Obama urges Hawaii voters to pick ‘a Democrat’ in May 22 special election

President Barack Obama urged voters to support “a Democrat” in a Hawaii special election, though he didn’t get more specific than that.

The president recorded a robocall for voters in the state’s 1st congressional district, where Democratic primary voters are split between former Rep. Ed Case (D) and state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D).

“Aloha, this is President Obama on behalf of the Democratic Party. As you know, there’s an election for Congress taking place, and your support for a Democrat is crucial for us to continue pushing forward our agenda for change,” Obama says in the call, which was sponsored by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

“I need a Democrat who will support my agenda in Congress,” the president said. “It’s crucial that you vote and you vote Democratic.”

The Republican candidate in the race, Charles Djou, has benefited from a split field ahead of the May 22 special election to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D), who resigned.

Democrats have stayed neutral in the race, but have hoped that one of the two candidates might prevail with high turnout in the traditionally Democratic district.