Hawaii's Congressional Race Sparks Tension Among Democrats
*By Christian Smith*
Self-proclaimed socialist and candidate for Hawaii's First Congressional District, Kaniela Ing, says that warnings from former FBI Director James Comey and Democratic leaders about electing progressives don't phase him.
His words to Cheddar came in response to a [tweet on Sunday](https://twitter.com/Comey/status/1021132108381683712), in which Comey told democrats not "to lose your minds and rush to the socialist left." He continued: "America’s great middle wants sensible, balanced, ethical leadership."
In Ing's view, supporting and promoting more liberal candidates is precisely what the party needs after decades of alienating much of the countryーthe South, in particular.
"These are states that were rooted in the workers' movement that were Democrats for generations and, all of a sudden, from Reagan to now, they've only been talked to by one side," the Hawaiian State Representative said in an interview on Cheddar Monday.
Comey's tweet followed a surge in support for more socialist-leaning, progressive candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who upset 20-year incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in their June primary race. During her campaign, Ocasio-Cortez refused donations from the wealthy and focused on mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to canvass and pass out campaign materials around New York City.
Ocasio-Cortez's grassroots strategy is exactly what Ing wants to emulate in his Oahu-based district.
"We're not relying on the typical DCCC Democratic campaign where you just call a bunch of rich people, ask them for thousands of dollars, and then just run a bunch of TV ads," Ing said. "We knock on doors every single day. We have volunteers out there making calls, sending textsーthat's the way we're going to win."
Ing and six other Democrats are battling for the party's House seat nomination being vacated by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), who is running governor.
Former Rep. Ed Case currently leads in the latest [poll numbers](http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/07/17/hawaii-news/ed-case-far-ahead-in-race-for-congressional-seat/) from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, with 36 percent of respondents preferring Case. That same poll placed Ing in fourth, with 6 percent.
Ing says he isn't worried about the latest poll numbers, because they are based on "likely voters," which often don't apply to groups like college students that his campaign is courting.
Hawaii will hold its Congressional primary races on August 11.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/hawaiian-congressional-candidate-kaniela-ing-is-progressive-and-proud-of-it)
Toby Fricker, the chief of communications for UNICEF, joined Cheddar News to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues, displacing at least five million refugees from their home country. "The situation for children is horrific when you have to leave your home. I mean, that's traumatic for any child anywhere, but being forced to run for your life literally is really horrific to think about that," he said.
Laurence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard University, joined Cheddar News to talk about the legal underpinnings of the ruling to lift the federal travel mask mandate. "Judge Mizelle decided that she would issue a nationwide injunction, which she and other conservatives have criticized in the past," he said. "That didn't stop her from doing it this time. She did it by just wiping away the CDC's rule, and she did it, have to say, in an opinion that was, well, I'll be honest, really stupid."
Marijuana legalization has spread across the country in recent years, and the number of Americans in support of legalization is at an all-time high. Andrew Bowden, CEO of the premium cannabis brand Item 9 Labs, joined Cheddar to break down the inner workings of the industry and how the industry can grow from here.
After a nationwide mask mandate for travel was struck down by a federal judge, Dr. Sampson Davis, an ER physician and bestselling author, joined Cheddar News to talk about the ramifications. "We are at a place where we are going to have to wait and see, unfortunately," he said. "The good news is that we're coming off a celebration of spring break, Easter, Passover, and we'll see what happens. But right now I'm not seeing a spike and people come into the hospital are truly sick. However, I'm still seeing people test positive for COVID."
Chris Vecchio, senior strategist at DailyFX, says the James Bullard and the Fed's bark may be louder than its bite when it comes to potential rate hikes in May. Investors brushed off any causes for concerns during Tuesday's session, which led to stocks ending the day sharply higher.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 19, 2022, with a federal judge voiding mask mandates on public transportation, updates from the Russia and Ukraine war, Mac Miller’s drug dealer sentenced for involvement in the rapper's death, and more.
A federal judge’s decision to strike down a national mask mandate was met with cheers on some airplanes but also concern about whether it’s really time to end the order sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
