Marianne Keahi

Marianne Mea Hakakā Keahi (born April 17, 1960) is an American politician, activist, and philanthropist from Massachusetts. A member of the Liberal Party, she was an Acton City Councillor from 1980 to 1991 and currently serves as the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district, having been elected in November 1992. The district covers the Northwestern suburbs of Boston and includes Lowell, Lawrence, Concord, Westford, and her hometown of Acton.

Early life and education
Keahi was born on April 17, 1960 in Fresno, California. Her family is Jewish. She grew up with 1 brother and 1 sister. She is the oldest of them. When Keahi was 3, her family moved to Acton, Massachusetts. Keahi attended Colebrook High School, where she would later be inducted into the school's varsity volleyball team. Keahi described her family as "your average, suburban family, who lived paycheck to paycheck". Her father, Kaleo Keahi, and her mother, Kailani Keahi, are both of Hawaiian ancestry. Keahi was reportedly reluctant in her early ages in learning Native Hawaiian.

At Lowell High, she earned an athletic scholarship in volleyball to Emerson College. She graduated from Emerson College with a bachelor's degree in Education Management.

Massachusetts career
On February 18, 1972, she filed paperwork to run for her first political office, in the Acton City Council. She won her seat by 700 votes. She continued to serve in the 3rd Ward until she announced her resignation on November 12, 1990, and plans to run for higher office.

The 1992 U.S. House of Representatives campaign of Marianne Keahi was announced on December 9, 1990, after the initial formation of an exploratory committee on November 15, 1990. She primaried the incumbent, Mr. Generic Democrat, and won that Democratic primary, 50-49%. 1% of the vote were write-ins. She advanced to the General Election, winning it easily. She currently serves in this office.

In 1996, Keahi publicly supported the 1996 same-sex marriage referendum in Massachusetts, and called for local leaders in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Massachusetts Senate to provide more protections against LGB Massachusettsans.

In April 1997, she was officially admitted as a member of Mensa International.