Mazie Hirono

From KeyWiki

Mazie Hirono is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 2nd district of Hawaii.

Congresswoman Hirono is married to Leighton Kim Oshima.^[1]

Background

Born in Fukushima, Japan on November 3,1947, Hirono became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1959, the year Hawai'i became a state. She is the first immigrant woman of Asian ancestry to be sworn into Congressional office.

Educated in Hawaii's public school system, Hirono graduated with honors from Kaimuki High School and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where she focused on public interest law.

After graduation, she returned to Hawai'i where she served as a Deputy Attorney General before entering private practice. In 1980, she was elected to the Hawai'i State House of Representatives.

In 1994, Hirono was elected and served two four-year terms as Hawaii's 9th Lieutenant Governor.^[2]

Committees

Congresswoman Hirono serves on two key U.S. House committees: the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In November of 2010, Democratic colleagues unanimously elected Hirono to serve on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. Hirono is an executive board member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Congressional Progressive Caucus

On November 19 2008 the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced^[3]its elected leadership for the 111th Congress.

Co-Chairs are Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ) and Lynn Woolsey (CA) Whip Diane Watson Vice-Chair Liaison to Black Caucus Sheila Jackson-Lee Vice-Chair Liaison to Women's Caucus Hilda Solis Vice-Chair Liaison to Asian Pacific American Caucus Mazie Hirono Vice-Chair Liaison to LGBT Equality Caucus, Dennis Kucinich

As of February 20 2009 Mazie Hirono was listed as a Vice Chair^[4]of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

EMILY's List

Hirono has been supported by EMILY's List during her campaigning.

Staff

The following have worked as staff members for Mazie Hirono:^[5]

External links

• Hirono's website with the House of Representatives

References