Former Hawaii Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa Dies at 74 Former U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa passed away at the age of 74 after a private battle with cancer. Born in 1951 in Waianae, Hawaii, Hanabusa built a long career in public service, serving in the Hawaii State Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Her death was announced by her family, who described her as a dedicated advocate for local communities. Hanabusa’s political career began in the Hawaii State Senate, where she was elected in 1998. She became the state’s first female Senate president in 2007, a milestone that marked her growing influence in Hawaiian politics. Early in her tenure, she challenged the results of the 1998 gubernatorial race, which Ben Cayetano won narrowly over Linda Lingle. Her activism continued when she led efforts to remove Cayetano’s Attorney General, Margery Bronster, after Bronster ousted politically connected trustees of the Bishop Estate. In 2010, Hanabusa was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District. Her political career took a pivotal turn in 2012 when U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, who was dying at the time, asked Governor Neil Abercrombie to appoint her to his Senate seat. Abercrombie instead selected his lieutenant governor, Brian Schatz, a decision political analyst Colin Moore called “a rejection of the Inouye era.” Hanabusa later lost her 2014 bid to unseat Schatz in the Senate. After the death of U.S. Representative Mark Takai in 2016, Hanabusa returned to Congress, where she championed the Honolulu rail system. Moore noted her political strength lay in her ability to operate as an inside strategist rather than a public communicator.#colleen_hanabusa #ben_cayetano #margery_bronster #daniel_inouye #neil_abercrombie
Former US Rep. Colleen Hanabusa Dies At 74 Colleen Hanabusa, a former U.S. representative from Hawaiʻi, passed away on Thursday at the age of 74. She served in the House of Representatives twice, from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2019. Governor Josh Green issued a directive on Friday for the U.S. flag and the Hawaiʻi state flag to be flown at half-staff at the state Capitol, all state offices, and Hawaiʻi National Guard facilities in her honor until sunrise on Monday. In a press release, Green expressed his condolences, stating, “Colleen Hanabusa dedicated her life to serving the people of Hawaiʻi — from the Waiʻanae Coast she proudly called home, to the halls of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol and the United States Congress. She broke barriers as the first woman to serve as President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and spent decades advocating for her community with strength, determination and heart. Her legacy of leadership and public service will continue to inspire generations to come.” Hanabusa’s political career spanned several decades. She served as a state senator from 1999 to 2010, representing a district on Oʻahu’s Waiʻanae Coast, where her family had lived for generations. During her tenure, she became the first woman to hold the position of Senate president, a role she occupied for two years. She also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014, for Hawaiʻi governor in 2018, and for mayor of Honolulu in 2020, though none of these campaigns were successful. In recent years, Hanabusa held prominent roles in local governance. She chaired the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, a position she resigned from in September 2025. She also served on the State Salary Commission. As an attorney, she was known for her commitment to public service and community advocacy.#colleen_hanabusa #josh_green #hawai_i #wai_anae_coast #honolulu_authority_for_rapid_transportation
