Although being born in Japan, her mother was of an American citizen. When a reporter asked Oshima if he would serve as Hirono's "chief political confidant and adviser," he answered that "Mazie has much smarter people whom she hires to be that. Indeed, she can often have a rather flat affect, an unassuming, even cool public presence that is in sharp contrast to her earthiness and colorful language in private. Hirono was the first female senator from Hawaii and the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate. Party. Hirono won the general election on November 6, 2012, with 63% of the vote. He currently works in a private practice in Honolulu, specializing in insurance defense. Diagnosed with kidney cancer, she has undergone two major operations. She has a total liabilities of between $800,000 and $1.6 million which includes mortgage debt of up to $1.6 million. [34] The ABP Act also ensures that customers seeking birth control can obtain it without being submitted to unwanted harassment or breaches in patient confidentiality. [57], Hirono called the June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade "a horrific day in America". [48] . "We both came together 13 years after we broke up and here we are, over 30 years married, very happy with each other.". In the hearing, Barrett clarified her use of the phrase sexual preference", apologizing to those who interpreted her choice of the word as suggesting disdain towards the LGBTQ+ rights.Earlier, in her confirmation hearing, Barrett told senators that she has not discriminated on the basis of sexual preference". hitType: 'event', Guess whos perpetuating all of these kinds of actions? Hirono asked. While she lost her race for governor in 2002, the lessons learned from that experience enabled her to win the election to represent Hawaii's Second Congressional District in 2006. Honolulu, HI 96813. He paints a different picture of his first meeting with his future wife, with Hirono writing that he saw "a short Japanese girl regarding him with her nose in the air" at a Honolulu Young Democrats meeting. A user wrote, "Who does Hirono think she is to lecture Judge Barrett about sexual preference at her own hearing." Law Office of Leighton K. Oshima (Lawyers) is practicing law in Honolulu, Hawaii. Hirono is stepmother to Oshimas daughter Malia. Leighton Kim Oshima was married to an American lawyer, politician, and member of the Democratic Party, Sen. Mazie Hirono, in 1987. ga('ads.send', { As a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees I have the opportunity to work on important legislation that highlights and supports Hawaii's critical role in our nation's security in the Asia-Pacific region and honors our commitments to servicemembers, veterans, and their families. And Im just like, who takes notes at a Young Democrats meeting?. She was challenged in the primary by Nancy L. Cook and defeated her, 89%11%. We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer. The landlady was so nice. According to Marriedceleb, Oshima graduated with a law degree from George Washington University, and he is a veteran in the field of law. Hirono expressed disappointment when the Democrat-proposed Feinstein Amendment (banning the sale of firearms to individuals on the terrorist watchlist) and the Republican-backed background check expansion and alert system (regarding guns being sold to terrorist watchlist suspects) both failed to pass the Senate. Shame on Senator Mazie Hirono for claiming my fathers experience is offensive. Hirono's interactions with Sessions are an example of her soft heart and hard head. Additionally, Kim worked as a litigator in the state attorney general's office. Laura said, "My husband never came around once; my parents were supportive and took all of us in. ", Sen. Mazie Hirono referring to her view that judges should be fair and qualified and care about individual and civil rights. And then she did something else unusual. We will be doing our jobs.". After Hironos comments dropped people started to slam her for lecturing Barrett, calling her an embarrassment. Five years after their small backyard wedding at the governor's house, Hirono decided to launch a campaign for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. This is worth your time", "Democratic Senators 'Alarmed' by Shutdown's Potential Impact on Food Safety", "FDA May Call Back More Furloughed Staff for Food Safety Checks Amid Shutdown", "Hirono Announces Support for Medicare for All | Mazie K. Hirono A Voice for Hawai'i in the U.S. Senate", "Wyden, Merkley urge more affordable housing funds", "Dems introduce bill to tackle 'digital divide', "Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono diagnosed with kidney cancer", "Sudden surgery for Senator Mazie Hirono", "US Senator Mazie Hirono Recovering After Kidney Surgery", "Hirono returns to Senate following kidney surgery with message of thanks", "Mazie K Hirono Net Worth Personal Finances", "25 Great New Memoirs to Add to Your TBR Pile", "2021 Autumn Conferment of Decoration: Senator Mazie Keiko Hirono", http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2002/general/02swgen4.pdf, "Statistics of the General Election of November 2, 2010", "PRIMARY ELECTION 2012 State of Hawaii Statewide", "Hawaii General 2012 State of Hawaii Statewide November 6, 2012 Final Summary Report", Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mazie_Hirono&oldid=1141857208, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 05:09. Over the next year, the two continued to run into one another until, one day, Leighton offered her a ride and asked her to a movie. "As long as we're going to be here," Hirono said with a twinkle, "maybe we should pass something important like DACA or an infrastructure bill.". }) Leighton Kim Oshima came to the limelight as the life partner of Mazie Hirono. Who does Hirono think she is to lecture Judge Barrett about sexual preference at her own hearing. There were ten candidates, seven of whom served in the Hawaii Legislature. Status Active. He is staying in Hawai with his second wife and children. But now, that view has changed. [33], Hirono co-sponsored and signed the Prevention First Act of 2007. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee I have worked to promote these values in fighting against unqualified nominations, promote fairer treatment of immigrants and minority groups, and protect the civil rights of everyone. This made Hirono a stepmother to Oshimas daughter Malia. According to OpenSecrets.org, Hirono's net worth was more than $4.3 million. She is the Senate's only immigrant and its first female Asian-American, and she had kept a pretty low profile. Under Senate rules, an objection from just one senator would doom the bill. After having separations much time, both got affected by each other, and finally, in the year 1987, they got married. And Im just like, who takes notes at a Young Democrats meeting?, Hirono was president of the group at the time. Her "greatest fear," Hirono said, was that her mother would get sick. Kim is not active in politics and tries to be anonymous in Hirono's field. A member of the Democratic Party, Hirono previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013. Linda Lingle from the Republicans defeated her. [49], In April 2021, Hirono sponsored and the Senate passed a bill attempting to decrease hate crimes against Asian Americans due to xenophobia associated with COVID-19. Despite health issues, she was reelected to a second term in 2018. Leighton Kim Oshima is a lawyer. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); She was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor of Hawaii in 2002, defeated by Republican Linda Lingle in the general election. [66], In April 2019, Hirono was one of seven senators to sponsor the Digital Equity Act of 2019, legislation establishing a $120 million grant program that would fund the creation and implementation of "comprehensive digital equity plans" in every state and a $120 million grant program to support projects developed by individuals and groups. When Hirono was battling cancer, he was the first person to agree that she should not retire given her diagnosis. 70s. [64], Hirono is a supporter of Medicare for All. for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013. let gads_event; But never liking to appear overly impressed by anyone, I gave no outward sign of it.". Leighton K. Oshima - Honolulu, HI. Hirono originally planned to run for mayor of Honolulu in a potential 2002 special election created by the vacancy of incumbent Mayor Jeremy Harris, who was planning to resign in order to run for governor of Hawaii. [50], In July 2022, Hirono joined in introducing the Youth Voting Rights Act, comprehensive legislation to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and expand youth access to voting. She . When she was 42, Hirono married Leighton Kim Oshima. Laura later recounted her point of decision: "My brother sent money to buy a school uniform for my son. According to Hirono, When we got married, I told him this better be good because I dont have time for another one., The spouses of many politicians often find themselves doing behind-the-scenes work to support their partnersand though Oshima is a voice of support for Hirono, that doesnt mean he ever dabbles in the spotlight. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), [28][29], In the general election Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Bob Hogue, 61%39%. Leighton Kim Oshima is an Asian-American Attorney who lives in Hawaii. [15] She won the general election and served only one term in the 22nd district before retiring in 1994 to run for statewide office. "I was certainly not indicating disagreement with it," Barrett said. Mazie Hirono married Leighton Kim Oshima, a divorcee, in 1987. As chair of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, I focused on greater protections for Hawaii's workers and consumers. The meeting was held in Waikiki Library. A user wrote, "Hirono is an embarrassment to the nation. ga('ads.send', { In 2015's Obergefell case, the Supreme Court decided in favor of marriage equality. It is a privilege to do my very best for Hawaii in the U.S. Senate. [54] She is also endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice women. But she has put herself out there more, doing more media interviews, for example, in hopes it would help her advance causes she cares about. [71], As of 2018, according to OpenSecrets.org, Hirono's net worth was more than $4.3 million. McConnell's aggressiveness about judges is galling to Hirono.