Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green and former Hawaii first lady Vicky Cayetano are also vying for the Democratic governor’s nod in a state that has been run by party leadership for more than a decade.
In a July debate, Green, a former emergency physician who served in the Hawaii state House and Senate, called on Kahele to serve one term in Congress and then retire to return to Hawaii and run running for governor, Hawaii News Now reported on The Hour. Kahele, who was elected in 2020 to replace Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, came under fire earlier this year for his part-time work as a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, which raised questions about whether he violated ethics rules to continue his work. Questions about Kahele’s work with Hawaiian Airlines arose after Honolulu Civil Beat published an in-depth story examining his involvement in the U.S. Capitol this year and his personal income since taking office. The report found that Kahele had voted by proxy at least 120 times from the start of the year to early April, meaning another lawmaker voted for him. Kahele’s office at the time defended his part-time job with Hawaiian Airlines and said his decision to vote by proxy was prompted by concerns about new strains of the coronavirus, given that the lawmaker lives in a multigenerational family home. His office said he remained committed to his work in Washington, DC. Kahele’s retirement from the House leaves the seat open in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. The top-funded candidate is former Democratic state Sen. Jill Tokuda, who has been endorsed by the Progressive Caucus PAC and EMILY’s List. State Rep. Patrick Branco, a former U.S. diplomat, is also running for the Democratic nomination. Rep. Joe Webster, who calls himself “a Republican like you’ve never met before,” is vying for the GOP nomination in the solidly Democratic district. Democratic Rep. Ed Case, who represents Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, and Sen. Brian Schatz, who has held the seat since 2012, are running for re-election. Polls in Hawaii close at 7 pm local time (1 am EST). All registered Hawaii voters are mailed a ballot. Postal ballots are expected to be completed on August 13. CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Daniella Diaz, Sonnet Swire, Annie Grayer and Alex Rogers contributed to this report.