Mazie Hirono

Party: Democrat
State: Hawaii
What you need to know: The polls show a close contest between Hirono and Case, although other candidates could still enter the race.

Democrat - Challenger
Endorsed for U.S. Senate by Council for a Livable World

U.S. Representative Mazie Hirono is a history-making progressive running for the seat of outgoing Senator Daniel Akaka in Hawaii. If elected, Hirono would become the first Asian-American woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate.

Hawaii is a vibrant multi-ethnic state that was the birthplace of President Barack Obama. While Democrats have largely governed Hawaii since it entered the union in 1959, Republicans have been able to win some recent victories. Indeed, Republican Linda Lingle, who is considering entering this Senate contest, was elected governor for two terms beginning in 2002, and a Republican captured one of Hawaii’s two House seats in a 2010 special election.

Mazie Hirono gives new meaning to the American Dream. Born in Fukushima, Japan (site of the recent nuclear disaster), she emigrated to the U.S. in 1955 with her mother to escape an abusive marriage.

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawaii in 1970 with a B.A. in psychology, she worked in a variety of government jobs, and then earned a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1978. She got involved in politics because of her opposition to the Vietnam War and her desire to help Senator George McGovern (D-SD) become President.

She first entered elective politics in 1980 when she won a seat in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. In 1994, Hirono was elected and served two four-year terms as Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor. Elected to Congress in 2006, she is now serving her third term. She has scored an average of 88% on the Council for a Livable World’s PeacePAC voting record. She supported legislation to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed increased nuclear weapons funding, rejected efforts to cut United Nations funding, and was in the perceptive minority that opposed the U.S.-India nuclear deal.

To win the Akaka seat, Hirono will first have to overcome a primary challenge from former Rep. Ed Case. Case is a conservative blue dog Democrat who will be running to Hirono’s right. In the 2005-6 PeacePAC voting record, Case received a 41% rating.

In 2006, Council for a Livable World opposed Case when he launched a primary challenge to Senator Akaka. At that time, we wrote:

Case has supported the Bush Administration on numerous occasions and has been inconsistent on non-proliferation issues. In 2005, for instance, Case voted with the Council for a Livable World only 60% of the time. He opposed a plan for withdrawing from Iraq, opposed requiring Congressional authorization for military operations, and opposed a ban on space-based weapons. At the same time, he voted to prevent troop withdrawal from Iraq until “national security and foreign policy goals” are achieved and backed a commitment to “achieve victory” in Iraq.

The polls show a close contest between Hirono and Case, although other candidates could still enter the race. Both candidates are viewed favorably by Hawaii voters, with Hirono having a 65% to 25% favorable-unfavorable rating in a May 2011 poll.

In the last reporting period, Hirono had $545,000 in her campaign treasury compared to $210,000 for Case.

There is no Republican candidate in the race at this time, but signs point to former Governor Linda Lingle entering the fray. Lingle left office with declining popularity, but she won the governorship twice, is universally known, and is an excellent fundraiser. While polls show her trailing any of the Democratic candidates, Lingle would be a formidable candidate if she decides to run. Honolulu Star-Advertiser political reporter Richard Borreca recently wrote: "Lingle appeared to be a strong opponent to whomever the Democrats select in the primary."

Mazie Hirono will be a strong, progressive addition to the United States Senate who will work to stem the anti-arms control and anti-government forces that dominate the Republican Party.

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