Each state elects two senators by statewide popular vote every six years.[6] The terms of the two senators are staggered so that they are not elected in the same year, meaning that each seat also has a class determining the years in which the seat will be up for election. Hawaii's senators are elected in classes 1 and 3.
There have been seven senators elected from Hawaii, of whom six have been Democrats and one has been a Republican. Hawaii's current senators, both Democrats, are Mazie Hirono, in office since 2013, and Brian Schatz, in office since 2012.
The territorial delegates were elected to two-year terms from the at-large congressional district in the Hawaii Territory. Delegates were allowed to serve on committees, debate, and submit legislation, but were not permitted to vote on bills.[12] The first delegate, Robert William Wilcox,[13] took office on December 15, 1900, and the last delegate, John A. Burns, left office on August 21, 1959, succeeded on the same day by representative Daniel Inouye. Delegates only served in the House of Representatives, as there was no representation in the Senate until Hawaii became a state.
Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years by popular vote within a congressional district.[15] From in the 86th Congress through the 91st Congress, both of Hawaii's representatives were elected from Hawaii's at-large congressional district, but in 1969, the Hawaii legislature passed a law creating Hawaii's first and second congressional district, which elected representatives to the 92nd Congress.[16] The representatives from the two new districts, Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga, were also the last two representatives of the seats in the at-large district. Every ten years, the number of seats in the House apportioned to every state is recalculated based on the state's population as determined by the United States census.[17] Hawaii had one seat until the 1960 United States census allotted Hawaii a second seat, which was first filled by Thomas Gill in the 1962 House elections.[18]
Patsy Mink, the first woman to represent Hawaii in the United States Congress, and the first woman of color to serve in the United States Congress from any state.[19]Neil Abercrombie, representative from Hawaii from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010Tulsi Gabbard, representative from Hawaii and candidate during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries[20]Ed Case, incumbent representative from Hawaii since 2019
^Senator Inouye died while in office.[7] He requested that Representative Colleen Hanabusa be appointed to the seat by Governor Neil Abercrombie, but Abercrombie appointed Brian Schatz to fill the seat.[8]
^Representative Heftel resigned on July 11, 1986 to unsuccessfully run for Governor of Hawaii.[21]
^Representative Akaka resigned on May 16, 1990, to be appointed to the Senate seat vacated upon the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga.[22]
^Because of the timing of Rep. Heftel's resignation, the special election to fill Heftel's seat and the primary for the seat's next election were held on the same day. Abercrombie won the special election to fill the seat through the current congressional session, but lost the primary for the general election that would be held in November, rendering him unable to run to finish the term.[23]
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