Awa Aims for Brief Congressional Stay, Unconcerned with Global Politics

In a recent interview, state Sen. Brenton Awa, a candidate for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, stated his intention to serve only a single two-year term in Congress. Awa remarked, “I don’t care about all those world policies and all the votes that’ll have to be taken.” He emphasized his focus on directing funds toward American families rather than international conflicts, particularly in relation to the Iran war and aid to Israel.

His opponent, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, argued against military aid to Israel, citing its treatment of Palestinians as a humanitarian crisis. She stated, “It’s a genocide,” and criticized funding for weapon sales to the country as having “blood on our hands.” On immigration, while Awa questioned the violent methods of ICE, Tokuda called for bipartisan reform to offer pathways to citizenship without endangering Americans.