Hawaii’s Democrat Congressman Ed Case has always been a rebel -- at least since he came into the political spotlight in the 1994 when he first was elected to the state House of Representatives. In 8 years in the state Legislature, he exposed the then corrupted trustees of the multi-billion dollar Bishop Estate, took on his Democrat peers in the Legislature who did not appreciate his refusal to be partisan, challenged the Supreme Court justices to behave ethically, and surrendered his House leadership position so his integrity was not compromised.
So it was not a surprise to those who have followed Case’s political career that the 51-year-old announced plans this week to challenge 81-year-old U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka to the Senate seat he has held since 1990. For virtually all of Hawaii Democrats, this would be political suicide, but not for Case. While many of the Democrat party loyalists are furious and are plotting his demise, Case’s 3 p.m. announcement on Thursday rocked Hawaii and energized the many political independents, young Democrats and Republicans who respect his courage, independence and unbridled spunk. Independence is the character trait that makes the public respect Case -- and conversely many of the old boy Democrats despise him.
Rumors had been swirling for several months that Case, the cousin of former AOL Time Warner Chairman Steve Case, was planning to make a run for U.S. Senate. Protocol in Hawaii’s dominant political party dictates a Democrat incumbent would not challenge a fellow Democrat with more seniority because it could result in the party icing out the challenger and ending his political career. The Democrat old guard, which has controlled politics in the state for more than 40 years, would do its best to ensure this very real threat is realized.
U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who has been in the House longer than Case and planned to replace Akaka or Inouye once a seat was vacated, was angered by the announcement: "When it comes to the congressional delegations, that's a team you've got to be a member of that team."
In a written statement, Daniel Inouye, Hawaii’s most senior Senator, said he was not pleased with Case’s decision. "I intend to continue to give Senator Akaka my support. I hope Congressman Case will reconsider his decision to challenge Senator Akaka, and will instead seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Also, I have been advised that Senator Akaka has the full support of the leadership of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee."
Sen. Akaka says people from all across the state and in Washington D.C. are lining up to support him.
Abiding by proper protocol, Case would wait for Akaka to retire or die and then he’d seek the blessing of Inouye, who is considered the party’s godfather. But that can take decades -- Akaka was in the U.S. House from 1976 to 1990 before he made a bid for the Senate and he only vied for the Senate after the much-loved U.S. Senator Sparky Matsunaga died in office. Case followed the same tradition running in a special election in 2003 to replace U.S. Rep. Patsy "Pink" Mink who died in office just before the November 2002 election.
Case’s decision to run has dented the image that the Democrats are all controlled by the iron hand of Inouye.
"I am motivated by giving voters a choice. Do voters want to be forced to accept a candidate that was pre-selected for them or break the mold and have a choice in the next election?" Case asks.
The old guard in the Hawaii Democratic Party is already gunning for Case. They say he is disrespectful, that he should wait his turn, that he should get in line and do what he is told, that he’ll never win, and that he will ruin his career.
But Case says he has won -- and lost -- battles with Hawaii’s political bosses before. The "Machine" beat Case once in 2002, ensuring he did not win the governor’s primary race against then Lt. Gov, Mazie Hirono, the favored candidate by public unions. That loss paved the way for a Republican to beat the "Machine" -- Linda Lingle to beat Hirono and become the first Republican governor in more than 40 years in Hawaii. Another Democrat who beat the "Machine" in recent years -- Mufi Hannemann was elected mayor of the City & County of Honolulu in 2004, despite the "Machine" backing his opponent, Duke Bainum, with all of its might and money.
Raised in the Big Island as the eldest of six kids by a mother who was an educator and a father who was an attorney, Case spent most of his time after school playing at the beach, in the mountains and in the forests of the only Hawaiian island with an active volcano. His youthful experiences taught him to love the outdoors, to be thoughtful and independent.
Congressman Ed Case and his wife Audrey, pictured here in Washington DC in 2003.
Case studied psychology in college, graduating in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. After graduation, Case went to Washington, D.C. for three years to work for U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga, and then went to law school where he earned by 1981 his Juris Doctor from the University of California/Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. His law degree led him to spend the next 20 years as an associate, partner, and managing partner with the law firm of Carlsmith Ball in Honolulu, Hawaii. He married his wife Audrey and together they are raising four children.
Winning his bid for the state House of Representatives in 1994, Case made his mark by becoming a watchdog against waste and gluttony in government, holding government accountable to taxpayers, working to reform the state's collective-bargaining system and implement partnerships with private business.
During his 8 years in state office, his failed run for governor in 2002, and his three years in Congress that followed, Case spoke out regularly against tax increases, ballooning government budgets and mandates on business.
Even during his two-year run as majority leader, he went against tide set by the party elders, demanding accountability from the leaders of his party and sometimes was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans. Case voluntarily resigned the position after his 2-year term was up in part because he was frustrated by the House leadership's refusal to remove Finance Chair Dwight Takamine, D-Big Island, from power after he killed virtually every economic or collective bargaining reform bill.
Many Democrat party loyalists say they are shocked that Case would dare run against a "national treasure" like Akaka.
Case says: "This is not a reflection on Sen. Akaka or his service. I have a great deal of Aloha for him. Rather this is about giving voters a chance to decide which direction they want to take at the fork in the road. Do they want to turn around and go backward or move forward?"
Case’s decision has created movement in what seemed to be a dull 2006 election year. Already Sens. Colleen Hanabusa, Gary Hooser, Ron Menor and Rep. Brian Schatz -- all sitting Democrats -- have announced their intention to run for Case’s vacated U.S. House seat. Many younger Democrats say privately that Case’s courage gives them hope that they too can buck the political "Machine" that has controlled them all too long.
Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor and president of Hawaii Reporter, via email at mailto:Malia@hawaiireporter.com
