I guess Ed Case doesn’t believe the DCCC’s polling was handed down on tablets at Mount Sinai either:
Former Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) announced Sunday he won’t pursue the Democratic nomination to face Rep. Charles Djou (R-Hawaii), which improves his party’s chances of retaking the seat it lost in the recent special election.
“We’ve taken apart the results and analyzed our options every which way,” Case wrote in an email to supporters. “If it all lined up it’d be an easy decision, but it doesn’t.” …
“My heart tells me to stay in this fight, but my head says this has become the wrong fight. So today I’m withdrawing my candidacy for the U. S. House of Representatives from Hawaii’s great first district,” he wrote.
Case thanked his supporters and said he will continue to look for opportunities to serve.
Case’s abrupt exit leaves Colleen Hanabusa as the sole Democratic flagbearer against freshly-minted GOP Rep. Charles Djou. At the very least, we’ll all be spared his antics in a Democratic primary, but I suppose the possibility remains that another Democrat may seek to enter the race now that Case’s exit has cleared up some more oxygen in the room.
UPDATE: Let the Great Healing begin:
Case made the announcement during his remarks at the state Democratic convention at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, his main rival in the primary, joined him on stage and presented Case with a lei. …
“I thought it was the right thing to do, at the right time, for the right reasons,” he said. “That’s really what it came down to.”
U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, (D-Hawaii), who had endorsed Hanabusa and resisted pressure from national Democrats to abandon her in favor of Case, who many in Washington believed was more electable, told delegates that he was deeply moved by Case’s gesture.
“He showed that he was a Democrat,” Inouye said.
Ed Case probably realized he had a lot more to gain by going on the Harold Ford circuit.
He’s be a great addition to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
No more conflict between the DCCC and the Hawaii party. And no blowing money for a competitive primary.
I can’t imagine anyone else of stature will feel encouraged to jump in. The Hawaii party establishment has backed Hanabusa all along and will scare off all comers. And the DCCC now will do the same, they’re smart enough to know that with Case out, a full-throated backing of Hanabusa is THE path to victory.
the DCCC get behind Hanabusa, quick.
Wish he would have done this a few weeks ago but better late than never.
And here’s my message to mainland Democrats, stay out of this race. Thank you.
Hannabusa has support from the key local constituencies. If Case with his money and DCCC support couldn’t get more votes than she did in the special, why would someone else be able to beat her in the primary?
Coming soon to an election near you…
“my head says this has become the wrong fight”
I guess this is better than him staying in, but geez.
As for other potential Democrats getting involved, I’d be somewhat skeptical. Hanabusa is clearly the candidate of Inouye and Akaka, the bosses of the Hawaii Democratic landscape; Case was already a heretic in their eyes, with significant Washington connections. I don’t think you’re going to see some semi-anonymous state legislator pick a fight with them.
All the same, the DCCC should get behind Hanabusa quickly to lock this up.
I asked this question in the open thread but am reposting it as the discussion appears to have moved off of that thread. I was wondering if there was any way I could make a sortable table for a diary, does anyone have a link with a good explanation of how to do this with HTML?
Or if Akaka said he’d retire if Case got out the race.
That rhymes!
Just wondering as a part of me thinks he never intended to run in a Democratic Primary in the first place, he had his shot in the special and that was that. But now that I think about it, I bet he announced long before Abercrombie announced he’d resign, and Im sure Abercrombie dislikes him, too.
For once, at least, Democrats have done something that belies my sig.
I think Case should not run for senate, because I think he would not win, but he can have a decent level appointment for the administration.