Moderate Democrat Ed Case defies progressive challenge in Hawaii primary

The moderate Democratic representative Ed Case has seen off a progressive challenge to retain his party’s nomination for the US House of Representatives election in Hawaii’s first congressional district.

Case, who has represented the district in Washington DC since 2019, prevailed in Saturday’s primary over Jarrett Keohokalole, the state senator.

A wave of leftwing candidates has swept through a series of high-profile Democratic primaries in recent months, including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan this week. Focus will turn next week to Wisconsin, where Democratic socialist Francesca Hong is leading the party’s chaotic gubernatorial primary.

Keohokalole, 43, had argued during the campaign in Hawaii that the time had come for a new generation of political leadership in the state.

With 91% of votes counted, Case had won 60% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Keohokalole, in second place, had 36.1%.

“I feel very grateful that the voters want me to continue in office,” Case, 73, told Hawaii Public Radio on Saturday. He will now face Adriel Lam, the Republican who ran unopposed in the party’s primary, in the general election.

“The voters decided, and we respect the results,” Keohokalole told KHON2. “The seats don’t belong to any individual. You have to earn them, and so the voters spoke.”

Case had faced criticism from Democrats including Keohokalole after voting last year for Donald Trump’s Save Act, which would require US voters to prove their citizenship when registering for federal elections.

More recently, Case stressed that he no longer supported the legislation, after an option for voters to attest in writing that they are a citizen was removed. But he used his former vote as an example of his independence.

“I’m not 100% voter with my party,” Case told HawaiiNewsNow. “Never have been, never will be.”

Case holds a senior position on a ​key spending committee and had argued that Hawaii would attract fewer federal dollars if he was not re-elected.

Keohokalole highlighted Case’s campaign donations from businesses to argue he has lost touch with voters.

Hawaii is divided into two US congressional districts. The first, represented by Case, covers the urban center of Honolulu. The second, represented by Jill Tokuda, covers the rest of the state.

Tokuda also won the Democratic primary for the second congressional district. According to AP, with 90% of votes counted, she had won 91.6%.

Josh Green, the Hawaii governor who has led the state since 2022, also defeated several challengers for the Democratic nomination.

Reuters contributed reporting