Jill Tokuda

Thursday, October 22, 2026 74° Today's Paper

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Among the reasons for sending Hawaii’s incumbents back to the U.S. House of Representatives is this: Preparation for what is sure to be a tumultuous two years will be essential. And both the Democrats, Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, have the experience to navigate that course. They also have shown the drive to fight for what Hawaii needs from the federal government.

Case, the senior member representing the state, is known as among the chamber’s more conservative Democrats. That has drawn challengers, including his more liberal primary-election opponent, Jarrett Keohokalole, a state senator from Windward Oahu.

Incumbent Case won that race — but now another sitting state senator, Republican Brenton Awa, is running against Tokuda in the general. Awa has pressed on his website for “unlocking suitable federal land for local homes,” increasing food security by restoring federal agricultural grants and other concerns.

Both Awa, the Senate minority leader, and Keohokalole reap the benefit of raising their political profiles, while keeping their state seats for another two years if the congressional bids fall short.

For his part, Case now faces general-election opposition from Republican Adriel Lam, an Army veteran; Green Party candidate Jordan Conley, who co-founded the nonprofit sports organization Hapa Mana; and nonpartisan Nathan Berning, who does not live in Hawaii but by law is required to only if he were to win.

Case and Tokuda’s credentials set them well above this field.

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Democrats are widely expected to take over the U.S. House majority, and if that does play out, Case and Tokuda’s seniority will count a great deal. The leadership of the House must find a way to address some of the major grievances of the electorate — affordability at the top of the list — so that it can be effective in divided government.

And that will require some bipartisan thinking, building coalitions of votes so that a presidential veto may be deterred or could be overcome. This would be welcome after an extremely combative first half of President Donald Trump’s second term.

But that’s what makes it crucial for House leadership to make inroads quickly on voter concerns. The partisan bickering is sure to resume promptly. It would be smart to assemble some bipartisan votes on issues that have resonated with constituents throughout the campaign, so that some of the credit for the initiatives could be shared.

These would include seeking amendments to lower the cost of household expenses that have burdened voters across the country. Bills to encourage housing inventory, rolling back tariffs that have unproductively raised consumer prices, reform regulation to lower energy generation and transmission costs are among the ideas that could find broad support.

Case and Tokuda have held posts on committees that advocate for key Hawaii concerns, positioning that should improve if Democrats fare as well as anticipated in the House races.

Tokuda serves on regular House committees on agriculture and armed services, both critical Hawaii concerns. She has been front and center in the outreach following the West Maui fires and asserts her commitment to securing federal funding for disaster preparedness and recovery.

Case has a post on the House Appropriations Committee, which helped secure aid during the pandemic, Red Hill and Maui fire crises. His connections spanning a spectrum of House members could be essential in getting work done.

And after two years of fruitless combat with current leadership at the helm, that is what Hawaii needs most from its congressional members.

>> Friday: Governor, lieutenant governor and state issues