Hanabusa Win A ‘Sure Thing’

Roll Call says the former congresswoman from Hawaii is “the only former member guaranteed a return engagement.”

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The election is still two weeks away, but a Washington, D.C., political news outlet says Colleen Hanabusa will definitely be returned to Congress.

“Hanabusa, who gave up the seat for an unsuccessful Senate run just two years ago, is the only former member guaranteed a return engagement, although competitive comeback bids are being waged by a quartet of Democrats defeated for re-election in 2014,” says Roll Call.

Colleen Hanabusa speaks during the Hawaii Democratic Party Unity Breakfast held at Dole Cannery ballroom. 14 aug 2016
Colleen Hanabusa spoke during the Hawaii Democratic Party Unity Breakfast held at the Dole Cannery ballroom in August Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The election of Hanabusa, who is running to fill out the term of the late Mark Takai and who is also running to serve a full term beginning in early 2017, is expected to increase the diversity of Congress, which has a heck of a lot of white guys.

Hanabusa is Japanese-American and Buddhist.

Roll Call expects more Asian-Americans, Hispanics, African-Americans, Hindus and females to be in the new Congress. Younger people, too.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, as is widely known, is Hindu. Sen. Brian Schatz is Jewish and Sen. Mazie Hirono is Buddhist.

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