (chair) Subcommittee on Seapower Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy Subcommittee on National Parks Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining