Surprisingly, the new senator from Hawai’i will be Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz. It’s a surprise because it was Sen. Daniel Inouye’s dying wish that his seat go to Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. I don’t know much about Lt. Gov. Schatz, but I quickly learned a few things.

He’s Jewish and was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He went to the same high school as Barack Obama. He studied philosophy at Pomona College and spent a semester studying in Kenya. He has an interracial family with two kids. He got his start as a community organizer.

Schatz first became active in the community when he became involved in the Save Sandy Beach movement in the 1980s. He served as CEO of Helping Hands Hawaii as well as Director of both the Makiki Community Library and the Center for a Sustainable Future. In March 2010, Schatz stepped down from Helping Hands to focus on his campaign for the office of Lieutenant Governor.

And, of course, he was appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie who was good friends with Barack Obama Sr. when they were both students at the University of Hawaiʻi in the early 1960’s.

As a fellow philosophy major and former community organizer, I kind of feel like I am getting personal representation. He’s also three years younger than me, so he may be in the Senate for the rest of my life.

I am eager to learn more about him.

I do feel a little sad that Sen. Inouye didn’t get his wish, but I think I like this choice.

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