Mazie Hirono

Mazie Hirono

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 United States Senator-elect for Hawaii, filling the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Daniel Akaka. A member of the Democratic Party, she is currently the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, serving since 2007. Hirono will be the first 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 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, and is often cited with Hank Johnson, as the first Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress. She is the third woman to be elected to Congress from the state of Hawaii (after Patsy Mink and Pat Saiki). Hirono was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the upcoming retirement of Daniel Akaka.