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Official portrait, 2017

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 1st district
In office November 14, 2016 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Mark Takai
Succeeded by	Ed Case
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Charles Djou
Succeeded by	Mark Takai
11th President of the Hawaii Senate
In office January 2, 2009 – November 6, 2010
Preceded by	Robert Bunda
Succeeded by	Shan Tsutsui
Member of the Hawaii Senate from the 21st district
In office January 20, 1999 – November 6, 2010
Preceded by	James Aki
Succeeded by	Maile Shimabukuro

Personal details
Born	Colleen Wakako Hanabusa (1951-05-04) May 4, 1951 (age 74) 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 on 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.

A member of the Democratic Party, Hanabusa also ran for governor of Hawaii in 2018. She challenged the current governor, David Ige, but did not win the election.

Before becoming a U.S. Representative, Hanabusa was a member of the Hawaii Senate. She was the Senate Majority Leader and later became Hawaii's first female President of the Senate in 2007.

In 2012, after U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye passed away, he had expressed a wish for Hanabusa to be appointed to his Senate seat. However, Governor Neil Abercrombie chose Brian Schatz instead. Hanabusa later ran against Schatz in the 2014 special election but lost by a small number of votes.

In 2016, Hanabusa ran for the 1st congressional district seat again after Representative Mark Takai passed away. She won both the special election to finish his term and the regular election for a new term. In 2017, she decided to run for governor of Hawaii instead of seeking reelection to the U.S. House. She lost the primary election to Governor Ige. In 2020, Hanabusa ran for Mayor of Honolulu and finished third in the primary election.

Early Life and Education

Colleen Hanabusa is a fourth-generation Japanese American. She grew up in Waiʻanae, Hawaii, with her two younger brothers, parents, and grandparents. Her parents, Isao and June, owned a gas station.

Her maternal grandfather was held at the Honouliuli Internment Camp during World War II. Hanabusa graduated from St. Andrew's Priory in 1969. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics and sociology in 1973. She also received a master's degree in sociology in 1975 from the University of Hawaiʻi. In 1977, she earned a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Law Career

Hanabusa has worked as a labor lawyer for nearly 30 years. She was also a corporate officer in her family's business. She has been recognized for her legal work in various publications.

Serving in the Hawaii Senate

In November 1998, Hanabusa was elected as a state senator for the 21st District. This district includes Waiʻanae, where her family has lived for many generations. It also covers areas like Ko Olina, Nanakuli, and Makaha.

Hanabusa became the Senate Majority Leader. In 2006, she made history as the first woman to be elected President of the Senate in Hawaii. This also made her the first Asian American woman to lead a state legislative chamber 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 in 2003. She lost to Ed Case. She ran for the same seat again in 2006 but lost in the Democratic primary to Mazie Hirono.

Leadership Roles in the Senate

State Senator for the Leeward Coast since 1998
State Senate President from 2007 to 2010
State Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2010
Chair of the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee
Co-chair of the Joint Senate House Task Force on Ice and Drug Abatement
Vice Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee in 2001
Vice President of the State Senate
Chair of the Senate Committee on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs

Important Laws She Helped With

A program called "3 R's" for school repairs and maintenance.
Repealing the Van Cam Law.
Creating a tax credit to help with construction and jobs at Ko Olina.
A bill to reform how election contributions are made.
A bill to require community notice before a halfway house is opened.

Ko Olina Tax Credits

In 2002, while in the state legislature, Hanabusa supported a law to give $75 million in tax credits to Ko Olina Resort. She said this was needed to help develop the Leeward area. The tax credit was meant to help build a "world-class" aquarium at the resort. However, plans for the aquarium were later stopped. The Ko Olina Resort eventually returned the tax credit funds.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Elections for Congress

2010 Election

Hanabusa ran in a special election on May 22, 2010, to finish the term of former Representative Neil Abercrombie. She lost to Charles Djou. The Democratic vote was split between Hanabusa and Ed Case.

Later, on May 30, 2010, Ed Case withdrew from the race and supported Hanabusa. This made her the main Democratic candidate. She won the Democratic primary in September. On November 2, she won the general election against Djou, with 53.2 percent of the votes.

2012 Election

Hanabusa decided to run for reelection to Congress. She faced Djou again and defeated him with 55% of the votes.

2014 Senate Race

On December 17, 2012, Senator Daniel Inouye, who had served Hawaii since 1959, passed away. Before his death, Senator Inouye sent a letter to Governor Neil Abercrombie. In the letter, he asked for Hanabusa to be appointed to his Senate seat.

Hanabusa was on a list of three candidates for the governor to consider. However, Governor Abercrombie chose Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Brian Schatz instead. On May 2, 2013, Hanabusa announced she would challenge Schatz in the 2014 Democratic primary election. She stated that the people should have a chance to choose their Senator.

In May, Inouye's widow, Irene, supported Hanabusa. She said that Senator Inouye believed Hanabusa was capable of succeeding him. Hanabusa's campaign also hired many of Inouye's former staff members. Schatz won the election by a very close margin.

2016 Election

Hanabusa being sworn in by Speaker Paul Ryan

In May 2016, Hanabusa's successor in the House, Mark Takai, announced he would not run for reelection due to illness. Hanabusa then announced she would run for the seat again. Before his death in July 2016, Takai supported Hanabusa to take his place.

On August 3, Hanabusa announced she would also run in the special election on November 8, 2016, to finish Takai's term. She easily won the Democratic primary election on August 13. On November 8, 2016, Hanabusa won both the special election and the general election with over 65 percent of the votes.

Time in Congress

Hanabusa was appointed to the Armed Services and Natural Resources committees. She was the third Buddhist to serve in the United States Congress. Her election meant that Hawaii was the only state with a majority non-Christian House delegation. She was also a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

Hanabusa at the Aloha Floral Parade in 2010

Hanabusa left the House in 2015 to run for the U.S. Senate. After losing that primary, she regained her House seat in 2016. She then chose to run for governor of Hawaii in 2018, leaving the House again after the 115th Congress.

Bills She Sponsored

As a representative, Hanabusa sponsored several bills. Some of these included:

A bill to increase funds for grants to U.S. Pacific islands. These grants help cover costs related to people from certain Pacific island nations living there.
A bill to allow Medicaid to provide care to people from certain Pacific island nations who live lawfully in U.S. Pacific islands.
A bill to change Memorial Day from the last Monday in May back to its original date of May 30.

She also sponsored several bills related to Filipino World War II veterans. These bills aimed to recognize their efforts and provide them with veteran benefits.

Committees She Served On (115th Congress)

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

Groups She Was Part Of

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

After Congress

After leaving Congress in January 2015, Hanabusa continued her work as a labor lawyer. In June 2015, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell appointed her to the board of directors for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART). HART is the organization building the Skyline rail system. She became the chairperson of the board in April 2016 and resigned in October 2016. She has also served on the board of directors for Hawaii Gas since June 2015.

2018 Governor Election

Hanabusa decided not to run for reelection to the U.S. House in 2018. Instead, she ran for governor of Hawaii. She challenged the current governor, David Ige, in the Democratic primary election. Even though polls in May 2018 suggested she might win, Governor Ige won the primary with 50 percent of the votes to her 43 percent. Ed Case, another Democrat, ran for and won Hanabusa's former House seat.

2020 Honolulu Mayor Election

On February 29, 2020, Hanabusa officially started her campaign for mayor of Honolulu. She was one of several candidates for the position. She placed third in the August 2020 primary election. She then supported Rick Blangiardi, who won the general election in November.

Rail Board Service

In July 2021, Hanabusa was again elected to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board of directors. She also became its chairperson again, a role she had held before. In 2024, she was elected to serve an additional one-year term as chairperson.

Personal Life

Colleen Hanabusa married John F. Souza III, a former State Sheriff, in 2008. She does not have any children.