Republican state Sen. Brenton Awa announced his run for Congress on Monday, putting him in the race for the second congressional district against incumbent Rep. Jill Tokuda, a Democrat.
Awa announced his run on his Instagram account and said his campaign centers around making Hawaiʻi affordable for Hawaiians.
“There are so many opportunities up in Washington that are not being taken advantage of because of the stance our current leaders have,” Awa said.
“The relationship with the administration right now up in Washington, arguably, they've burnt the bridge and doubled down. We provide an alternative. We're not trying to burn bridges. What we do differently, you know, we put a lot of our efforts into action, and the same kind of thing can be done up in that seat.”
Awa currently represents District 23 on Oʻahu, which covers parts of Kāneʻohe, Kahaluʻu, Lāʻie, and Kahuku. He does not have to vacate his state Senate seat to run for U.S. Congress.
He said one of the first things he would push for is a ban on foreign citizens purchasing real estate — a similar policy to a Hawaiʻi bill he tried to pass in the last state legislative session.
Awa said he has had trouble passing laws because of the state’s Democratic leadership and hopes to have better chances of passing legislation in Washington.
“Whether (Tokuda) wins or whether I win, we'll be taking a step through this campaign to bridge both sides together, no matter what team you're on,” Awa said. “If both sides can at least respect each other enough to have a discussion, then we all win. But I’m saying Hawaiʻi comes first.”
Hawaiʻi's primary election is scheduled for Aug. 8, 2026.
