Mazie Hirono Bio
Mazie Keiko Hirono (born November 3, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Hawaii. A member of the Democratic Party, she has built a long career in public service at the state and federal levels, becoming a leading progressive voice in Washington. She is the first Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first U.S. senator born in Japan. Hirono is widely recognized for her work on health care, reproductive rights, education, and civil liberties.
Over more than four decades, Hirono has served in the Hawaii House of Representatives, as lieutenant governor of Hawaii, and in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2012. She has been reelected twice and continues to represent Hawaii in the upper chamber of Congress.
Early Life and Background
Mazie Keiko Hirono was born on November 3, 1947, in Koori, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Her mother, Laura Chie Satō, was a Japanese American, and her father, Hirono Matabe, was a Japanese veteran of World War II. In March 1955, her mother brought her and one of her brothers to Hawaii, where they settled in Honolulu. Hirono never saw her father again before he died. Laura Satō later became a newspaper proofreader and worked for the Hawaii Newspaper Agency until 1986.
Hirono became a naturalized United States citizen in 1959, the same year Hawaii became a state. She attended Kaimuki High School in Honolulu, which at the time had a predominantly Japanese American student body. After high school, she enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1970. She later earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1978 and returned to Honolulu to practice law.
Path to US Politics
Hirono entered politics in 1980 when she was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives, representing the 12th House district. She went on to serve in the state House for fourteen years, representing several districts as boundaries were redrawn over the years. From 1987 to 1992, she chaired the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, helping shape legislation that affected Hawaii consumers and businesses.
In 1994, Hirono ran for lieutenant governor of Hawaii alongside gubernatorial candidate Ben Cayetano. The Democratic ticket won, making Cayetano the first Filipino American elected governor of Hawaii and Hirono the first Japanese-born immigrant elected lieutenant governor. During her time as lieutenant governor, Hirono championed early childhood education, helping create the Pre-Plus program, a first-in-the-nation universal preschool initiative. Her work in this area earned her the title of Pre-K Champion in 2008 from a national preschool advocacy organization.
Mazie Hirono Career
Early Career (1981–2002)
Hirono began her political career in 1980 with her election to the Hawaii House of Representatives, where she served for thirteen years. She built a reputation for sponsoring legislation on consumer protection, education, and women’s rights. Her time in the state House gave her the experience and name recognition needed to move into statewide office.
In 1994, Hirono was elected lieutenant governor of Hawaii, a position she held for two terms until 2002. As lieutenant governor, she was president of both the National Commission on Teaching’s America’s Future and the Hawaii Policy Group. She also led the effort to create the Pre-Plus universal preschool program. In 2002, Hirono ran for governor of Hawaii but lost the general election to Republican Linda Lingle by a margin of 52% to 47%.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2007–2013)
After losing the 2002 gubernatorial race, Hirono returned to public service in 2006 when she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district. She won a crowded Democratic primary with 22% of the vote, narrowly defeating State Senator Colleen Hanabusa by 845 votes. In the general election, she defeated Republican Bob Hogue 61% to 39%, beginning her tenure in Congress.
During her time in the U.S. House, Hirono was reelected twice with strong margins, winning 76% of the vote in her second race and 72% in her third. In the House, she focused on issues such as access to contraception, education, and consumer protection. She co-sponsored the Prevention First Act of 2007, which aimed to expand public access to contraception, and was a vocal critic of efforts to limit abortion access. Her track record earned her the consistent support of EMILY’s List, a pro-choice political action committee.
U.S. Senate Era (2013–Present)
In 2011, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka announced his retirement, and Hirono entered the race for his seat. She won the 2012 Democratic primary and went on to face former Governor Linda Lingle in the general election. Hirono defeated Lingle in a landslide, winning 63% of the vote to 37%. She was sworn in on January 3, 2013, by Vice President Joe Biden, becoming the first female senator from Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman in the U.S. Senate, and the first U.S. senator born in Japan.
Hirono was reelected to the Senate in 2018 with 71.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Ron Curtis. In 2024, she won a third term against Republican Bob McDermott. Throughout her Senate career, she has served on the Judiciary Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and other key panels, shaping national policy on a wide range of issues. She has also been a leading voice for progressive causes, including Medicare for All, gun control, and voting rights.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of Hirono’s most memorable moments in the Senate came during the 2018 confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, when she defended Christine Blasey Ford and urged men to step up and do the right thing. In 2017, just two months after surgery for stage-four kidney cancer, she returned to the Senate floor to vote against a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act. In 2021, she authored a memoir titled Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter’s Story and received Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star for strengthening U.S.–Japan relations.
Mazie Hirono Career Wins
Over her decades-long political career, Mazie Hirono has built an impressive record of electoral victories at the state and federal levels. She has won multiple terms in the Hawaii House of Representatives, two terms as lieutenant governor, three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and three terms in the U.S. Senate. Her consistent wins reflect strong support from Hawaii voters and the Democratic establishment.
U.S. Senate Highlights
Hirono first won her U.S. Senate seat in 2012 with 63% of the vote, a landslide victory over former Governor Linda Lingle. She was reelected in 2018 with 71.2% of the vote against Ron Curtis, and she won a third term in 2024 against Bob McDermott. Her most recent win extended her role as Hawaii’s junior senator, a position she has held since 2013.
Other Wins and Achievements
Before her Senate career, Hirono won three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013. Her congressional victories included a 61% win in her first race and commanding margins of 76% and 72% in her next two reelection campaigns. She also served two terms as Hawaii’s tenth lieutenant governor, winning election in 1994 and reelection in 1998. Her early political career included multiple wins in the Hawaii House of Representatives beginning in 1980.
Mazie Hirono Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Mazie Hirono was born to Laura Chie Satō, a Japanese American, and Hirono Matabe, a Japanese veteran of World War II. Her mother brought her and one of her brothers from Japan to Hawaii in 1955, and Hirono became a U.S. citizen in 1959. Her mother worked as a newspaper proofreader for the Hawaii Newspaper Agency until retiring in 1986. Hirono’s immigrant background has shaped much of her political identity, particularly her advocacy for immigrants, Asian Americans, and working families.
Personal Life
Mazie Hirono married Leighton Oshima in 1987. The couple has been together for decades and maintains a private personal life. In 2017, Hirono was diagnosed with stage-four kidney cancer, which had spread to her seventh rib. She underwent surgery to remove her right kidney and received targeted radiation treatment. She returned to the Senate just five days after her surgery and has continued to serve in office. In 2018, her net worth was reported to be more than $4.3 million.