Akaka Wins Hawaii Senate Primary

[Bob Geiger]

In the last primary for the 33 Senate seats being contested in 2006, Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka survived a challenge from conservative Democrat Ed Case Saturday to take the state's Democratic Senatorial nomination. The winner of the Democratic primary was to take on Republican Jerry Coffee, but Coffee withdrew from the race in August after having emergency heart bypass surgery.

Coffee remained on the ballot, besting the other five Republican candidates with 41 percent of the vote, after Hawaii's Republican Governor Linda Lingle urged voters to support Coffee so that the state Republican party could have the option of replacing him on the general election ballot. At this point, it is unclear who Akaka will face -- if anyone -- in the November 7 general election, but Hawaii Republicans have until Tuesday to replace Coffee as the nominee.

The 82-year-old Akaka, the first senator of Native Hawaiian descent and the only Chinese American in the Senate, handily defeated Case 54 percent to 45 percent.

"I'm really humbled to be here with you," said Akaka, bedecked with numerous flower leis and joined by supporters and Hawaii's congressional delegation. "There is nothing but gratitude in my heart for all of you."

"This is a great day for Hawaii and a great day for the United States," said the state's other Democratic Senator, Daniel Inouye, at Akaka headquarters. "Dan Akaka is going back to Washington."

Given that Akaka voted against giving George W. Bush approval to go to war in Iraq and Case said explicitly that he would have voted for giving the president that authority, Democratic voters in Hawaii made exactly the right decision during such a critical time in our country.

We already have one Joe Lieberman too many in the United States Senate and Hawaiians clearly decided yesterday that we do not need another.

You can read more from Bob at BobGeiger.com.

[WildEyedLiberal]

1. It's kind of troubling that the primary was so close

Akaka has been in the Senate for how many terms and his challenger got 45%? Unless Akaka has some other issues I'm not aware of that piss off Hawaiians, I can't imagine why 45% of primary voters would vote for a conservative Dem. It's not like Hawaii is Arkansas where the local Dems are going to be conservative. Maybe all the Akaka fans stayed home and didn't bother to vote in the primary because they knew he'd win? Hopefully the less than 10% margin will convince them to turn out next time and support their guy.

[billh58]

14. Cross Voting

Hawaii does not have a closed primary. Republican-Lite Ed Case appealed to Republican voters to cross over and vote for him on the Democratic primary ticket, which is why the numbers were so close.

[WildEyedLiberal]

17. Oh. that probably explains it then

Thanks! Welcome to DU!

[cyclezealot]

2. Case a conservative Democrat.

THis is a terrible travisty. He is Patsy Mink's successor! This can't be. Maui gave my Dennis Kucinich his greatest vote majority of any county in the US.? How can this be? So, this is the case. Is Case out of the Congress?

[Roslyn]

3. Yes, thank god

Case is out (for now). It was only that close because it's an open primary so the reps voted for Case to try to get the most conservative dem they could and the liberals usually don't show up because they think the dems a shoe in.

I promise that Mazie Hirono, who is endorsed by Patsy Mink's daughter Wendy, will do Patsy's old seat justice.

[Eric J in MN]

6. So we won in two ways. We keep Daniel Akaka, and got

...Ed Case to leave the US Congress. I'm now glad that Case ran for the Senate nomination.

[Roslyn]

7. Yep, I think for once his stupidity

has actually helped the state of Hawaii.

[cyclezealot]

8. Patsy Mink was like a goddess.

Her unexpected death was a shock.

[cyclezealot]

13. I looked up Hirono's web site.

I think Patsy Mink would be smiling. Why not hope Hirono might not be a US senator.

[Dragon Turtle]

5. Case supports keeping the Patriot Act,

opposes withdrawal from Iraq and voted for the bankruptcy bill to name a few things...

[Eric J in MN]

4. Cool. Hopefully, if Daniel Akaka retires in 6 years...

...we can replace him with another liberal, not with a DINO.

[Ignacio Upton]

9. What if Case runs in 2010?

Inouye could retire then, and Linda Lingle would be a strong Republican candidate to run for that Senate seat. I can easily see Case preparing for a '10 run in the event that Inouye retires.

[Eric J in MN]

10. I hope a progressive will also run for the nomination...

...if that happens.

[Ignacio Upton]

11. Maybe Mazie Hirono could run then

After serving two terms in the House.

[Roslyn]

12. Danny Inouye said that he is going to run for reelection

http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2006/07/04/news/news04.txt and while I think that Lingle could win a Senate seat there is no way she could beat Inouye and the same goes for Case.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. Ed Case is an idiot, IMO

He vacated a safe congressional seat to mount a primary challenge against an incumbent that he couldn't beat. Now he'll be out of office until he gets a shot to run for Inouye's seat or the Governor's mansion in 2010. Neil Abercrombie will have a huge leg up on him for either office.

[wiley]

16. What does this mean?

"the first senator of Native Hawaiian descent and the only Chinese American in the Senate"

Does it mean he was born in Hawaii and is a Chinese American, or that he has relatives who were/are Native Hawaiians who had childen with a Chinese American? Or something else?

Fantastic that he won.