Hirono Beats Lingle in Hawaii

By Kevin Brennan  //  November 6, 2012 | 11:11 p.m.

With the state's favorite native son on the top of the ballot, Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono won the Hawaii Senate race Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race for Hirono over former GOP Gov. Linda Lingle.

Hirono succeeded by tying herself to President Obama while linking Lingle to the national Republican Party. Obama appeared in a radio ad for the Democrat, urging voters in his home state to send Hirono to the Senate.

Lingle attempted to keep her distance from the national party and emphasize her gubernatorial record. She campaigned on the value of having a senator from the state in each party, but Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye aggressively backed Hirono.

Lingle was considered the ideal candidate for Republicans, but running in the deep-blue state in a presidential year proved too daunting a task for the former governor. After emerging unscathed from the GOP primary, Lingle struggled to cut into Hirono's significant lead in the polls.

Hirono's victory keeps alive the state's long streak of Democratic representation in the Senate. She replaces retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka, who has been in office since 1990. Hawaii has not elected a Republican senator since 1970. The win also serves as redemption for Hirono, who narrowly lost to Lingle in the state's 2002 gubernatorial contest.

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Reid Wilson, Editor-in-Chief
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