NE: Ricketts to be Primariedi 2018?

[BL53931]

The Omaha World Herald this morning carried an article about former governor Heineman challenging current governor Ricketts in 2018.  This does not surprise me. Ricketts has proved to be amazingly inept thus far in his term. The legislature has pushed him around so much he's almost irrelevant. Heineman was a popular governor. I never liked a lot of his policies but he was a good administrator with a brain. Ricketts was given a company by his father when he turned 21 to play with. If this comes to pass I hope the Dems can come up with a strong candidate.

[Suburbia]

Ricketts is a mediocre governor of Nebraska. He shouldn't run again in 2018, he should go help his family run the Chicago Cubs, which may be a real World Series contender for the next couple of years like the 1990s/2000's/2010's Yankees.

Heineman should run, or Jon Bruning.

[BL53931]

Chuck Hasslebrook ran a good race in 2014; it was a GOP year and I doubt any Dem could have won then. He could run again, also Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler might be good. Omaha city council member Pete Festerssen is apparently interested, he's relatively young and attractive.

[Kingpoleon]

Pete Festersen, Chris Beutler, and Brad Ashford are the obvious potential Democratic nominees. Kim Robak, Scott or Jane Kleeb, and several others may run as well.

[Maxwell]

Lord let's hope so. Ricketts is nearly Rick Scott-tier embarrassing.

[Indy Texas]

Despite the State's obvious political leaning, I think that there is an outside chance that the Democrats could compete here provided that they nominate a strong candidate and Ricketts wins the GOP primary.

That would be very interesting if only because a Dem governor of NE would likely mean a court-drawn NE-02 after 2020 and continued EV by CD splitting for the 2020's.

If Nebraska splits its EVs again, I can see the de facto Republican legislature just getting rid of apportionment altogether.

[Figueira]

Lord let's hope so. Ricketts is nearly Rick Scott-tier embarrassing.

What has he done?

[SATW]

Yea, Ricketts seems to be incompetent. He got beat on battles over the death penalty and on an immigration bill.

[BL53931]

Despite the State's obvious political leaning, I think that there is an outside chance that the Democrats could compete here provided that they nominate a strong candidate and Ricketts wins the GOP primary.

That would be very interesting if only because a Dem governor of NE would likely mean a court-drawn NE-02 after 2020 and continued EV by CD splitting for the 2020's.

If Nebraska splits its EVs again, I can see the de facto Republican legislature just getting rid of apportionment altogether.

That has become a litmus test for GOP support for legislative candidates in NE. It is very self serving of them and when pressed my GOP leaning senator came up with the most ridiculous arguments that I told him he was being disingenuous and knew it. They may well get the Unicameral vote to accomplish this in the next session. If so I hope the Ne Democrats get it on the ballot for 2018.

[Suburbia]

Omaha, Nebraska Democrat Heath Mello, who is running for Omaha mayor in 2017, if he loses, can run for Nebraska governor in 2018 and could make that race competitive.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/state-sen-heath-mello-will-challenge-stothert-for-mayor/article_5d36571d-75eb-5867-a3a4-126bb82180a5.html

[rbt48]

If you think about it, suppose if Mello won the Mayoral election next year, he could still run for governor in 2018.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The apportionment thing is kind of moot since Nebraska will almost certainly lose a district next Census.

[Heisenberg]

The apportionment thing is kind of moot since Nebraska will almost certainly lose a district next Census.

Nope, that had been thought of as possible but I don't think it will happen. Maybe 2030.

[Suburbia]

If you think about it, suppose if Mello won the Mayoral election next year, he could still run for governor in 2018.

Yes he could. If he did beat Ricketts or whoever the Nebraska GOP nominates, he could be a dark horse Midwestern Democratic VP contender in the 2020's. He'd balance out a Kamala Harris or a Cory Booker. White, Midwestern to a big city/big state African American candidate.

[Cynthia]

Brad Ashford

[Cubby]

I apologize in advance for going off topic but has there been any news or polls from Nebraska about the Death Penalty referendum next week?

I imagine the voters will overturn the Legislature's repeal of it last year, but would be nice to know if it'll be close or a landslide.

[mds32]

He could get a primary from a Libertarian-leaning Republican. I think they would much rather hold the GOP together rather than split them apart, a way to do that is to go after the main person causing the drama. Ricketts.