Hawaii Democratic congressman Mark Takai dies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Mark Takai, a first-term Democrat from Hawaii, died Wednesday after battling cancer.
Takai, 49, died at home surrounded by his family. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer, said Rod Tanonaka, Takai’s chief of staff.
Born on Oahu, Takai served in the state House of Representatives for 20 years before he was elected to Congress, first winning his statehouse seat at age 27. He served as a longtime lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard for more t