As expected, there was little drama in the primary election for the U.S. House of Representatives, as the two top Democratic candidates collected a massive haul of votes in their respective races.
State Sen. Kai Kahele enjoyed a landslide win for his party’s nomination in the 2nd Congressional District race with a margin of nearly 84,000 votes over Brian
Evans.
“It feels great. It’s been a long journey we started almost 20 months ago in January 2019,” Kahele said. “I’m incredibly proud of all the voters who have shown that all mail-in voting works.”
Kahele, 46, son of state Sen. Gilbert Kahele, has served in the state Senate since 2016, when he was appointed by Gov. David Ige to fill the remainder of his father’s term after his death. He was elected for the first time later that year.
A pilot for Hawaiian
Airlines and a lieutenant
colonel in the Hawaii Air
National Guard, Kahele, if elected, would be the second Native Hawaiian in Congress since statehood. The first was the late Sen. Daniel Akaka.
After serving nearly four months until Saturday morning on active duty due to the COVID-19 crisis, Kahele, a supporter of Medicare for All, said, “COVID-19 has now more than ever reaffirmed my belief that universal health care should be available to every man, woman and child.”
He added he looks forward to joining Hawaii’s
congressional delegation
“in fighting for federal resources: financial relief for Hawaii workers, support for our businesses and health care community.”
On the Republican side of the ballot, Joe Akana will represent his party in the Nov. 3 general election.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ed Case, running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District, received 86.1% of the votes.
Ron Curtis topped the field of five Republicans
vying to unseat Case in the general election.
Case was first elected to the 1st Congressional District seat in 2018, besting then-Lt. Gov. Doug Chin and state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim. In the general election, Case won 70% of the vote against Republican Cam Cavasso.
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