Hawaiʻi State Senator Lorraine R. Inouye represents Senate District 1 on Hawaiʻi Island. She is in Senate Leadership and serves as Majority Whip. Her public service career spans over five decades, for which she has been a strong advocate for her constituents. Her long career of elected public service started on the Hawai‘i County Council in 1984 and then as Mayor of Hawai‘i County from 1990 to 1992. She was first elected to the Hawai‘i State Senate in 1998 representing the Hilo district. After being out of elected office for four years, Senator Inouye ran for the Hawaiʻi State Senate District 4 seat in 2014 and won re-election. After reapportionment in 2020, Senator Inouye’s residency changed to District 1. Senator Inouye’s journey originated from humble beginnings in a sugar plantation camp in Wainaku that shaped her values, instilled a strong work ethic, and embraced a deep connection to the land and its people.
