Moderate Democratic Representative Ed Case secured renomination in Hawaii's 1st Congressional District on August 8, 2026, defeating progressive state Senator Jarrett Keohokalole with approximately 57% to 60% of the vote. Case's victory defied a national trend of progressive challengers ousting moderate incumbents. Keohokalole campaigned on generational change and criticized Case's votes on Israel military aid and the SAVE Act, while Case successfully leveraged his congressional seniority.
Case primary victory over Keohokalole
- ▪Representative Ed Case won the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 1st Congressional District on August 8, 2026, defeating progressive challenger Jarrett Keohokalole.
- ▪Representative Ed Case will face Republican nominee Adriel Lam, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in the November 2026 general election.
- ▪With over 90% of the votes counted, Representative Ed Case secured approximately 57% to 60% of the vote, while state Senator Jarrett Keohokalole received approximately 34% to 36%.
Progressive wave in Democratic primaries
- ▪Representative Ed Case's primary victory defied a broader national trend in 2026 where progressive challengers ousted moderate Democratic incumbents in states such as New York and Colorado.
- ▪Progressive candidates have recently won high-profile Democratic primaries in other states, including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, while democratic socialist Francesca Hong leads the gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin.
Israel military aid controversy
- ▪Representative Ed Case's primary victory stands out against a 2026 trend of left-wing challengers ousting pro-Israel Democratic incumbents in other states.
- ▪State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole criticized Representative Ed Case during the primary campaign for voting to send military aid to Israel.
SAVE Act voting record
- ▪State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole criticized Representative Ed Case for being one of the few House Democrats to vote for the initial April 2025 iteration of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
- ▪Representative Ed Case defended his initial vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act because it allowed written affidavits for voters lacking citizenship proof, but he later opposed an updated version of the bill.
Congressional seniority arguments
- ▪Representative Ed Case campaigned on his congressional seniority and experience, arguing his position on the House Appropriations Committee helps secure federal funding for Hawaii during crises.
- ▪State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole countered Representative Ed Case's seniority arguments by highlighting Case's campaign donations from businesses to argue that the incumbent has lost touch with voters.
Generational leadership change
- ▪State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole's progressive campaign platform included support for Medicare for All, abortion rights, and opposition to federal immigration enforcement operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- ▪State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, 42, campaigned on a platform of bringing a 'new generation' of political leadership to Washington, contrasting himself with the 73-year-old Representative Ed Case.
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