Democracy for America today endorsed Hawaiʻi State Representative Kaniela Ing in his race for Hawaiʻi’s 1st Congressional District seat.

Kaniela Ing.

Ing, a three-time elected member of the Hawaiʻi State House, is DFA’s first Congressional endorsement in Hawaiʻi in 2018.

In July 2017, DFA endorsed Sen. Mazie Hirono for her 2018 re-election following a speech she delivered on the Senate floor that supporters say “helped derail Republican efforts to dismantle Obamacare.” In 2014, DFA was also a supporter of Sen. Brian Schatz’s successful re-election campaign.

DFA Chair Jim Dean on the decision to back Kaniela Ing in the race for Hawaiʻi’s 1st Congressional District said:

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“Democracy for America is endorsing Kaniela Ing in his race for Congress in Hawaiʻi not only because he’s running on as an unapologetic progressive on an inclusive populist agenda, but because he knows how to build the kind of grassroots campaign progressive need to win a tough primary election and deliver on the bold reforms our country needs once he’s in office.

“From his steadfast support for Medicare for All and affordable to his visionary call for other courageous ideas like a federal job guarantee and tuition-free college, Kaniela Ing won’t just be another vote in Congress for the right policies, he’ll be the kind of audacious thought leader Democrats need to make big change possible.

“We need bold, next-generation grassroots leaders like Kaniela Ing showing Democrats the path forward in 2018 and beyond, and that’s why we could not be more excited to support him in the race for Hawaiʻi’s 1st Congressional District..”

Upon receiving the DFA endorsement, Ing said:

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“Hawaiʻi has the highest cost of living and the lowest wages in America. 70% of my classmates moved away to find affordable jobs and housing. So fighting Trump is important, but it’s not enough. As a young father, I work so that my two-year-old son will have a shot to make it in Hawaiʻi. Democracy for America understands that change comes from building movements from the ground up and that we need representatives in Congress who understand our struggles of working people. I’m honored by their endorsement, and look forward to fighting alongside them.”

Kaniela Ing (HI-Rep-11) was elected to the Hawaiʻi State House in 2012.

DFA has 8,328 members in the state of Hawaiʻi and more than one million members nationwide.

Democracy for America is a “member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with more than one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism.”

Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $54 million and made more than 21.9 million volunteer calls to help elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.