Ed Case, once an outcast among Hawaii’s Democratic Party establishment, is odds-on for a third consecutive term as representative of Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District in the US Senate. At loggerheads with Senators Dan Akaka and Dan Inouye in the mid-2000s, the then Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District representative was treading rough terrain. But the gritty 69-year-old persevered, despite many defeats, to win the district seat in 2018, wrestling control from a packed field in the primaries before defeating Republican Campbell Cavasso by a 50-point margin. He was reelected in 2020, further cementing his status in the region.

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The centrist Democrat- part of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group for conservative Democrats- faces upstart Sergio Alcubilla in the Democrat primary for the upcoming midterms. Most observers predict an easy win for the veteran. Known to eschew the media, his best work in Washington- by his admission- came during the pandemic period. Securing billions in federal relief aid, he helped Hawaii outperform most states on the mainland in accessing benefits under the Paycheck Protection Program. He also helped many in the islands secure unemployment benefits while securing $1.1 billion in federal funding to address the jet fuel leak from United States Navy’s Red Hill storage facility, affecting thousands.

The eldest among six siblings, the Hilo-born politician has a degree in psychology from Williams College in Massachusetts. He graduated as Juris Doctor from the University of California’s San Francisco-based Hastings College of Law in 1981. He worked as a law clerk under Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice William S. Richardson for a year. From 1983 to 2002, he worked at Honululu-based law firm Carlsmith Ball, becoming a partner in 1989.

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He was a managing partner at the firm from 1992 to 1994 while serving in the Hawaii House of Representatives. After election to the United States Congress- completing Representative Patsy Mink’s term after her death in September 2002- he resigned as a partner in the firm. He also ran for Governor of Hawaii in 2002, losing one of the tightest Democrat primaries 41%-40% to rival Mazie Hirono.

Senator Case has two children from his first marriage. His second marriage was to his high school crush, Audrey Nakamura, a flight attendant at United Airlines.