The day after voters decided to send Charles Djou to Washington, D.C. for a seat in Congress, Ed Case spent the day body surfing at Point Panic and clearing his yard.

"There's no way to sugar-coat a loss," said Case tonight in an emailed statement. "Last night we lost an election, and I called Republican Charles Djou to congratulate him and offer my assistance as he undertakes his new responsibilities on Capitol Hill for the next seven months."

Djou earned 39.4 percent of the vote in the winner-take-all special election in urban Honolulu 1st Congressional District, replacing Neil Abercrombie. The term ends January 2011.

Djou beat Case and Colleen Hanabusa, both Democrats.

"That we weren't able to achieve all this last night takes nothing away from our continued need for change that will work for us all," Case said.

In his email, Case thanked his supporters and volunteers.

"I am fiercely proud and thank you from the bottom of my heart," Case said. "Tomorrow is a new day. The start of our next chapters together and I'm excited to begin anew."

Djou is the first Republican to in two decades to represent Hawaii in Washington, D.C.