Ed Case Says No To Debating Jarrett Keohokalole In Congressional Race

U.S. Rep. Ed Case said he will not debate state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole in advance of the Aug. 8 Democratic primary, arguing that his opponent has had nothing substantive to offer in terms of policy or explaining how he would better represent Hawaiʻi in Washington.  

Case told Civil Beat via text message late Tuesday that any debate with Keohokalole would only serve as a forum to amplify his opponent’s criticisms of him and would “add nothing constructive” to the pre-election discourse. Ultimately, he said it will be up to voters to decide whether they want “more noise or real results.”

“My opponent’s sole campaign strategy is to attack me,” Case said. “He offers no real policy proposals of his own, no alternative vision, no argument of effectiveness. His goal is heightened visibility by any means.”

When asked for a response, Keohokalole read a statement from Case in 2006 in which he criticized U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka for dodging debates. At the time, Case was the young up-and-comer seeking higher office and was urging the incumbent Akaka to “face the voters with me, uncensored and directly.”

“If I was him, I wouldn't want to debate me either,” Keohokalole said. “He has to defend a record that doesn't provide hope for the future for Hawaiʻi. Ed is essentially running on the same platform I am, which is that if you put your faith in me, I can make things happen.”

More: Experience Or New Energy: Case Squares Off Against Keohokalole for Congress

Case’s comments came in response to questions from Civil Beat about whether he would participate in a June 24 candidate forum hosted by the news organization. Keohokalole and his campaign have already agreed to participate. 

"In a time when increasingly every movement of a politician is filtered, even on social media, these kinds of forums are among the few places voters can experience them in unscripted moments,” Amy Pyle, Civil Beat’s executive editor-in-chief, said. “That is one of the many reasons Civil Beat continues to dedicate significant resources to these events in the primary and general elections."

"It's a shame to deprive voters of that opportunity."

Case’s decision not to debate will likely only add to the chorus of criticism coming his way from Keohokalole and his supporters, which include progressive groups like Indivisible Hawaiʻi, as well as prominent business leaders, lobbyists and politicians, such as former Hawaiʻi Gov. Neil Abercrombie and retired First Hawaiian Bank executive Walter Dods.  

Already, Keohokalole’s campaign has been pounding on Case for avoiding local forums and debates. Just last week the campaign issued a press release stating Keohokalole would even travel to Washington for the chance to square off with the congressman so long as it happened before July 21, which is when ballots are expected to arrive in voters’ mailboxes. 

“If the Congressman cannot make the time to come home,” Keohokalole campaign co-chair Amy Agbayani said, “we will bring the debate to him.”

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a state government agency, has only added to the pressure. Earlier this week, OHA Chairman Kai Kahele, a former congressional colleague of Case, announced in a press release that OHA had invited both Case and Keohokalole to participate in a live televised debate with Hawaii News Now so that residents could hear directly from the candidates about issues, such as cost of living, housing and the future of military-leased land. 

Kahele said that it was part of OHA’s efforts to engage Native Hawaiian voters on the issues that matter to them. 

Todd Belt, a political science professor at George Washington University, said it’s not unusual for incumbents like Case to avoid debates or for challengers like Kehokalole to try to make political hay out of ignoring them.  

Congressional elections are heavily driven by name recognition and have an inherent incumbency advantage, which is why the reelection rate in the House is usually well above 90%. Since most voters already know the incumbent, a debate doesn’t add much for them, Belt said, but risks giving their opponent free visibility and attack opportunities.

“When you’re the frontrunner there’s no clear advantage to debating,” Belt said. “Debating is something the underdog wants to do.”

Forums and debates matter most in primary elections, he said, because voters can’t rely on party labels as cues to tell candidates apart, so they need the back and forth to clarify policy differences in what is otherwise a low-information race. This is particularly important in Hawaiʻi, he added, because it’s a one-party dominant state, where the winner of the primary will almost assuredly win a seat in Congress. 

“All those things are arguments as to why primary debates are so much more important than general debates at the congressional level,” Belt said.

John Hart, a professor of communication at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, said that candidate forums and debates, in particular, allow voters to go beyond campaign slogans and well-crafted ads to see how candidates perform in a more spontaneous environment. “You get to see behind the veil,” he said. “This is your last best chance to see who they are as people and what they truly believe in.” 

Debates rarely transform elections on their own, he said, although they can still matter at the margins, especially in close contests by shoring up support or nudging undecideds.

As a former debate coach and supporter of robust political discourse, Hart said he’d like to see Case engage in forums and debates alongside Keohokalole, but if he were advising his campaign he’d likely tell him to stay the course. 

In addition to the risks, debates and forums “create the illusion of equality,” he said, which usually isn’t the image an incumbent who’s leading by 40 points wants to project.

"Ed has thrown the gauntlet down, saying here's why I don't need to debate you, Jarrett,” Hart said. “Now Jarrett is the one that's going to have to pick up the gauntlet. Jarrett is the one that's going to have to answer. Jarrett is the one that's going to have to make the case for why there should be a debate.”