Republican Brenton Awa loses Hawaii congressional bid to Democrat Jill Tokuda
The gist
Republican state Sen. Brenton Awa lost his Hawaii congressional bid to Democrat Jill Tokuda, who took about two-thirds of votes.
No Republican has ever held the district, so the race tested whether Awa's Trump ties could break that streak.
How it unfolded
- Oct 27, 2025Awa announced on Instagram he would run for Congress against incumbent Rep. Jill Tokuda, centering his campaign on making Hawaiʻi affordable for Hawaiians.
- Oct 8, 2026Hawaii News Now interviewed Tokuda and Awa on the Iran war, aid to Israel and immigration enforcement; Awa said he is seeking only one term.
- Oct 28, 2026HPR reported Awa, the state Senate minority leader, was challenging two-term Democrat Tokuda in the district covering rural Oʻahu and the neighbor islands.