Colleen Hanabusa, who represented Hawaiʻi in the U.S. House of Representatives, died Thursday. She was 74.
Hanabusa, a Democrat, served twice in the House, from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2019.
Gov. Josh Green on Friday ordered that the U.S. and Hawaiʻi flags be flown at half-staff at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, all state offices and agencies, and all Hawaiʻi National Guard facilities in her honor until sunrise Monday.
“Jaime and I extend our deepest aloha and sympathy to the Hanabusa ʻohana and to all who loved Colleen,” Green said in a press release. “Colleen Hanabusa dedicated her life to serving the people of Hawaiʻi — from the Waiʻanae Coast she proudly called home, to the halls of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol and the United States Congress. She broke barriers as the first woman to serve as President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and spent decades advocating for her community with strength, determination and heart. Her legacy of leadership and public service will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Colleen Hanabusa, former congresswoman, died Thursday. She was 74. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
Hanabusa served as a state senator from 1999 to 2010, where she represented a district on Oʻahu’s Waiʻanae Coast, where her family had long resided. She served as Senate president for two years, the first woman to hold the position.
She also ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2014, for Hawaiʻi governor in 2018 and mayor of Honolulu in 2020.
More recently, Hanabusa was chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. She resigned that position in September. She also chaired the State Salary Commission.
Hanabusa, an attorney, is survived by her husband John Souza.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more information.
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