Nebraska Republican Party Chairman Eric Underwood speaks during a Turning Point Action event with Charlie Kirk in Omaha in April 2024. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Republican Party's discontent with some of its elected leaders gave way this weekend to what the party hopes will be an autumn of reconciliation and a rally against Democrats.
Most expect the state GOP central committee to endorse the five members of Nebraska's all-GOP federal congressional delegation, as it did Saturday at a rally in Hastings.
But the Nebraska GOP has spent more than two years trying to resolve differences between some in the party's base and others who call those party members “the political establishment.”
Reconciliation after January
The party made headlines in January by emphasizing parts of the Constitution that required it to support only candidates who asked for its support—and none of the representatives in Congress asked for that support.
The party's constitution has no such requirement for general election recommendations. Such recommendations seemed likely in Maywhen former Omaha Mayor and U.S. Representative Hal Daub proposed supporting former President Donald Trump and the entire federal delegation in the general election.
But Congressional support stalled when some refused to embrace the status quo, days after a series of contentious primaries.
Some are still unhappy
Some Republicans grumbled Saturday when the party endorsed U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, along with U.S. Representatives Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith.
Many of the opponents are loyal to candidates who lost the primaries, especially those supporting Dan Frei over Bacon in Omaha's 2nd District.
The Nebraska Freedom Coalition issued a statement after the endorsement expressing frustration with the endorsements, saying the incumbents had not supported the new GOP.
Approvals widely supported
But several attendees told the Examiner that the sitting delegates were supported by about 2-1 in a voice vote.
Party leaders released a statement Sunday saying they wanted to consolidate support for the GOP and strengthen the party's “fundamental values.”
State party Chairman Eric Underwood said in a statement that it was time for the party to respect its primary voters, who overwhelmingly sided with the incumbent delegates.
“We support the candidates that the Republicans chose in the primaries,” Underwood's statement read. “We are the party that is OF, BY and FOR the PEOPLE.”
Delegation grateful
Fischer thanked the group for their support on Sunday. She will likely face nonpartisan Dan Osborn of Omaha.
“It is critical that we have a strong and united Nebraska Republican Party focused on winning in November,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will elect Republicans to every ballot to stop the dangerous and failed Democratic agenda.”
Bacon thanked the GOP in a statement for “respecting the wishes of Republican voters in the 2nd District.”
“We are a major party and I look forward to their support so we can keep this district red!” said Bacon, who is running against Democratic Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.
The state's Republican Party also supported a large number of Republicans at lower levels in elections for schools boards and the legislature, among other places.
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