Longtime Rep. Ed Case won his Democratic primary against a well-funded progressive challenger in the state’s 1st District.
Mike Johnson takes swipe at Mamdani as progressives win across country
The sentiment comes after progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed won a highly-watched Michigan Senate primary race.
Progressives’ hot streak hit a snag in Hawaii when Rep. Ed Case, one of the Democratic Party’s most moderate House members, scored a primary victory over a more left-leaning challenger in a district that includes Honolulu.
Case cruised to a win over his nearest opponent, state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, by over 20 percentage points in the state’s 1st District. Three additional primary candidates ran to unseat Case in the reliably Democratic district.
Case returned to Congress in 2019 after previously serving the state’s 2nd District from 2002 to 2007. His Aug. 8 victory comes as progressive candidates have won several high-profile primary races this year, including Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in a closely watched contest for Senate in Michigan, a key swing state.
Case’s win follows his fellow moderate Rep. Wesley Bell’s victory in St. Louis on Aug. 4 over former “Squad” member Cori Bush. In New York, a slate of leftist congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani – Claire Valdez, Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier – all won their primary races June 23. The latter two defeated incumbent Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, respectively. One week later, progressive newcomer Melat Kiros defeated incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in Denver on June 30.
Ed Case stressed seniority in Hawaii primary win
In the Hawaii race, there was no debate between candidates as Keohokalole ran ads casting himself as a part of the next generation of leaders who could fix issues in Washington.
For his part, Case successfully flexed his seniority in Congress as a strength to appeal to his constituents, discussing his membership on the House Appropriations Committee, which allocates federal funding, and the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus.
Progressives and moderates face more key tests in two Midwestern states on Aug. 11. Democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong is the leading candidate in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race, while progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and moderate Rep. Angie Craig will face off in Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary.