Daniel Akaka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Daniel Akaka | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 16, 1990– Serving with Daniel Inouye |
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| Preceded by | Spark Matsunaga |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent (2013) |
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| Born | September 11, 1924 (age 82) Honolulu, Hawaiʻi |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Mildred Chong |
| Profession | Educatior (Teacher) |
| Religion | Congregationalist |
Daniel Kahikina "Dan" Akaka (Chinese: 李碩, Hanyu pinyin: li'shuo) (born September 11, 1924) is the junior U.S. Senator from Hawaii and a member of the Democratic Party. He is the second U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry and is currently the only Chinese American member of the Senate.
Akaka was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including service on Saipan and Tinian. He earned a Bachelor of Education (1952) and Master of Education (1966) from the University of Hawaii.
He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's Second Congressional District. He won seven consecutive elections by wide margins.
Akaka was appointed by Governor John Waihee to the U.S. Senate in April 1990 to serve temporarily after the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga (who died that month), and sworn into office on May 16, 1990. In November of the same year, he was elected to complete the remaining four years of Matsunaga's unexpired term. He was re-elected in 1994 for a full six-year term, and, with over 70 percent of the popular vote, again in 2000.
Since 2000, Akaka has sponsored legislation to afford sovereignty to native Hawaiians. The Akaka Bill is presently under consideration.
As of 2006, Akaka serves on the following Senate committees:
- Armed Services,
- Energy and Natural Resources,
- Governmental Affairs (GAC), Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Veterans' Affairs,
- Indian Affairs.
He previously also served on the Select Committee on Ethics.
Coincidentally, the other Senator from Hawaii is Daniel Inouye. Both Daniels were born four days apart.
Akaka is married to Mary Mildred "Millie" Chong; they have 5 children (four sons and a daughter), 14 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.
[edit] 2006 re-election campaign
Akaka won the September 23rd primary against U.S. Congressman Ed Case with 54% against Case's 46%.[1] Akaka's Republican challenger was state Representative Cynthia Thielen, who was appointed to fill the place of Republican primary winner Jerry Coffee, who had withdrawn earlier in the year due to health reasons.
On November 7, Daniel Akaka defeated Thielen, 61% to 37%.
[edit] References
- ^ "Akaka wins Hawaiʻi primary", CNN.com, September 27, 2006.
[edit] External links
- United States Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka official Senate site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission - Daniel Akaka campaign finance reports and data
- On the Issues - Daniel Akaka issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org - Daniel Akaka campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Daniel Akaka (HI) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia - Daniel Akaka profile
- Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: Daniel Akaka voting record
- Dan Akaka U.S. Senate official campaign site
| Preceded by Spark Matsunaga |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district 1977–1990 |
Succeeded by Patsy Mink |
| United States Senator (Class 1) from Hawaii 1990- Served alongside: Daniel Inouye |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Committee | Position |
|---|---|
| Veterans' Affairs | Chairman |
| Indian Affairs | |
| Armed Services | Chairman of two subcommittees |
| Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs | |
| Energy and Natural Resources | Subcommittee chair |
| Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs | Subcommittee chair |
| Hawaii's current delegation to the United States Congress |
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| Senators: Daniel Inouye (D), Daniel Akaka (D)
Representative(s): Neil Abercrombie (D), Mazie Hirono (D) All delegations: Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming — American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands |
Categories: 1924 births | Chinese American politicians | American Congregationalists | American schoolteachers | United States Army officers | American military personnel of World War II | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Hawaii | United States Senators from Hawaii | Current Members of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services | Asian American politicians | Living people | Native Hawaiian people | State cabinet secretaries of the United States
