Rep. Mark Takai of Hawaii is dead at 49

U.S. Rep. Mark Takai (D-Hawaii) died Wednesday, a year and a half into his first term and nine months after he announced he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was cleared for re-election in February, but said in May that the cancer had spread and he would not seek a second term. Before serving in the U.S. House, Takai served in Iraq as a member of the Hawaii National Guard, and was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives for 20 years before being elected to the U.S. House. He is survived by his wife, Sami Takai, and children Matthew and Kaila. Hillary Clinton remembered Takai in a statement:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Takai "a dedicated champion for hard-working families, a proud defender of our nation, and a devoted husband and father" who "confronted his diagnosis with the spirit we all hope we would share when facing such an awful disease."

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