We're lucky to have many great House freshmen now facing their first re-election campaigns. Interestingly, several of them have proven themselves as strong advocates for LGBT rights. For instance, during a hearing on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) asked a defender of bigotry: "When did you decide to become heterosexual?" And Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-05) is Vice-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. In addition, Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) has had to defend himself against attacks from clergy based largely on his support for LGBT rights.
But among the great freshman class of 2006, my favorite is Rep. Mazie Hirono (HI-02), also a stalwart supporter of LGBT rights. I admit I'm biased because I'm a constituent and supporter. But I'll make my case below the fold.
Before I provide my rundown of Mazie's first term in Congress, I'd like to briefly provide a back story that says as much about her integrity and values as anything else can.
I first became acquainted with Mazie during the early '90s, when she was a State Representative, and the Hawai`i Legislature was engaged in bitter debates over same-sex marriage.
In 1993, the Supreme Court of Hawai`i ruled that the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples constituted gender-based discrimination that could only be justified upon the showing of a compelling state interest.
I was so proud of my adopted home state for living up to its progressive tradition. Hawai`i had long been known for its religious, racial, and cultural tolerance and integration (as recognized by President John F. Kennedy and presidential candidate Barack Obama). Organized labor has long been strong and was largely responsible for decades of dominance by Democrats at the State Capitol starting in the '50s. People in and from Hawai`i had played important roles in the civil rights and anti-war movements during the '60s. And Hawai`i was one of the first states to enact an Equal Rights Amendment and legalize abortion. Becoming the first state to recognize same-sex marriage seemed like the natural next step.
With a Democratic governor and overwhelming Democratic majority in the Legislature, I assumed that state officials would quickly and quietly move to legalize same-sex marriage in the aftermath of the ruling.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
The legislature expressed outrage at the Court's decision, with Rep. Hirono among the precious few legislators who didn't try to stoke the public's homophobia. The bigotry exhibited by most legislators - even self-described liberals - was chilling.
The conventional wisdom was that a politician who failed to support discrimination against same-sex couples couldn't get elected. And it's true that several legislators who voiced support for LGBT rights were ousted during the '90s (usually by nasty single-issue campaigns by other Democrats). Yet Mazie Hirono was elected Lt. Governor in 1994 - and re-elected four years later.
The state went back to court and argued that discrimination against same-sex couples is justified by a compelling government interest - i.e., encouraging procreation. Predictably, the state was embarrassed as it failed miserably in its attempt to justify discrimination against same-sex couples.
But the legislature was there to "save traditional marriage," placing a constitutional amendment on the 1998 general-election ballot to overturn the court decisions.
All major elected officials in the State of Hawai`i supported the mean-spirited constitutional amendment - with the exception of Lt. Gov. Hirono. Pundits thought her position would cost the Democratic ticket the gubernatorial race. And indeed the Republican ticket relentlessly criticized the Democrats for Mazie's position (even though her running mate, Gov. Benjamin Cayetano, supported the constitutional amendment). But the Cayetano-Hirono ticket narrowly won re-election - even as the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage was passing by a 2:1 margin.
This episode told me a lot about Mazie's character, showing that she was willing to defy apparent public opinion in defense of important principles. And it also showed me a lot about her political skill, as she exhibited to get votes even from people who disagreed with her on a hot-button issue.
So, I was thrilled and honored to support her when she ran for Congress in Hawai`i's far-flung Second Congressional District in 2006. At the time, I listed some of the many reasons I supported her first campaign for Congress.
As her first term in Congress is coming to an end, Mazie has exceeded even my high expectations. Here's a brief rundown of her outstanding experience as a freshman on Capitol Hill:
Progressive record
Mazie is Vice-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and she's consistently been rated by Progressive Punch as having a top-5 lifetime voting record.
Anti-war principles
Mazie is a co-sponsor of Dennis Kucinich's legislation to create a Department of Peace. And that's not surprising considering that, as she told the Hawai`i State Democratic Party Convention in May, that she first got involved in politics and joined the party in 1972 to support the anti-war candidate for President, George McGovern.
Strong support for Obama
Mazie endorsed Barack Obama for President at a key juncture in the primary season this spring. She's since helped him raise money at multiple events, both in Hawai`i and in D.C. She'll likely be traveling to the Mainland to campaign for the Obama-Biden ticket this fall.
Civil libertarian
In addition to supporting LGBT rights, Mazie also supports privacy rights, as evidenced by her strong opposition to the FISA "compromise."
Legislative achievement
Mazie has been able to score three key committee assignments: (1) Small Business, (2) Transportation, and (3) Education and Labor. She's quickly developed the respect and trust of Rep. George Miller, Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee. She's used that positive relationship to move landmark legislation supporting early childhood education - the PRE-K Act. She was even allowed to chair a committee meeting:
And she was honored as 2008 National Pre-K Champion of the Year by PRE-K Now - a remarkable achievement for a first-term representative.
So, that's a summary of why I think Mazie Hirono is the best freshman in Congress. If you agree - or if you're at least impressed - I'd appreciate it if you could please visit my ActBlue page and support her re-election. Your support will help keep this commercial ("Judgment") on the air:
Mahalo!