Hawaiʻiʻs two Democratic lawmakers both won reelection to the U.S. House on Tuesday.
Rep. Jill Tokuda defeated state Sen. Brenton Awa to secure the 2nd Congressional District covering rural Oʻahu and the neighbor islands, according to The Associated Press. The first printout of results released by the state Office of Elections showed Tokuda winning about two-thirds of the votes cast.
Rep. Ed Case beat Adriel Lam, a political newcomer, to represent urban Honolulu and the 1st Congressional District for another two-year term, the AP said. Early results showed Case won about 80% of the votes.
Case is a 13-year veteran of Congress, and he has represented the 1st and 2nd congressional districts at different times in his political career. Lam is a retired U.S. Army officer and serves on the Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board.
Tokuda vs. Awa
Tokuda told HPR during the campaign that voters wanted her to return to Congress to address high gas and grocery prices that have become unaffordable for many. She said she would push to suspend the federal gas tax and get tariff rebates for consumers if reelected.
Awa said Hawaiʻi would gain leverage in Washington if it sent a Republican to Congress. He said one way he could use this influence would be to pressure President Donald Trump's allies to drop lawsuits targeting Native Hawaiian rights and entitlements. One of those lawsuits argues Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy is unconstitutional because it gives preference to Native Hawaiians.
They differed on how to go about reforming the federal law governing how a Hawaiian Home Lands leaseholder may bequeath a lease to successors.
Under existing law, lessees are only allowed to leave a lease to a spouse, child, grandchild or sibling if the inheriting party is at least one-fourth Native Hawaiian.
Both Tokuda and Awa want to reduce that fraction to 1/32nd, so more lessees can pass on their homes to family members.
Tokuda said it was safer to wait until Democrats controlled at least either the House or Senate to push the issue because Native Hawaiian rights and entitlements are under attack from the Trump administration.
Awa said he would make the reform a priority right away. He said his relationships with the Trump administration would help him pass the reform.
