It’s very rare that members of the the Progressive Caucus have an opportunity to win state-wide office. Other than Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, progressives are pretty much shut out of the Senate and they have no representation in Governor’s Mansions around the country. We have an opportunity to add a progressive to this short list in Rep. Mazie Hirono, who is running for Daniel Akaka’s Senate seat in Hawai’i.
She’ll be going up against DLC stalwart Ed Case, and this is one of the clearest opportunities for progressive activists to make a difference and elect one of their own to the U.S. Senate. It’s also an opportunity to expand the representation of non-theists, as Hirono describes herself as a non-practicing Jodo Shinshu Buddhist. If elected, she’d be the only self-described non-theist in the Senate.
Hirono’s background is interesting.
Hirono was born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in 1947. In 1955, Hirono’s mother escaped an abusive marriage by emigrating to the United States with her children. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hirono attended Kaʻahumanu Elementary and Koko Head Elementary Schools. She later graduated from Kaimuki High School, which at the time of her attendance had a predominantly Japanese American student body. Upon graduating from high school, Hirono enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa where, in 1970, she received B.A. in psychology. She left Hawaii briefly to attend Georgetown University Law School. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and obtained her J.D. in 1978. Hirono quickly returned to Honolulu where she practiced law.
It’s a shame that her parents’ home turf in Japan is now radioactive. I guess that’s a good reason for the nuclear industry to throw wads of cash at her primary and general election opponents.
If elected, she would probably leave her mark on the nation’s education system, as ” the national preschool advocacy organization Pre-K Now named Hirono its 2008 ‘Pre-K Champion’ for her efforts on behalf of pre-kindergarten legislation.” She also serves on the House Transportation and Ethics Committees.
In a cycle where progressives don’t have much to much to hope for, Hirono’s nomination is one place to put our resources and efforts. She is currently ranked with the second most progressive record at Progressive Punch for her “lifetime score.”
