The Sierra Club and the Hawai'i State Teachers Association have stepped forward to endorse U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono for her re-election to Congress in November.

As of Friday, Hirono was the lone Democratic candidate running in the 2nd Congressional District, which includes rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands. Others who have taken out papers include Republicans I Am and Roger Evans, Libertarian Lloyd Jeffrey Mallan, and non-partisan Elizabeth Stone.

"Her voting record on national issues is 100 percent and her open-door policy has been all about public education," said Roger Takabayashi, president of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association. "Hawai'i has a strong voice with Mazie. She's been a lifelong advocate for public education."

Earlier this month, Hirono returned home afte a congressional delegation tour of Iraq. Hirono, who has opposed the Iraq war and has criticized President Bush's decisions, has been urging for a pullout of American soldiers. Clad in protective gear, delegation members were taken by car outside the Green Zone, passing three security checkpoints. They received briefings from military leaders, including Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of the multinational force in Iraq. They also talked with local police and visited the Iraqi military's counterinsurgency training areas.

"My visit renewed my conclusion that we need to bring our troops home sooner, rather than later," Hirono said. "The violence has dropped down considerably in Iraq."

On the domestic front, Hirono said education, the environment and energy are among her top concerns. She said she covets the endorsement of the two groups. The early endorsements were important to her re-election kick- off, she said.

"I intend to run a very, very strong re-election campaign," Hirono said.

Last week, Hirono launched her bid for re-election with the first of many 30-second television spots. And Hirono yesterday kicked her campaign into gear with the announcements of the two early-bird endorsements. Hirono said there are more than 600,000 constituents in the district who share her concerns about the environment and education.

"The Sierra Club supports building a tenure of leadership for Hawai'i," said Mark Glick, vice chairman of the executive committee for the Sierra Club Hawai'i Chapter. "She has supported measures that deal with climate change, invasive species eradication and is dedicated to clean water."

Said Jeff Mikulina, Sierra Club director: "She's our champion in Washington."