Final vote counts from the weekend show that Democratic Rep. Ed Case defeated a progressive challenger in Hawaii's primary election. He won 57% of the vote, while his opponent, state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, received 34%. Case will face Republican candidate Adriel Lam in the general election in November.
Case, 73, is considered a centrist and has held his House seat since 2019, having previously served from 2002 to 2007. His victory over Keohokalole, 43, marks a new development in the internal Democratic struggle, where veteran politicians are being challenged by younger, more progressive candidates.
Progressives have criticized Case after he voted in favor of President Donald Trump's SAVE Act, which they argue undermines voting rights. Meanwhile, Keohokalole pointed to campaign contributions from businesses to argue that the incumbent has become increasingly out of touch with voters.
In addition to the two main candidates, three others ran in the safely Democratic district in Honolulu. Case, a senior member of a key spending committee, argued that Hawaii would lose federal funding if he were not re-elected.
Case's win comes amid signs of progressive candidates gaining ground in states like Colorado, Kentucky, and New York recently. In Hawaii's other congressional district, Rep. Jill Tokuda easily won the Democratic primary with 84% of the vote. Governor Josh Green, who has led the state since 2022, also defeated multiple challengers to secure the Democratic nomination.
