Colleen Hanabusa, a member of the House of Representatives from Hawaii, announced last week that she plans to run in the state’s Democratic Senate primary next year.
She’ll be running against Brian Schatz, who was appointed to the Senate post by Governor Neil Abercrombie after longtime Senator Daniel K. Inouye died in December. Schatz’s appointment came as a surprise to many, because Inouye wrote to Abercrombie just before he died to tell him he wished for Hanabusa to replace him. Read more at the Washington Post.
Hanabusa is a practicing Buddhist; a campaign flyer from her 2010 congressional run said she “integrates her Buddhist values into American political leadership.” If elected, she would be the second Buddhist senator, joining fellow Hawaiian Mazie Hirono, who became the first after she was elected in November. Along with Georgia representative Hank Johnson, Hanabusa is one of two Buddhists currently serving in the House of Representatives.
