Hawaii’s centrists hold ground as incumbents defeat progressive challengers in key primaries
Incumbent Rep. Ed Case defeated progressive challenger Jarrett Keohokalole 57% to 34% in Hawaii’s Democratic primary and will face Republican Adriel Lam in November, highlighting ongoing intra-party clashes between centrists and progressives. Case, a senior spending committee member, argued he protects federal funding, while Keohokalole cited Case’s corporate contributions. In the same state, Jill Tokuda won her Democratic primary with 84% and Gov. Josh Green won his nomination, underscoring a mix of continued incumbency and progressive pressure amid broader leftward momentum in other states.