Schatz, << shahts, >> Brian (1972-…), became a United States senator in December 2012. Schatz, a Democrat, represents Hawaii. Prior to becoming a senator, Schatz had served as Hawaii’s lieutenant governor.
Brian Emanuel Schatz was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Oct. 20, 1972. His family moved to Hawaii when Schatz and his twin brother, Stephen, were 2 years old. Like many of Hawaii’s leaders, Schatz attended Punahou School in Honolulu. In 1994, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Pomona College in Claremont, California. He then returned to Hawaii. He briefly taught school and then worked for a nonprofit organization.
In 1998, Schatz won election to the state House of Representatives. He served in the chamber through 2006. As a state representative, Schatz focused on economic, environmental, and educational issues. From 2002 to 2010, Schatz was chief executive officer of Helping Hands Hawai‘i, an organization that provides services to Hawaiians in need. In 2008, Schatz became the chairman of the state Democratic Party. He was elected lieutenant governor in 2010.
On Dec. 17, 2012, long-time Senator Daniel K. Inouye died. Later that month, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Schatz to temporarily fill Inouye’s Senate seat. In November 2014, Schatz won a special election to serve out the remaining two years of Inouye’s term. Schatz was elected to a full six-year term in 2016. He won reelection in 2022.
See also Inouye, Daniel Ken.
