HASTINGS — As Nebraska Democrats convened here for the party's annual convention, they gave little indication of whether the party might propose a write-in U.S Senate candidate to challenge Deb Fischer, the Republican incumbent.
Leading up to May's primary election, Democrats had considered endorsing nonpartisan Senate hopeful Dan Osborn, who is gathering signatures for his independent bid. But Osborn angered party leaders on the morning after the primary when he announced that he wouldn't accept endorsements from any party.
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb quickly vowed that Democrats would offer a write-in candidate to compete with Fischer and Osborn. But the party has since softened on that pledge and has taken no action to name a write-in challenger at the convention.
Democrats would only help Fischer win a third term if they put up a write-in candidate, said Jessica Taylor, who covers Senate and gubernatorial races for the Cook Political Report.
Write-in candidates seldom have a chance of winning, Taylor said, and adding a Democratic candidate to the race would undermine any prospects that Osborn might have to unseat Fischer.
Preston Love Jr., the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts in Nebraska's other U.S. Senate race this year, served as a write-in candidate for Democrats in 2020. The role, he said, is less about trying to win, and more about giving Democrats an option they can support.Â
"It's theater more than anything else," Love said.Â
Some attendees at Saturday's convention said there could be a benefit in submitting a Senate write-in candidate just for the sake of having a Democratic option on the ballot. Shannon Graves, co-chair of the state party's platform and resolutions committee, said such a candidate could be beneficial for Democrats in rural Nebraska.Â
"To have a Democrat on the ballot, any way we can get them there, (would) let the rest of the world know that there are Democrats out there in (the 3rd District), and we're not three-headed monsters," Graves said.Â
Democrats have until Oct. 25 to offer a write-in candidate for the November election, and Kleeb said the party may not make a decision until much later in the year.
This weekend's convention in Hastings focused mainly on supporting Democratic candidates on the November ballot, including a voter registration initiative and new efforts on behalf of Democrats in rural races.
Kleeb announced on Saturday that the national party approved $40,000 to help Nebraska Democrats hire a rural coordinator who will be focused on helping the party's candidates win in more rural districts. Kleeb said Democrats would particularly focus on legislative races in District 33, which includes Phelps, Kearney and Adams counties, and District 35, which includes Grand Island.Â
Legislative races are officially nonpartisan, but both districts have Democratic candidates on the general election ballot — Michelle Smith for District 33, and Dan Quick for District 35. Both districts are currently represented by Republicans.Â
The state party is also getting national support for an effort to register an additional 10,000 Democratic voters before November, with a goal of getting half that number from the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. State Sen. Tony Vargas hopes to unseat incumbent Republican Don Bacon in the 2nd District House race, and President Joe Biden aims to win an electoral vote there in his presidential race.Â
Overall, registered Republican voters in Nebraska currently outnumber Democrats by a nearly 2-1 margin.Â
Graves said she had thought Osborn could have a chance at defeating Fischer if he partnered with Democrats. In fact, she had provided one of the 4,000 signatures he needs to get on the ballot as an independent. But she said Saturday that she isn't comfortable voting for a candidate who hasn't said which party he would caucus with if elected.Â
Love agreed that Osborn hurt himself by refusing party endorsements, because it dampened enthusiasm Democratic voters once had for him. Even in his own race, Love said, he knows he needs the backing of Democratic, Republican and nonpartisan voters alike.Â
Kleeb noted that Nebraska Democrats are currently endorsing 11 nonpartisan candidates. She has said that Osborn had earlier expressed interest in getting the Democratic endorsement and had asked the party to not field a candidate for that reason.
Osborn did not directly address these accusations when Kleeb first made this claim, but instead criticized the state party.Â
"This kind of behavior is frankly the exact reason I decided not to take political endorsements," Osborn said in a May email statement. "Americans are sick of political elites putting party over principle and so am I."
Taylor of the Cook Political Report said she does not see a path for Osborn to defeat Fischer — with or without Democratic support. Osborn could only win if he pulls a significant number of Republican voters, which she considers unlikely.Â
"This is clearly a Republican seat," Taylor said.Â
Kleeb, however, said the U.S. electorate is "all over the place," and said both Democratic and nonpartisan candidates may have better chances of success even in GOP-leaning places. However, she said Nebraska Democrats are currently focused on supporting their party's existing candidates.
"We're focused on the races that we have on the ballot," Kleeb said. "And if we need to put a write-in candidate up, we will."Â