Voters in Hawaii will head to the polls on Saturday to elect partisan representatives in federal and state elections.
Both seats in the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii are up for election in November along with a seat in the governor’s mansion. Here is an overview of the races in Hawaii.
U.S. House
District 1
Incumbent Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, is facing a challenge from four other Democrats and one Republican. Ballotpedia identifies the Democratic race as a battleground primary in the state.
Case is seeking a sixth term to represent the state’s first congressional district.
State senator Jarrett Keohokalole is vying to unseat Case in the district. Democratic groups have criticized Case’s vote in favor of the SAVE Act, legislation that would require individuals to verify citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections.
Case defended his vote for the legislation and said the SAVE Act sought to provide consistent federal guidelines across the country’s voting system.
“It includes various forms of identification which most voter-eligible citizens should have and those who don’t should be able to obtain,” Case said. “Fears of voter suppression because of these standards are overstated and should not prevent reasonable citizen ID requirements, and voter suppression in any event is illegal.”
Case, 73, has touted his record in Congress dating back to 2002. He said he would use his influence on the House Appropriations Committee to advance legislation and bring funds back to the district.
“If re-elected, I will move to the top 25% of House seniority, continue on the powerful Appropriations Committee, and further expand my relationships and influence,” Case’s website reads.
In June, Case introduced legislation to impose taxes on cruise ships and other vehicles acting as tourist accommodations.
Keohokalole has focused his campaign on expanding healthcare access by pushing Medicare for All and capping prescription drug prices.
“He worked with legislative leaders to pass tax exemptions for doctors and dentists who serve medicaid patients, so that low income families could still receive care,” Keohokalole’s website reads.
Jennifer Booker, Ben Fatula and Nicholas Kiswanto are also vying for the Democratic nomination in Hawaii. Booker has called for eliminating corporate PAC funds in the electoral process.
“We need to protect our government from systemic corruption by eliminating PACs, mandatory financial disclosure for high level government positions, and earned security clearances for legislative and executive branch leaders,” Booker told Ballotpedia. “No corporate personhood (Citizen’s United), no Electoral College.”
Fatula, a chef, and Kiswanto, a political organizer, also criticized the Citizens United decision and Case’s vote in favor of the SAVE Act.
“When I saw that my representative voted for the voter suppression measure that is the SAVE Act and that Hawai’i 1st Congressional District had half the voter turnout for the primary than the general election, I felt a call to action,” Kiswanto told Ballotpedia.
Republican Adriel Lam will face off against the winner of the Democratic primary in Hawaii’s first congressional district. He has focused his campaign on bringing more federal funds to the district for improvement projects on roads and waterways.
“My initial priorities are maintaining Hawaii’s strategic importance at the center of the Pacific, accessing federal funds to upgrade waterways and transportation infrastructure, and reforming federal shipping regulations to give our businesses and consumers fair and equitable access to the mainland and global markets,” Lam said.
Case leads in fundraising with nearly $600,000 in cash on hand, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Keohokalole follows with more than $81,000 in cash on hand.
Case received $7,000 from Leidos Inc. PAC; $3,500 from the Chickasaw Nation; and $1,000 from Maui Land and Pineapple Company PAC. Keohokalole received $5,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers PAC; and more than $153,000 from ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising organization.
District 2
Incumbent Rep. Jill Tokuda is seeking a third term in Hawaii’s second congressional district against another Democrat and one Republican.
Tokuda has been fiercely critical of the Trump administration and the SAVE Act. She introduced the Hands off Elections Act, legislation that would bar any executive agency member from intervening in election administration.
Tokuda voted against the National Defense Authorization Act due to the inclusion of the SAVE America Act. She criticized its inclusion but praised the removal of a provision that allowed the military to use public lands in Hawaii.
“Republicans attached the SAVE America Act onto this bill, imposing burdensome voter-ID requirements that make it harder for eligible Americans to vote,” Tokuda said. “They hijacked a must-pass defense bill to advance a partisan election agenda that has nothing to do with military readiness.”
Tokuda will face off against Greg Guithes, a technology consultant, in the Democratic primary. The winner of the primary will face off against Republican Brenton Awa.
Guithes said he would aggressively seek to impeach President Donald Trump if elected to Congress and criticized Tokuda’s inaction.
“Jill Tokuda follows [Hakeem] Jeffries. Jeffries follows the money. “I was just following orders.” is an indefensible defense,” Guithes said. “Send me to Washington. I will say it loud and often. I have drafted multiple impeachment resolutions. I will introduce impeachment articles frequently and with flourish.”
Awa, a state senator, has focused his campaign on increasing affordable housing and expanding tax credit opportunities for first-time homeowners.
“Use existing federal tools to help local residents afford homes in Hawaii by capping predatory investor buying, expanding down payment assistance, recalibrating tax code to give owner occupants the same benefits as investors, and unlocking suitable federal land for local homes,” Awa’s website reads.
Tokuda leads in fundraising with more than $570,000 in cash on hand followed by Awa with $16,000. Tokuda has received contributions of $5,000 from the National Association of Realtors PAC and $3,500 from the National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC.
Awa received $3,500 from Karla Rompel, an office manager at Posso Pizza.
Governor
Incumbent Gov. Joshua Green is seeking a second and final term as head of the state. He is expected to face off against Republican and business owner Gary Cordery.
Green has touted his tenure as part of his election campaign. He focused on a significant middle class tax cut his office worked toward over the last four years and the expansion of income, child and food tax credits.
“Making Hawaii more affordable is Governor Josh Green’s top priority – that’s why he delivered the biggest tax cut for the middle class in our state’s history,” Green wrote on social media.
Cordery has also focused his campaign on cutting taxes and eliminating burdensome regulations. He called for eliminating the general excise tax on food and medicine, freezing property taxes and creating tax exemptions for Native Hawaiian homeowners.
Green’s campaign has reported raising more than $521,000. He has received more than $11,000 from Hawaiian Electric Industries; $19,000 from First Hawaiian Bank and $8,000 from Central Pacific Bank.
Cordery has raised more than $109,000 in contributions toward his gubernatorial campaign.
Polls will be open in Hawaii from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 8. For more information, visit the Hawaii Office of Elections website, at elections.hawaii.gov.