Mazie Hirono

Mazie Hirono immigrated to the United States when she was eight years old. After receiving her law degree from Georgetown University, she pursued a career in politics, becoming Hawaii’s deputy attorney general. After a rapid ascent in state politics she ran successfully as a Democrat for a seat in Congress in 2006. Six years later she became the first Asian-American woman in the U.S. Senate as well as the first Buddhist and the first Japanese immigrant. She is a strong supporter of women’s rights and education reform, leading the Head Start Act and the Providing Resources Early for Kids Act. She co-sponsored the 2007 Energy Act and the Equal Pay Bill and was a strong supporter of President Obama’s 2010 healthcare reform bill. Updated 2013