Press Releases

Hawaii’s working class is under threat from the White House and extremist members of the U.S. Congress who have sought to slash funding for health care and essential programs, pushing states like Hawaii to consider drastic cuts to public services and layoffs. And all this so their billionaire backers can make themselves richer on the backs of the middle class.

That’s why the Hawaii Government Employees Association today is endorsing U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda as she runs for re-election to Hawaii’s Second Congressional District. While anti-union extremists on the other side of the aisle are for their own enrichment, Tokuda is fighting for our working class. She has a proven track record middle class families can trust.

“Everything is at stake in this election: Our jobs, health care, retirement security, and even our most basic civil rights,” said HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira. “Words are easy — there will always be politicians who tell you what you want to hear. That’s not Jill. She understands what Hawaii’s families are facing, and she’s on the frontlines for them every day.”

“I’m deeply honored to receive the support from the working men and women of HGEA,” said Rep. Jill Tokuda, CD-2. “This election is crucial to protecting our local values from the assault of our rights and provide opportunities for our working families to not just survive, but to thrive.”

Now more than ever Hawaii needs fighters in Washington, D.C, and Rep. Tokuda doesn’t back down. When extremists in Congress proposed their so-called Big Beautiful Bill to slash billions from SNAP food benefits and Medicaid coverage for Hawaii residents, she voted no. She called it what it was: A cruel theft from the most vulnerable people, like thousands of our kupuna and keiki here at home, to hand billions in tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.

As the affordability crisis grows bleaker by the day, Rep. Tokuda is fighting to strengthen access to rural healthcare, expand job training opportunities, grow affordable housing projects, and deliver real investments to strengthen our communities.

While she’s making progress for us even under a hostile administration, the threat Hawaii faces is real. Federal cuts to social safety net programs are forcing states and local governments to make hard choices about healthcare, food assistance, education, and public safety. Rep. Tokuda is standing together with HGEA members and their families to protect our jobs and the vital public services we’re delivering for Hawaii. She knows Hawaii works best when we do.