Ed Case’s victory highlights ongoing clashes between centrist Democrats and liberal newcomers in US politics.

US Representative Ed Case of Hawaii has defeated a progressive Democratic challenger in the Hawaii primary, election results showed late Saturday.

Securing 57 percent of the vote against state Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, compared with his 34 percent, Case is set to face Republican nominee Adriel Lam come November. 

The seventy-three-year-old, who is broadly viewed as a centrist, has held the seat since 2019 and has also ‌‌served in the House between 2002 and 2007. His latest victory over Keohokalole, 43, marks the latest front of the battle miring US Democratic politics, in ⁠⁠which veteran politicians are being pitted against younger, more progressive opponents. Progressive Democrats had criticised Case after he voted to support Republican US President Donald Trump’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which they say erodes US voting rights.

Keohokalole had cited Case’s corporate campaign contributions to argue the incumbent is increasingly detached from constituents.

Three other candidates also vied for the safely Democratic Honolulu seat.  As a senior member of a crucial spending committee, Case had argued that Hawaii would lose federal funding if he were not re-elected.

Case’s win stands out from a recent surge for left-wing candidates in states including Colorado, Kentucky and New York.

In Hawaii’s other congressional district, US Representative Jill Tokuda easily won her Democratic primary with 84 percent of the vote.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who has led the state since 2022, also defeated several challengers for the Democratic nomination.