Former state Sen. Jill Tokuda is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat covering all the neighbor islands and nonurban Oʻahu, such as Kailua and Waiʻanae. Tokuda also chaired the Ways and Means Committee during her time in the Senate from 2006 to 2018. She faces Republican Joe Akana.
The 2nd Congressional District has been a revolving door over the past several years. U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele won the seat in 2020 after then-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard unsuccessfully campaigned for U.S. president. In this 2022 election, Kahele entered and lost the Democratic primary in August.
The Conversation spoke to Tokuda as she crisscrossed the state to reach voters on all islands, including taking a ferry ride to Lānaʻi. She said her sights are set on the House Committees on Education and Labor, and Agriculture.
Our interview with Republican candidate Joe Akana aired on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 31, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
