Obama And Reid Endorse Brian Schatz In Hawaii’s Heated Senate Primary

Obama And Reid Endorse Brian Schatz In Hawaii’s Heated Senate Primary

Arguably the tightest Democratic primary fight in the nation is developing in Hawaii — and the party’s top leaders are weighing in to try to defuse it before it gets ugly.

On Monday, Senator Brian Schatz – who was appointed by Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie (D) to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Daniel Inouye in 2012 – received endorsements from President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), providing him with a significant boost in his re-election campaign against Democratic U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.

In his statement , Reid praised Schatz as a “fine senator” and a “steadfast advocate on behalf of Hawaii in the Senate,” adding, “I endorse him wholeheartedly and support President Obama’s decision to do the same.”

Just hours before Reid’s announcement, the Schatz campaign formally released Obama’s endorsement.

“I have worked with Senator Schatz on the issues that matter to Hawaii. Brian’s deep commitment to the people of Hawaii and his effective leadership are why I believe it is important to return him to the Senate,” the president said . “Senator Schatz is protecting Hawaii’s values and fighting every day on behalf of middle-class families. There is no question that Senator Schatz is the right choice to continue delivering for Hawaii.”

Schatz, who says he is “ honored ” to have received the president’s endorsement, is locked in a tight matchup against Hanabusa.

According to The Washington Post , Hanabusa was actually Inouye’s choice to replace him, which explains why most of her support comes from former Inouye backers, including Democratic senator Daniel Akaka.

Still, the Democratic establishment has poured its support into Schatz’s candidacy, which is running a more progressive campaign than Hanabusa’s. And with backing of the party and young Democrats in Hawaii, Schatz has raised more money than his challenger: As of January , Schatz had amassed $2.4 million, while Hanabusa had raised only $879,000.

Yet even with a heftier bank account and the support of the establishment, Schatz has not managed a lead in the contest, which has spurred the already competitive race that has split Hawaii’s Democratic voters.

A February Honolulu Civil Beat poll showed the two Democratic candidates tied with 40 percent of voter support. Another 20 percent do not yet know for whom they will vote in the primary.

Those numbers could shift significantly as a result of the president’s endorsement. President Obama is a Hawaii native and, as of January, enjoys a 61.3 percent favorable approval rating in the state.

Photo: Waikiki Natatorium via Flickr

Advertising

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

Former President Donald Trump

Imagine this: You’re a clerk to a judge in a New York State court. You graduated from the Cardozo School of Law in 2010, and since then, you have worked as an associate in a New York law firm. For five years, you worked for the City of New York in its Special Litigation Unit handling law suits against the city. You have been the clerk to Judge Arthur Engoron since 2019, getting up in the morning and traveling by subway into Manhattan to your office in his chambers, or sitting beside him in court, advising him on cases, filings, motions – the constant flow of legal documents and questions that any judge in a big city court deals with constantly.

Keep reading... Show less

The late Sen. John McCain gives thumbs down to Affordable Care Act repeal in July 2017

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

Donald Trump is once again living in the past , trying to resurrect a Republican political debacle that even the Freedom Caucus has abandoned: Obamacare repeal. “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare. I’m seriously looking at alternatives," he spewed on Truth Social on Saturday.

Keep reading... Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}