Hawaii state senator Brenton Awa is running for Congress on the argument that a Republican vote from Hawaii would carry more weight in Washington than another Democratic one — a pitch aimed at voters tired of the state being shut out.

• Awa says he does not actually want the job, but took it on after calls came in, including from Democrats, once Trump returned to office.
• His core argument is leverage: if Hawaii holds the deciding Republican vote, it can trade that vote to stop lawsuits targeting Native Hawaiian rights and institutions like Kamehameha Schools.
• He rejects the MAGA label, opposes the federal spending cuts, calls the way immigration enforcement is being carried out extreme, and wants the Epstein files released.
• A former journalist, he says he picked the Republican party because it was weak and disorganized locally, making it easier to take over.
• He is committing to one term, and names fixing the blood quantum rule — which blocks some Hawaiian families from passing homestead land to their children — as a change two congressional committees could make without a full vote.

Outlook: Incumbent Jill Tokuda has declined further debates this cycle, so the race is likely to be fought through community campaigning rather than head-to-head matchups.