The U.S. state of Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 is divided into two congressional districts for representation in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

.

History

Before statehood, the Territory of Hawaii

Territory of Hawaii

The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...

 was represented by a non-voting delegate.

From statehood until 1963, Hawaii had one representative. From 1963 to the creation of the two districts in 1971, Hawaii was represented in the United States House of Representatives with two representatives elected at-large state-wide.

1st district

The First congressional district is far smaller in area and has a much denser population than the 2nd district. Covering the southeastern parts of the City & County of Honolulu

Honolulu County, Hawaii

The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian...

, including downtown Honolulu, the district was represented by Neil Abercrombie

Neil Abercrombie

Neil Abercrombie is the 7th and current Governor of Hawaii. He was the Democratic U.S. Representative of the First Congressional District of Hawaii which comprises urban Honolulu. He served in Congress from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010 when he resigned to successfully run for governor...

 from 1991 until his resignation in February 2010. Republican Charles Djou

Charles Djou

Charles Kong Djou is the former U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district...

 won a special election on May 22, 2010 against Democrats Colleen Hanabusa

Colleen Hanabusa

Colleen Wakako Hanabusa is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was formerly a member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1998...

 and Ed Case

Ed Case

Edward Espenett "Ed" Case is a Democratic politician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives. Case, a Blue Dog Democrat, first came to prominence in Hawaii as majority leader of the Hawaii State Legislature and for his campaign for Governor of Hawaii in 2002...

 to become the first Republican in over 20 years to represent the 1st district and to represent President Obama's home district. On November 2, 2010, Hanabusa defeated Djou and is the United States Representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district

Hawaii's 1st congressional district

Hawaii's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The district encompasses the urban areas of the City and County of Honolulu, a consolidated city-county that is coextensive with the island of Oahu. The district includes Oahu's central plains and southern...

.

2nd district

The 2nd congressional district is far more spread out than the First district. Including northern and western Oahu, along with the entirety of the state's other islands, the district includes Kauai

Kauai County, Hawaii

Kauai County is a county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Kauai, Niihau, Lehua, and Kaula, in the state of Hawaii. As of 2000 Census the population was 58,463...

, Maui

Maui County, Hawaii

-National protected areas:* Haleakala National Park* Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge* Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge- Demographics :As of the 2000 Census, there were 128,094 people, 43,507 households, and 29,889 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per...

, and Hawaii

Hawaii County, Hawaii

Hawaii County is a county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coterminous with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a whole. As of the 2010 Census the population was 185,079. The county seat is Hilo. There are no...

 counties, along with part of Honolulu County. The entire district spans 331 miles (532.7 km) and comprises small towns with historical roots in the pineapple

Pineapple

Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...

 and sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

 plantation

Plantation

A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...

s. It has been represented by Mazie Hirono

Mazie Hirono

is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.She was the second Asian immigrant elected lieutenant governor of a state of the United States. She ran against Linda Lingle for governor of Hawaii in 2002, one of the few gubernatorial races in United...

since 2007.