Washington, DC — The Asian American Action Fund (AAA-Fund) has endorsed Hawaii State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa in a May 22 special election for U.S. Congress. "Colleen is a principled leader who is not afraid to speak her mind and fight passionately for her constituents and for what she believes is right," said Gautam Dutta, AAA-Fund Executive Director. "She is exactly the kind of leader our country needs to inspire faith and win back the public's trust."

Hanabusa is currently state senator for a historically underserved area on the island of Oahu. Since 1998, when she took office, she has sought to expand educational and work opportunities for her constituents, including a job-training program for high school students in the creative arts. She also built a strong record of support for civil rights legislation and anti-discrimination laws.

In 2006, she was elected President of the State Senate, becoming the first woman to lead either chamber in the state's legislature and the first Asian American woman in the country to lead a state legislature.

Hanabusa is vying to represent Hawaii's 1st Congressional District, which includes Honolulu. The seat became available after Congressman Neil Abercrombie resigned to run for Governor.

Hanabusa has pledged to work to stabilize Hawaii's economy, which is particularly sensitive to the global economy. Her first priority will be supporting job creation and reviving the economy through fiscally responsible government policies. She is a supporter of health care reform and expanding educational initiatives to ensure America's students remain competitive.

Ballots for the all-mail election are due May 22. Hanabusa is running against another Democrat, former Representative Ed Case, and Republican Charles Djou. Both U.S. Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Dan Akaka, several former Hawaii governors, Emily's List, the AFL-CIO, and numerous trade unions have endorsed Hanabusa.

Hanabusa is a fourth-generation Japanese-American. Her great-grandparents came to Hawaii in the 1880s to work on a sugar plantation. Hanabusa earned her B.A., M.A., and J.D. from the University of Hawaii, and was a successful labor lawyer for more than 30 years.

She currently lives in Ko Olina with her husband John.

The AAA-Fund is a Democratic political action committee whose goal is to increase the voice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) on every level of local, state and federal government in America. To achieve this goal, we address the chronic under-representation of AAPIs as campaign volunteers, campaign contributors, and candidates for political office. The AAA-Fund has endorsed candidates across the country.