Former Republican Congresswoman Patricia Saiki of Hawaii Dies at 96
Patricia 'Pat' Saiki, the first Republican woman to represent Hawaii in the U.S. House of Representatives, has passed away at the age of 96. Saiki died of natural causes at her Honolulu home on September 30. Her political career spanned decades, beginning with her election to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 1968, followed by service in the state Senate. In 1986, she made history by becoming the first Republican elected to the U.S. House from Hawaii since its statehood in 1959, and only the second woman to represent the state in Congress. During her two terms in Washington, she played a key role in securing Republican support for legislation that provided an official apology and financial compensation for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. She also advocated for environmental protections in Hawaii, successfully urging President George H.W. Bush in 1990 to halt the U.S. Navy’s use of Kahoʻolawe as a military bombing range. After an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat, she was app...