Discover

(Redirected from Daniel K. Akaka)

'Daniel Kahikina "Dan" Akaka' (born September 11, 1924) is the junior U.S. Senator from Hawaii and a member of the Democratic Party. He is the second U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry and is currently the only Chinese American member of the Senate.
Akaka was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Annie Kahoa and Kahikina Akaka.^[1] During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including service on Saipan and Tinian. He earned a Bachelor of Education (1952) and Master of Education (1966) from the University of Hawaii.
He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's Second Congressional District. He won seven consecutive elections by wide margins.
Akaka was appointed by Governor John Waihee to the U.S. Senate in April 1990 to serve temporarily after the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga (who died that month), and sworn into office on May 16, 1990. In November of the same year, he was elected to complete the remaining four years of Matsunaga's unexpired term. He was re-elected in 1994 for a full six-year term, and, with over 70 percent of the popular vote, again in 2000.
Since 2000, Akaka has sponsored legislation to afford sovereignty to native Hawaiians. The Akaka Bill is presently under consideration.

As of 2006, Akaka serves on the following Senate committees:

★ Armed Services,

★ Energy and Natural Resources,

★ Governmental Affairs (GAC), Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

★ Veterans' Affairs,

★ Indian Affairs.
He previously also served on the Select Committee on Ethics.
In April 2006, he was selected by ''Time'' as one of "America's Five Worst Senators." The article criticized him for mainly authoring minor legislation, calling him "master of the minor resolution and the bill that dies in committee".^[2]
Coincidentally, the other Senator from Hawaii is also named Daniel, Daniel Inouye. The two Daniels were born four days apart.
Akaka is married to Mary Mildred "Millie" Chong; they have 5 children (four sons and a daughter), 14 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Contents

2006 re-election campaign

Electoral history

Footnotes

External links

2006 re-election campaign

Main articles: Hawaii U.S. Senate election, 2006

Akaka won the September 23rd primary against U.S. Congressman Ed Case with 54% against Case's 46%.^[3] Akaka's Republican challenger was state Representative Cynthia Thielen, who was appointed to fill the place of Republican primary winner Jerry Coffee, who had withdrawn earlier in the year due to health reasons.
On November 7, Daniel Akaka defeated Thielen, 62% to 36%.

Electoral history

'2006 Hawaii United States Senatorial Election'

'Daniel Akaka' (D) (inc.) 61.8%

Cynthia Thielen (R) 36.4%

Lloyd Mallan (Lib.) 1.9%

'2006 Hawaii Democratic United States Senatorial Primary Election'

'Daniel Akaka' (inc.) 53%

Ed Case 46%

'2000 Hawaii United States Senatorial Election'

'Daniel Akaka' (D) (inc.) 73%

John Carroll (R) 25%

Jeff Mallan (Lib.) 1%

'1994 Hawaii United States Senatorial Election'

'Daniel Akaka' (D) (inc.) 72%

Maria Hustace (R) 24%

Footnotes

1. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/akaka.htm
2. Massimo Calabresi and Perry Bacon, Jr., "Daniel Akaka: Master of the Minor", ''Time Magazine'', April 24, 2006, page 30.
3. "Akaka wins Hawaii primary", CNN.com, September 27, 2006.

External links

★ United States Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka 'official Senate site'

★

★ Federal Election Commission — Daniel Akaka campaign finance reports and data

★ On the Issues — Daniel Akaka issue positions and quotes

★ OpenSecrets.org — Daniel Akaka campaign contributions

★ Project Vote Smart — Senator Daniel Akaka (HI) profile

★ SourceWatch Congresspedia — Daniel Akaka profile

★ Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Daniel Akaka voting record

★ Dan Akaka U.S. Senate 'official campaign site'

'Current Committee Assignments'

Committee	Position
Veterans' Affairs	Chairman
Indian Affairs
Armed Services	Chairman of two subcommittees
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Energy and Natural Resources	Subcommittee chair
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs	Subcommittee chair