Colleen Hanabusa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colleen Hanabusa
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 1st district |
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| In office November 14, 2016 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Takai |
| Succeeded by | Ed Case |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Djou |
| Succeeded by | Mark Takai |
| 11th President of the Hawaii Senate | |
| In office January 2, 2009 – November 6, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Bunda |
| Succeeded by | Shan Tsutsui |
| Member of the Hawaii Senate from the 21st district |
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| In office January 20, 1999 – November 6, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | James Aki |
| Succeeded by | Maile Shimabukuro |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa
May 4, 1951 Waianae, Territory of Hawaii |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
John Souza
(m. 2008) |
| Education | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (BA, MA, JD) |
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa (Japanese: 花房 若子, born May 4, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician. She served as a U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district. She held this role from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2019.
Before joining the U.S. House, Hanabusa was a member of the Hawaii Senate. She became the first female President of the Hawaii Senate in 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2018, she ran for governor of Hawaii but did not win. In 2020, she also ran for Mayor of Honolulu and placed third.
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Early Life and Education
Colleen Hanabusa grew up in Waiʻanae, Hawaii. Her family has Japanese roots in America for many generations. She lived with her two younger brothers, parents, and grandparents. Her parents, Isao and June, owned a gas station.
She graduated from St. Andrew's Priory in 1969. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics and sociology in 1973. In 1975, she received a master's degree in sociology. Both degrees were from the University of Hawaiʻi. In 1977, she earned her law degree (J.D.) from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Law Career
Colleen Hanabusa is a labor lawyer. She has nearly 30 years of experience in this field. She also worked as a corporate officer in her family's business. Her legal work has been recognized in various publications. She was noted as one of Hawaii's top attorneys by Honolulu Magazine.
Hawaii Senate Service
In November 1998, Hanabusa was elected as a state senator. She represented the 21st District, which includes her hometown of Waiʻanae. This area is where her family has lived for four generations.
She became the Senate Majority Leader. In 2006, she made history by becoming the first woman president of the Senate. This also made her the first Asian American woman to lead a state legislative body in the United States. In 2003, Hawaii Business Magazine named her one of Hawaii's "top ten political power brokers."
Hanabusa ran for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district twice. She ran in a special election in 2003 and again in 2006, but was not successful in either race.
Senate Leadership Roles
During her time in the Hawaii State Senate, Colleen Hanabusa held several important leadership roles:
- State senator for the Leeward Coast since 1998.
- President of the State Senate since 2007.
- State Senate Majority Leader since 2007.
- Chair of the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee.
- Co-chair of the Joint Senate House Task Force on Ice and Drug Abatement.
- Vice President of the State Senate.
- Chair of the Senate Committee on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs.
Key Legislation Introduced
Colleen Hanabusa introduced several important bills. These bills aimed to improve life for people in Hawaii:
- A program to help repair and maintain schools.
- A bill to reform how election contributions are made.
- A bill to require community notice before a halfway house is established.
- Bills to help Filipino World War II veterans. These bills recognized their efforts and provided them with benefits.
U.S. House of Representatives
Colleen Hanabusa served two terms in the United States House of Representatives. She represented Hawaii's 1st congressional district.
First Term (2011–2015)
2010 Election
In 2010, Hanabusa ran for the U.S. House seat. This seat became open when Neil Abercrombie left to become governor. She won the general election on November 2, 2010. She defeated her opponent, Charles Djou, with 53.2 percent of the votes.
2012 Election
Hanabusa ran for reelection in 2012. She faced Charles Djou again. She won with 54.6 percent of the vote, securing her second term.
2014 Senate Race
In 2012, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye passed away. Before his death, he had suggested that Colleen Hanabusa be appointed to his Senate seat. However, Governor Neil Abercrombie chose Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz instead.
In 2013, Hanabusa announced she would challenge Schatz in the 2014 Democratic primary election for the Senate seat. She believed the people should have a chance to choose their senator. She narrowly lost this election to Brian Schatz.
Second Term (2016–2019)
2016 Election
In 2016, the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 1st district, Mark Takai, announced he would not seek reelection due to illness. Hanabusa decided to run for the seat again. After Takai's passing in July 2016, Hanabusa also ran in the special election to finish his term.
On November 8, 2016, Hanabusa won both the special election and the general election. She received over 60 percent of the votes. She was sworn in on November 14, 2016, and began her second term in Congress.
Congressional Work
In Congress, Colleen Hanabusa was appointed to important committees. These included the Armed Services Committee and the Natural Resources Committee. She was the third Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress.
She sponsored several bills during her time in the House. These included:
- H.R. 3320 (2011): A bill to increase funds for U.S. Pacific islands. This helped cover costs from people moving there from certain other Pacific nations.
- H.R. 912 (2013): A bill to allow Medicaid to provide care to people from certain Pacific nations living in U.S. Pacific islands.
- H.R. 2225 (2013): A bill to change Memorial Day back to its original date of May 30.
Committee Assignments (115th Congress)
During her last term in Congress, Hanabusa served on these key committees:
- House Armed Services Committee (HASC)
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- House Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Federal Lands (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Indian Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs
- House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
- Subcommittee on Environment
Later Political Campaigns
2018 Hawaii Governor Race
In 2018, Hanabusa decided not to run for reelection to the U.S. House. Instead, she ran for governor of Hawaii. She challenged the current governor, David Ige, in the Democratic primary election. Although early polls suggested she might win, Governor Ige won the primary with 50 percent of the vote to her 43 percent. After this, Ed Case ran for and won Hanabusa's former House seat.
2020 Honolulu Mayor Race
On February 29, 2020, Colleen Hanabusa announced her campaign for mayor of Honolulu. She was one of several candidates running for the office. In the August 2020 primary election, she placed third. She then supported Rick Blangiardi, who went on to win the general election in November.
Personal Life
Colleen Hanabusa married John F. Souza III in 2008. John Souza was a former State Sheriff. Colleen Hanabusa does not have any children.
See also
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
- List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
