Former Congresswoman Pat Saiki Dies at 96
Saiki, the first Republican to represent Hawaii in the U.S. House, died Sept. 30, 2026, at age 96.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Asian-American
Former U.S. Representative Pat Saiki died on Sept. 30, 2026, at age 96. She was the first Republican to represent Hawaii in the U.S. House of Representatives and the second woman to represent the state there since statehood.
Why it matters
Saiki's career spanned teaching, state legislative service, and federal office, and she was involved in securing reparations for Japanese Americans interned during World War II. Her death marks the loss of a figure whose work touched education, civil rights, and environmental policy in Hawaii.
Saiki was born in 1930 and died at age 96 on Sept. 30, 2026. She was elected to the U.S. House at age 60, and the extraction does not specify a cause of death or memorial plans.
The players
Pat Saiki
Pat Saiki was a Republican politician from Hawaii who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and led the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The details
Saiki grew up in Hilo, Hawaii, and began her public service career as a teacher, later helping create the state's first teachers' union. She served in both the Hawaii State House and State Senate before winning a U.S. House seat, and later led the U.S. Small Business Administration; she also secured reparations for surviving Japanese Americans interned during World War II and persuaded President George H.W. Bush to halt U.S. military bombing of Kahoolawe.
Timeline
1930 — Saiki is born.
Sept. 30, 2026 — Saiki dies at age 96.
Legacy in Context
Saiki's work on reparations for Japanese Americans interned during World War II was part of the legislative campaign that led to the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. Her career also reflects the broader Asian-American political presence in Hawaii, where she became the first Republican to represent the state in the U.S. House.
Saiki's career in education and public service affected Hawaii residents through the creation of the state's first teachers' union and efforts on behalf of Japanese Americans interned during World War II. Her legacy continues to inform how Hawaii's communities remember that period and the political leadership that shaped it.
The takeaway
Saiki's career shows how public service can span classrooms, legislatures, and federal agencies, leaving lasting marks on education and civil rights. Readers interested in that history can trace how those reparations efforts unfolded over subsequent decades.
Further reading
Explore more on Asian-American culture and the history of Hawaii's communities.
