The latest filings with the FEC show Hirono, who is on the ballot in 2024, collected several hundred thousand dollars for her campaign.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono raised more campaign cash in the second quarter of 2023 than any of her Hawaii colleagues.

Hirono, 75, is on the ballot in 2024 along with fellow Democrats U.S. representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda.

According to Hirono’s latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, her campaign raised more than $405,000 between April 1 and June 30, which is nearly three times more than what Tokuda pulled in during the same time frame.

Tokuda, who is in the midst of her first term, ranked second among Hawaii’s four member delegation with nearly $141,000 in contributions.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, seen here talking to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in the Capitol basement, is gearing up for another run for office. (Nick Grube/Civil Beat/2023)

Hirono reported having more than $1.3 million in cash on hand as of June 30. For the Hawaii delegation, that’s second only to U.S. Sen Brian Schatz, who still had $2 million in the bank after winning reelection in 2022.

The fundraising for Hawaii’s delegation is minor compared to that of their Democratic colleagues who face competitive races elsewhere, especially in the Senate where the GOP is seeking to retake control of the chamber.

For instance, Democratic U.S. senators Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio reported raising $4.9 million and $4.2 million for their respective races in the second quarter.

A similar story is playing out in the House, although not to the same scale.

Democrats in competitive races raised an average of $444,000 in the second quarter and had $669,000 in cash on hand, according to a report from NBC News. Their GOP colleagues on the other hand reported raising $700,000 and having $1.2 million in the bank.

At this point, Hirono has yet to draw a significant challenger in 2024 and the likelihood that she does is slim.

Former state Rep. Bob McDermott, a Republican, said he is considering running for Hirono’s seat, but has yet to make an official announcement. McDermott ran against U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz in 2022 on a single issue platform centered on shutting down the Navy’s bulk fuel storage facility at Red Hill.

His campaign never gained much traction and he lost by 44 percentage points.

Case and Tokuda also have yet to draw a noteworthy opponent in 2024.

Colin Moore, a political scientist at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, said he doesn’t see much drama on the congressional ballot. He said Hirono, who gained notoriety as an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, is a popular Democratic senator both nationally and at home.

“People generally like Sen. Hirono,” Moore said. “She may be a little too combative and liberal for some folks, but overall she’s well liked. There’s also no one who would stand a chance running against her that I can see.”

Even if McDermott does decide to enter the race, Moore said he would merely be viewed as a token Republican challenger and not someone who has any legitimate shot at winning.

Case and Tokuda also don’t appear to be particularly vulnerable, Moore said.

It’s possible progressives once again try to mount a campaign against Case from his left flank, but for such a challenge to be successful, Moore said, will likely require a lot of money and enthusiasm that just doesn’t appear to exist.

Tokuda, too, seems safe, he said, in part because voters in Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District probably want a little stability after four years of turnover.

John Hart, another longtime political observer and chairman of the Hawaii Pacific University communication department, held similar views as Moore. And he was even more succinct about the upcoming races.

“Right now it’s a snoozefest,” Hart said.

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