As the announcements rolled out for the Hawaii Congressional District 1 seat (urban Honolulu), one thing this blogger heard was an echo from the past.
Specifically, an echo from 19 years ago, during the 2006 U.S. Senate race.
PC at the bottom of the article
That echo, found in the statements of both State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole and State Representative Della Au Belatti, is that they see themselves as challengers to the “old guard,” the “next generation” of leaders. Au Belatti said it overtly during her announcement.
Keohokalole was more nuanced, framing himself as a candidate ready to meet today’s challenges with urgency, energy, and a different style. He didn’t directly call out age or generational change, but to a tuned political ear, the undertone was there.
Back in 2006, Case — then challenging long-time Senator Dan Akaka — made the generational change argument out loud. He said Hawaii needed to begin shifting to younger leadership in Washington. What had been whispered in political circles, Case put front and center.
It backfired.
Akaka’s supporters saw the remark as disrespectful, even offensive. The generational frame became toxic, and Case spent 12 years out of office before reclaiming a seat in the House.
Now the shoe is on the other foot.
Younger candidates are challenging Case with a much more nuanced — and far less taboo — appeal to generational change. What Case once invoked against Akaka, and paid dearly for, is now tolerated, even expected, by an electorate seemingly more comfortable weighing leadership through the lenses of age, urgency, and readiness.
That shift — the very fact that voters may now accept the “age discussion” — is itself a sea change in Hawaii politics.
Still, both challengers are pinning their campaigns more on policy than on age. Their comparison-contrast with Case centers on philosophy: a progressive orientation versus his centrist record. Au Belatti underscored that message by announcing at the statue of Patsy Mink, a progressive icon who built her reputation by challenging entrenched power. While not a direct generational call, the symbolism invites voters to make that connection on their own.
Keohokalole, for his part, highlighted passion and urgency, casting Case as weighed down by institutional inertia. He left voters to decide whether that sounded like an age critique, while making clear he believes he can move more quickly to address Hawaii’s problems.
Two questions come from the announcements, therefore. First, will the voters factor in age into their decision matrix of who will win the primary for that seat? Keep in mind that while age might be a thing, Case and his campaign will emphasize seniority and the fact that he is able to use that to both get things done in Congress and make sure that the benefit goes to Hawaii.
Case, for his part, counters the ‘energy’ critique by holding multiple events whenever he’s back in Hawaii. During his most recent recess, he even appeared before the State Senate to answer questions — not exactly the schedule of someone slowing down. That takes a bit of energy, regardless of whether you are in your early 40s (Keohokalole), early 50s (Au Belatti), or early 70s (Case).
The second question is whether Hawaii is ready for representational change in Congress. When Case was challenged in 2022 by Sergio Alcubilla, voters overwhelmingly reaffirmed him: he won 83.2% in the Democratic primary and then took the general election by an even larger margin. The issues Alcubilla raised — many of which are resurfacing now — didn’t gain traction then. The difference in this cycle is that two challengers are carrying those themes instead of one. If the voters’ calculus shifts on those issues, this primary could go from sleeper to interesting.
The difference now is that Case faces not one but two challengers pressing the same themes. Whether voters see that as a fresh chorus or just an old tune with new singers will be the real test of 2025.
Photo Credits:
Case: U.S. House Office of Photography/House Creative Services, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Au Belatti: ThinkTech Hawaii, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Keohokalole: ThinkTech Hawaii, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons