Gov. Green orders flags lowered to honor the life and service of Patricia Saiki

Gov. Josh Green has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawaiʻi state flag be lowered at sunrise on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, and flown at half-staff at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, all state offices and agencies, as well as all Hawaiʻi National Guard facilities, in honor of former US Representative, state lawmaker and US Small Business Administration Administrator Patricia Saiki, who died Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, at age 96. Flags shall be flown at half-staff through sunrise Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.

Saiki became the first Republican and second woman elected to represent the state of Hawaiʻi in Congress in 1986. She served two terms in the US House of Representatives, where she played a key role in passing legislation to authorize financial reparations for Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants who were detained in federal government internment camps during World War II. Her support for women’s reproductive freedoms set her apart from the majority of GOP members, then and now.

In the early days of her political career, she is credited with forming the state’s first collective bargaining union for teachers (the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association). Saiki worked as a researcher for Hawaiʻi State Senate Republicans and served roles in the state Republican Party in the mid-1960s, attended the 1968 Constitutional Convention — and that year won election to the state House of Representatives. She served in the House for six years, followed by election to the state Senate in 1974. She left the Senate in 1982 for an unsuccessful run for Lieutenant Governor and later became chair of the Hawaiʻi Republican Party, overseeing a three-fold increase in membership rolls. President George Bush appointed her to the lead role in the US Small Business Administration, where she served until 1993, when she taught at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Born in Hilo, Patricia Fukuda Saiki graduated from Hilo High School and the University of Hawaiʻi and became a teacher at Punahou School, Kaimuki Intermediate School and Kalani High School before entering politics. Predeceased by her husband Stanley Masami Saiki and their son Stanley Mitsuo Saiki, former US Rep. Saiki is survived by her four children, Stuart Saiki, Sandra Saiki, Margaret Saiki and Laurie Saiki and grandchildren.

“Pat Saiki’s six decades of public service and her pioneering example for young women and Asian Americans in Hawaiʻi and across the US, combine to form both a lasting, inspiring legacy and a high bar for all of us who serve the public,” said Green. “Jaime and I extend our deepest aloha and sympathy to the Saiki family, with heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifices made so she could help so many people.”

Services are pending and will be announced by the family.

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature mourns the passing of former Congresswoman Pat Saiki and issued the following statements: 

“Pat Saiki was a trailblazer whose life reflected a deep commitment to public service and to the people of Hawaiʻi. From her roots in Hilo and her early career as an educator, to her service in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, State Senate and later Congress, she remained committed to education and creating opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s people. Pat understood the importance of working across the aisle, finding common ground and focusing on what was best for the people of Hawaiʻi. Her legacy of service will be remembered for generations to come,” said Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi. 

“Pat Saiki’s career, spanning more than three decades in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, Hawaiʻi State Senate, and U.S. House, was rooted in a deep commitment to doing what was right for the people of Hawaiʻi. 

She was a woman of courage and conviction, especially in her advocacy for women’s reproductive health rights. She believed that every woman should have the right to make her own decisions, and she carried that belief into her work to protect equal rights and expand opportunities for women through education, health, and safety programs. 

Many of us serving in government today are walking through doors Pat helped open. Her legacy will live on through the generations of women she inspired, and I am honored to be one of them,” said Speaker Nadine K. Nakamura.