Former Rep. Ed Case attends a budget hearing in 2005. He told supporters Saturday that he will decide on a Senate bid by April.
Former Rep. Ed Case told supporters in an email late Saturday that he will decide by mid-April whether to go “all-in” and run for Hawaii’s open Senate seat.
Case, a Democrat, said he has been speaking with senior political leaders in the state and that he will hold meetings in D.C. in the coming week.
He added that a poll he’d commissioned showed he would prevail among contenders for the seat now held by retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D).
“This is a decision that can and should be made soon,” said Case, who would be mounting a repeat bid. He lost a primary challenge to Akaka in 2006 and lost a special election for a House seat last year.
Case told supporters in the email that he commissioned Merriman River Group to poll 1,012 registered voters about the race. He said it found he has “very good” overall name recognition and favorability.
Case also said he performed best among the Democrats in a general election against presumed Republican nominee Linda Lingle, beating her 49-37. The poll was taken earlier this month and had a 3 percent margin of error, he added.
“I know I can serve Hawaii and our country well in the U.S. Senate, know we can mount a solid statewide campaign, know we have a good chance of prevailing, and know I have the full support of Audrey and those closest to us,” he said, mentioning his wife.
Roll Call Politics rates this race Leans Democratic.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
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