Ed Case

Ed Case is a Democratic U.S. Representative from Hawaii's 1st Congressional District, serving since 2019. Born in Hilo, Hawaii, Case graduated from Williams College in 1975 and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1981. Before entering elective office, he served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative and Senator Spark Matsunaga and clerked for Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice William Richardson. He practiced law for two decades at the firm Carlsmith Ball, where he became a managing partner. Case's political career began in the Hawaii State House of Representatives, where he served from 1994 to 2002, including a tenure as Majority Leader. He was first elected to the U.S. House in 2002 in a special election to succeed the late Patsy Mink in Hawaii's 2nd District. After leaving Congress in 2007 following an unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid, he worked as a senior executive for Outrigger Hotels and practiced law before winning election to Hawaii's 1st District in 2018. In Congress, Case is a prominent member of the House Committee on Appropriations and is a leader within the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of centrist Democrats focused on fiscal responsibility. He is also a founding co-chair of the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus. Throughout his career, he has focused on government reform, environmental conservation in the Pacific, and federal support for Native Hawaiian education and healthcare programs.

Ed Case identifies as a centrist Democrat and emphasizes fiscal responsibility, often advocating for balanced budgets and long-term sustainability for Social Security and Medicare. He is a vocal critic of the Jones Act, arguing that the cargo shipping law artificially inflates the cost of living and construction in Hawaii and requires reform. Case supports environmental initiatives including the Paris Climate Accords and Hawaii's goal of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2045. In education, he has consistently secured federal funding for the Native Hawaiian Education Program and supports expanded Pell Grants and Title I funding. His voting record includes support for strengthening legal immigration while securing borders, and he recently gained attention for joining a small group of Democrats in supporting the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. In foreign policy, he emphasizes the importance of the Indo-Pacific region and supports maintaining strong military and diplomatic ties with Pacific island nations.