Joe Akana is the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat covering all the neighbor islands and nonurban Oʻahu, such as Kailua and Waiʻanae. He faces the front-runner Democrat, former state Sen. Jill Tokuda.
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.
Speaking to The Conversation, Akana touted his native roots and military experience in the intelligence community.
Our interview with Democratic candidate Jill Tokuda aired on Monday, Oct. 31.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 1, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
