Mazie K. Hirono Bio - Mazie for Congress 2006 Mazie Keiko Hirono served two 4-years terms as the State of Hawaii’s ninth elected Lieutenant Governor, becoming America’s first immigrant woman of Asian ancestry elected to statewide office.   She was the Democratic Party candidate for Governor in 2002, one of a handful of women in the United States to become their party’s nominee for Governor. She was born in Fukushima, Japan on Nov. 3, 1947 and immigrated to Hawaii when her mother returned to Hawaii, fleeing an abusive marriage.  Mazie was almost 8 years old.   Their family consisted of her older and younger brothers, her grandparents and her mother, a single parent.   Hirono was naturalized a U.S. citizen in 1959, the year Hawaii became a state. Educated in public schools in Hawaii, she graduated with honors from Kaimuki High School and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. She served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Antitrust Division and later practiced law in the private sector with the firm of Shim, Tam, Kirimitsu, Kitamura and Chang. Prior to her election as Lt. Governor, Hirono served for 14 years in the Hawaii State Legislature and earned a reputation as a dedicated consumer advocate and outspoken member and a founder of the House Women’s Caucus.  Over 120 of her bills became law, making her one of the most effective members of the Legislature during her 7 terms. In her first term as Lt. Governor, Hirono directed the s tate’s efforts to reform automobile and workers’ compensation insurance, to protect consumers and workers, while making these insurance systems more affordable for individuals and businesses.  She was the guiding force in the creation of the Hawaii Mutual Insurance Company (HEMIC), the only non-profit, private workers compensation insurance company in the state. She chaired the first-ever Governor’s Task Force on Science and Technology, bringing together representatives from both the public and private sectors, including the University of Hawaii,  to focus on the role of technology in Hawaii’s future.  She is the co-founder of University Connections, a group bringing the business and research communities together to support technology transfer and commercialization of research. Committed to educational reform, she chaired Hawaii’s Policy Group of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future and brought together education advocates and stake-holders from across the state.   The group’s report, “The Magic Weavers: Securing the Future for Hawaii’s Children” describes the steps necessary to improve teacher quality, a key to students’ success in school.   Hirono led the policy group’s lobbying at the legislature to successfully enact a comprehensive set of bills supporting teacher quality. Hirono also led the state’s effort to bring about a public-private partnership to create pre-schools on elementary school campuses.   Recognizing the importance of pre-school to better prepare our children for learning, Hirono successfully lobbied the legislature for $5 million in funds to build the first of 26 projected preschools across the state. Hirono is married to attorney Leighton Kim Oshima.  Her mother, Laura Hirono, resides with them. Mazie for Congress 2006 More pictures of Mazie: Mazie as a Child Hemic the Cat