Hawaii State Senator Brenton Awa lost his bid for the U.S. House District 2 seat and will stay in the state senate, which he frames as a loss for him but a focus he can now commit fully to.

• Awa fell well behind in early returns and conceded the congressional race to his opponent.
• He said voters chose to keep him in his current state senate seat rather than send him to Washington, D.C.
• He pointed to voter frustration with the president and national politics as a bigger factor in the loss than anything specific to his campaign.
• He said he's relieved to avoid national politics and plans to focus entirely on local issues for his district over the next two years.
• Awa also suggested he saw stronger grassroots support and signage than the vote count reflected, questioning the voting system.

Outlook: Awa remains in the Hawaii State Senate for the next two years, with plans to expand local projects rather than pursue federal office for now.