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Rep. Jill Tokuda, a first-term Democrat, outraised veteran Hawai‘i congressman Ed Case in the current election cycle, even though she refused to accept contributions from most political action committees tied to corporations.

As of Oct. 16, Tokuda had raised more than $900,000 compared with Case, who took in more than $650,000, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data.

Case raised the bulk of his funding from PACs, including those representing defense companies.  By contrast, about 70% of Tokuda’s contributions came from individual donors, compared with less than a quarter for Case. 

Correction: An earlier version of the above graphic incorrectly indicated Tokuda received $2,500 in defense PAC money. The Tokuda campaign refunded the contribution.

Case, who represents the 1st Congressional District, which covers urban Honolulu and its surrounding suburbs, has served in Congress for a decade. He has held his current seat since 2019 and previously represented the 2nd Congressional District, which covers the rest of O‘ahu and the neighboring islands.

Tokuda represents the second district. She represented the Kaneohe and Kailua area in the �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� Senate from 2006 to 2018.

Defense PACs For Case

In Congress, both incumbents serve on committees related to defense and military operations.
Case is a member of the House of Appropriations Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Defense and the Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

“I strongly support our national defense and focus on this critical issue through my membership on our U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense,” Case wrote in an email to Civil Beat.

He added that he believes he receives defense-related contributions because defense interests support his efforts.

“In pursuing my efforts and making my decisions, whether on national defense or otherwise, I welcome and consider information, perspectives, and advocacy from all sources including those that contribute to my campaign,” Case wrote.

Tokuda is on the Committee on Armed Services, where she is a member of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel and the Subcommittee on Readiness.

Hawai‘i has a significant military presence, largely to do with its unique location in the Indo-Pacific region. About is military-affiliated, as of 2017, of the state’s land belongs to the military, making it the most densely militarized state in the country.

However, defense PACs provide substantially more support to Case than to Tokuda. For the 2023-2024 cycle, Case received more than $100,000 from defense PACs, in contrast to $2,500 for Tokuda. Case’s top defense PAC contributors include Lockheed Martin Corporation PAC and General Dynamics Corporation PAC.

Case said that his donor base aligns with his legislative efforts in the Indo-Pacific region. Case wrote that he uses his position on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to ensure a “mutual defense to address the generational geopolitical challenge of the People’s Republic of China and its allies.”

Update: The discrepancy in campaign contributions from defense PACs reflects the differing economic landscapes between the two districts, said Colin Moore, associate professor at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and director of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace at the University of Hawai‘i Manoa. Most of the defense industries and groups in the state are located in Case’s district which includes Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, he said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Moore ran the Public Policy Center, which is now closed.

Tokuda’s district also has military areas such as the Marine Corps Base Hawaii and the Pohakuloa Training Area, but most central military locations are concentrated in Case’s district.

Case, a long-time supporter of the military, has also served in Congress longer than Tokuda, which may give him deeper connections with defense lobbyists and industries, Moore said.

Tokuda Rejects Corporate PAC Money

Tokuda’s refusal to accept corporate money influences the amount she receives from defense PACs, most of which are corporate, said Brittany Ross of her campaign staff.

“I didn’t join the armed services committee to raise money and I will always prioritize the people of Hawai‘i and those serving in our Armed Services over lucrative contracts for defense corporations,” Tokuda said in a statement provided by Ross to Civil Beat. 

In a 2023 fundraising email, she stated that she would not accept money from corporate PACs because “corporations and the super-wealthy have too much influence over our electoral system.”

Rejecting corporate PAC money allows Tokuda to focus her efforts on connecting with the individuals she represents rather than catering to special interests seeking to influence policy, Ross said.

Despite her refusal to accept money from corporate PACs, Tokuda received individual donations from several corporate executives for the current cycle, including Steven Loui, an executive of Pacific Marine and Supply, and the CEO of Servco Pacific, Mark Fukunaga.

The executives of these companies are community leaders and constituents, Tokuda said, “who live in and care about this place we call home.”

Labor PACs Favor Tokuda

Around 40% of the PAC money that Tokuda receives is from labor organizations.

Hawaii has of labor union membership in the United States, and Tokuda has been “a champion of labor” throughout her political career, Moore said.

Case received approximately 16% of his total PAC money from labor union PACs. The 1st Congressional District, which includes Waikiki, is responsible for the majority of Hawai‘i’s tourism economy.

Correction: An earlier version of the graphic incorrectly said Tokuda received $2,500 in defense PAC money. The Tokuda campaign refunded the contribution.

“I have a strong relationship with organized labor both in Hawai‘i and with its parent organizations nationally,” Case said in his email. “My legislative record on national labor and related issues is rated highly by them, and my efforts in areas such as federal funding for Hawai‘i which creates strong jobs as well as maintains a strong federal safety net for those in need are supported by working people and their families. I believe that I receive contributions from various organized labor (as well as business and other) groups because they support my efforts.”

Both Case and Tokuda won their August primaries easily. Tokuda faced no opponent while Case defeated Democrat Cecil Hale.

They also both won their general elections, which is not surprising given that Hawai‘i incumbents have a long history of securing their seats during reelection campaigns.

Case, seeking a sixth term in District 1, ran against Republican Patrick Largey, while Tokuda faced Republican Steve Bond and two third-party candidates, Aaron Toman and Randall Meyer.

Editor’s note: This story was reported by Charlotte Cao, Hina Suzuki and Audrey Widodo as part of a Big Local News journalism class at Stanford University and guided by Civil Beat editors. Data cited in this story was analyzed with help from Stanford University’s DataTalk, an AI-powered tool that translates natural language into formal queries of databases from the Federal Election Commission and . The findings were replicated manually for fact-checking purposes. Big Local News provides data-driven tools and resources for local newsrooms.