HONOLULU — Colleen Hanabusa, a groundbreaking politician who became Hawaii’s first female state Senate president before serving multiple terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, passed away Friday morning at age 74.
Mike Formby, her longtime friend and former House chief of staff, confirmed that Hanabusa died following a five-month fight against cancer.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced her death Friday and directed both U.S. and state flags to fly at half-staff through Monday morning as a mark of respect.
Green praised Hanabusa for breaking down barriers as the state Senate’s first female leader and noted that she “spent decades advocating for her community with strength, determination and heart.” He added, “Her legacy of leadership and public service will continue to inspire generations to come.”
The attorney grew up in Waianae on Oahu’s west side, where her family operated an automotive service business.
From 1999 through 2010, she served constituents from the Waianae Coast and Leeward Oahu regions in the state legislature.
A pivotal moment in her career came in 2012 when U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye passed away while Hanabusa was serving in Congress. Inouye had written a hand-signed note on his final day, expressing his desire for Hanabusa to take his place, describing it as his “last wish.”
However, then-Governor Neil Abercrombie selected Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz for the Senate position instead.
Determined to honor Inouye’s request, Hanabusa later abandoned her House seat to pursue the Senate role.
“Brian was not elected. He was appointed,” she stated during that campaign. “And I don’t think the people have really had an opportunity to weigh in on who they want to represent them in the United States Senate.”
The 2014 Senate race ended in heartbreak for Hanabusa, who fell short by less than one percent against Schatz.
She successfully regained her former House position in 2016, returning to Washington for another term.
Following that victory, she shared her concerns about Donald Trump’s presidential election win.
“I just didn’t expect the rest of the nation to vote as resoundingly as they did,” Hanabusa commented after her own election results came in. “It’s just a statement about how they feel. And when you think about the things that he said and he stood for, it’s got to give everyone cause to just pause and think about, ‘What are we saying to the world, what are we saying to each other?’”
In 2018, she once again left her congressional role to seek the governor’s mansion but was defeated by former Governor David Ige in the Democratic primary contest.
Most recently, Honolulu’s mayor named Hanabusa to oversee the city’s troubled rail project, which has faced significant delays and cost overruns, in 2021.
Her husband John Souza survives her, along with two cherished dogs, Frannie and Pupper, according to Formby, who currently works as managing director in the Honolulu mayor’s office.
