page_title: Daniel Akaka
section_title: Early political career
hierarchical_section_title: Daniel Akaka / Early political career
caption_attribution_description: English: Former U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in 1977, while he was a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd district
context_page_description: Daniel Kahikina Akaka was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013.
  A member of the Democratic Party, Akaka was the first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
  Born in Honolulu, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He attended the University of Hawaii, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. Originally a high school teacher, Akaka went on to serve as a principal for six years. In 1969, the Department of Education hired him as a chief program planner. In the 1970s, he served in various governmental positions.
  Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's Second Congressional District, and he served for 13 years. In 1990, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate to succeed the deceased Spark Matsunaga, subsequently winning the special election to complete Matsunaga's term. He would later be re-elected to three full terms. In March 2011, he announced he would not run for re-election in 2012.
  After fellow U.S.
context_section_description: In 1969, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare hired Akaka as a chief program planner. Akaka then continued working in government, holding positions as director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity, human resources assistant for state Governor George Ariyoshi, and director of the Progressive Neighborhoods Program.
  Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, comprising all of the state outside the inner ring of Honolulu. He was reelected seven times, all by wide margins.
caption: Akaka in 1977, during his first term in Congress
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