HI-01: Ed Case far ahead in congressional race
Former Congressman Ed Case has established a commanding lead in the race for the congressional seat representing urban Oahu, apparently siphoning off enough potential votes from state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim as to knock her down to a distant third place in the Democratic primary, according to the latest Honolulu Star-Advertiser Hawaii Poll.
Case jumped into the race late, declaring his candidacy just over a month ago on the last day to file nomination papers for the Aug. 11 primary. The 11th-hour shake-up was surely a disappointment for both Kim and Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who were the leading contenders for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in her bid for governor.
Some 36 percent of likely voters surveyed said they would choose Case if the election were held today; 27 percent said they would vote for Chin; and 14 percent said they would vote for Kim.
By contrast, Kim and Chin were in a near tie in the Hawaii Poll in March, with slightly more of those surveyed in favor of Kim, 32 percent, to Chin’s 29 percent.
The latest poll has the other main primary contenders polling in the single digits with state Rep. Kaniela Ing picking up 6 percent of the vote, Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin capturing 2 percent and state Rep. Beth Fukumoto at 1 percent. Some 14 percent of those surveyed said they were undecided.
Case also scored significantly higher than the other candidates on favorability, with 54 percent of those surveyed saying they had a favorable opinion of him and only 5 percent saying they had a negative opinion of him. Some 91 percent of those polled said they recognized him.
“It definitely establishes Case as the front-runner,” said John Hart, a communications professor at Hawaii Pacific University. “His low negative rating is a powerful sign for longevity.”
Hart said Case’s strategy of jumping into the race late, when there was no clear winner, and capitalizing on his name recognition was smart. “He did the right thing at the right time,” said Hart.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/07/17/hawaii-news/ed-case-far-ahead-in-race-for-congressional-seat/?HSA=c47470fddb6c9adec04fa6c383e5bb3804d130fd
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