Hawaiian Democratic primaries reward incumbents Ige and Gabbard

Hawaiians voted in Democratic and Republican primaries Saturday, the former garnering more attention given the state's deep blue voting base.

Though his popularity suffered thanks to his handling of January's false alarm missile alert, incumbent Gov. David Ige (D) won a relatively easy victory, besting his strongest challenger by a seven-point margin. "It's been a grueling campaign," Ige said when his victory was announced. "It's truly a heart-warming finish to a very, very challenging and exciting time." He'll face Hawaii state Rep. Andria Tupola (R) in the general.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D) also won her primary race, while the other House primary — an open seat because Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) challenged Ige — is projected to go to former Rep. Ed Case, a Blue Dog Democrat, over state Rep. Kaniela Ing, a democratic socialist.

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