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Politico
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Democrats have ‘blue dot' dreams in Nebraska
What up, Recast fam. On today's agenda: Don't look now, but Democrats are suddenly full of optimism about their prospects … in Nebraska. The carmine-tinged state with its famous 'blue dot' around Omaha is suddenly looking like a legitimate battleground to zealous Democrats. They are buoyed by a key GOP retirement from Congress and a local electoral victory where a longtime Republican was toppled. And that was before last week's passage of Donald Trump's megabill, which his critics predict will add trillions of dollars to the national deficit and boot millions of people off Medicaid. 'There is so much anger at what is happening with all of the cuts, in particular in rural communities, that if there was ever an opening to win statewide, [2026] is the year,' Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb told The Recast. Practicality and coalition building is nonnegotiable for her party to compete in a state like Nebraska, Kleeb said. It's partly why she's not planning to recruit a candidate in next year's Senate race — an effort to help boost the chances of independent populist candidate Dan Osborn, who launched his candidacy Tuesday to compete against incumbent GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts, a low-key but ultra-wealthy former governor who is seeking a full six-year term. Kleeb met with Osborn last week. Among the topics they discussed was whether he would have voted for Trump's sweeping 'big, beautiful bill,' which Osborn affirmed he would not have — though he does agree with Trump that 'Biden failed us at the border.' To understand why Democrats are excited in Nebraska — a state where Republicans control the offices of governor, secretary of state, attorney general, the state Legislature and all three of the state's congressional seats — requires a look at recent trends in the 'blue dot,' otherwise known as Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Was The Recast forwarded to you by a friend? Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter here. You'll get a weekly breakdown of how race and identity are the DNA of American politics and policy. Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr.'s decisive victory in May — a 13 percentage point walloping of three-term Republican Jean Stothert — made him the first Democrat to hold the post since 2013. Ewing is also the city's first Black mayor. In an op-ed, he cited not getting pulled into divisive national politics and focusing instead on kitchen table issues like crumbling streets and housing affordability as some of the reasons behind his victory. 'For too long, cities like Omaha have been ignored by national political strategists and the media,' he wrote. 'We're considered flyover country, not a political battleground. But that kind of thinking is short-sighted.' In addition to Ewing's victory, there was also last week's announcement from centrist U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) that he would not seek reelection, offering the best opportunity for Democrats in recent memory to compete for an open and winnable congressional seat. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently moved the seat from 'Toss Up' to 'Lean Democrat.' 'I think Nebraska has a real, real chance of being the center of a lot that goes on this political season,' said Ken Schilz, a former Republican state senator from Nebraska who suggested Democrats' excitement about making gains in the state might be warranted. He cautioned, though, that there might not be enough deep-pocketed donors to help compete for the seat Bacon is vacating and boost Osborn in his Senate run. 'If [Democrats are] going to win a statewide election in Nebraska, you've got to have the money from Omaha,' he said. 'And if all that money from Omaha is tied up in a congressional race, it'll be hard to find any of that for any other races.' The House contest, he added, 'could have the ability … to suck the air out of the room.' Kleeb pushed back on that assertion. 'We are clearly ready and focused on winning the 2nd Congressional District, and have a plan to do that, and we are definitely focused on helping win statewide as well.' All the best,The Recast Team DAVIS EYES SENATE RUN Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) is eyeing a bid for a North Carolina Senate seat in 2026. If he wins, Davis would become the Tar Heel State's first Black senator. Hannah Spengler, his chief of staff, told POLITICO that the second-term congressman is 'looking at all options and not ruling anything out,' while my colleagues Nicholas Wu and Jordain Carney also note that should Davis follow through on that Senate run, it would mean giving up a closely contested House seat in a district won by Trump last cycle. Davis, who has earned a reputation as a moderate who does not engage in fiery clashes with his GOP colleagues, is likely enticed by a potential run following last week's stunning announcement that incumbent GOP Sen. Thom Tillis will not seek reelection. That announcement came on the heels of Tillis' refusal to vote for Trump's megabill and the president's subsequent threat to back a primary challenger for Tillis' seat. Last cycle, Davis faced fiercer competition than he did when he was first elected in 2022, thanks to the GOP-controlled state Legislature's redistricting that made the state's 1st Congressional District far more competitive. In the state's only true toss-up contest last cycle, Davis narrowly defeated his Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout by roughly 6,300 votes. With Tillis retiring at the end of his term, Democrats are bullish about their chances of winning a North Carolina Senate seat, which has been the party's white whale since Tillis defeated Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014. Democrats' hopes were dashed in 2022 when House Freedom Caucus member Ted Budd beat Democrat Cheri Beasley, a former state Supreme Court judge, in what had been an open contest to replace the then-retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr. That loss extended Democrats' losing streak in North Carolina's Senate and presidential contests dating back to 2008, when both Hagan and Barack Obama carried the state. Aside from the potential bid from Davis, former Rep. Wiley Nickel announced his Senate campaign in April, becoming the first declared Democratic candidate. Popular former Gov. Roy Cooper is the biggest wild card on the Democratic side and would enter as the undisputed frontrunner for the nomination. He's expected to make his decision this summer. On the Republican side, RNC Chair Michael Whatley and Rep. Pat Harrigan are reportedly eyeing bids, as is Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, who grew up in Wilmington. WHAT WE'RE WATCHING THIS WEEK Gerontocracy watch — Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, a civil rights icon, has been steadfast in her public statements that she will seek reelection next year when she turns 89. Her staff, however, has contradicted those statements on multiple occasions, telling reporters that 'no decision has been made.' POLITICO's Michael Schaffer looks at the delicate dance of covering aging members of Congress. And more: TODAY'S CULTURE NEWS Mahershala Ali dodges questions about 'Blade' — The two-time Oscar winner, who also stars in this weekend's top box office earning 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' is done talking about his long-delayed star turn as the titular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Craig Robinson says he's quitting comedy — The former star of 'The Office' gives hints as to why in an Instagram post. Cardi B and her NFL boo on the outs? — It's fueling speculation after the 'I Like It' rapper scrubbed her social media posts of any mention of NFL receiver Stefon Diggs.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Can the Democratic Party free itself from the Biden brand?
Former President Joe Biden 'has told some Democratic leaders he'll raise funds, campaign and do anything else necessary for Democrats to recover lost ground,' NBC News reported last week. Some prominent party supporters reacted with skepticism while insisting on anonymity, but Jane Kleeb, a new vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, voiced open enthusiasm. 'If you were to call any state party chair and ask them if they wanted Joe Biden to be a keynote speaker for their annual dinner, the answer would be yes,' Kleeb said. 'He is beloved by the party and beloved by the voters.' Kleeb is a rising star on the national stage, after many years as the innovative head of the Nebraska Democratic Party. In February, state party chairs elected her to a four-year term as president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, replacing Ken Martin when he became the new DNC chair. The two are close allies. Does Kleeb truly believe that all state Democratic chairs would want Biden to keynote their annual dinner? The claim seems dubious. Her description of Biden as 'beloved by the voters' is quite a stretch; Gallup polls show that Biden's approval remained in the vicinity of 40 percent during the last three years of his presidency. As the Democratic Party struggles to regroup after its disastrous 2024 election, what is needed from leadership is candor, not more politician-speak that touts Biden as some kind of guiding light for the future. Kleeb's depiction of him is disconnected from the outlooks of grassroots Democrats. Today, few Democrats agree that Biden is a fitting exemplar for their party. This month, when a CNN poll asked Democratic voters 'which one person best reflects the core values of the Democratic Party,' only 1 percent chose Biden. Pretending otherwise is politically foolish. Biden might appeal to the more hidebound party leaders, but it's a whole different story for the voters that the party needs to mobilize. The reflex to do implausible public relations has been chronic among Democratic leaders, often undermining their credibility and damaging the party's electoral prospects. The anger that so many blue voters are venting at congressional Democrats this month is largely a response to party leaders' continuation of Biden-style politics, akin to following Marquess of Queensberry rules while being attacked with hammers and knives. Meanwhile, people who comprise the Democratic base are crying out for a far more combative strategy against the MAGA Republicans as they take a wrecking ball to basic democratic structures of the U.S. government. Telling voters that they find Biden 'beloved' is the kind of infantilizing nonsense more befitting of a PR agency than a political party in need of credibility. This is the sort of fawning approach that enabled Biden to run for reelection until it was too late, as Democrats in Congress and state party chairs publicly lauded the Biden 2024 campaign even while often privately bemoaning its slim chances. Biden, with his zeal for compromising with Republican politicians and his routinely feeble opposition to them, could hardly be less of a model for what the Democratic Party — and the country — now desperately need. In 2019, Biden declared, 'The thing that will fundamentally change things is with Donald Trump out of the White House. Not a joke. You will see an epiphany occur among many of my Republican friends.' Of course, no such epiphany occurred. After winning the 2020 election, Biden made a point of lamenting 'the refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another.' Despite the GOP's obvious extremism, he contended that the American people 'want us to cooperate' and pledged 'that's the choice I'll make.' While president, Biden often extended an olive branch to congressional Republicans, who only to have Republicans toss it aside and block the Democratic agenda. All this matters now because party leadership must stop pretending about the past in order to chart a viable path toward regaining power. But leadership has shown few signs of recognizing why Democrats lost so much support from voters during Biden's term. Despite the massive falloff of working-class votes that sank the Democratic ticket last year, the response of the party establishment has been to deny the truth in what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in the wake of the election: 'It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.' Days after the November wipeout, the DNC's then-chair Jaime Harrison blasted Sanders's critique as 'straight up BS.' A month later, Sanders's astute postmortem was still rankling party loyalists. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) went out of his way to label it 'an absolute crock.' Now, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are inspiring huge crowds and voter excitement with economic populist messages, in sharp contrast to mainline congressional Democrats who are incapable of doing any such thing. The faster that the Democratic Party can shed the Biden brand, the better its prospects will be for the midterms and the 2028 presidential campaign. Trying to pretty up the party's recent past can only divert attention from the need to discard old playbooks and really fight for a much better future. Norman Solomon is cofounder of and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. His book 'War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine' was published in 2023. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Can the Democratic Party free itself from the Biden brand?
Former President Joe Biden 'has told some Democratic leaders he'll raise funds, campaign and do anything else necessary for Democrats to recover lost ground,' NBC News reported last week. Some prominent party supporters reacted with skepticism while insisting on anonymity, but Jane Kleeb, a new vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, voiced open enthusiasm. 'If you were to call any state party chair and ask them if they wanted Joe Biden to be a keynote speaker for their annual dinner, the answer would be yes,' Kleeb said. 'He is beloved by the party and beloved by the voters.' Kleeb is a rising star on the national stage, after many years as the innovative head of the Nebraska Democratic Party. In February, state party chairs elected her to a four-year term as president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, replacing Ken Martin when he became the new DNC chair. The two are close allies. Does Kleeb truly believe that all state Democratic chairs would want Biden to keynote their annual dinner? The claim seems dubious. Her description of Biden as 'beloved by the voters' is quite a stretch; Gallup polls show that Biden's approval remained in the vicinity of 40 percent during the last three years of his presidency. As the Democratic Party struggles to regroup after its disastrous 2024 election, what is needed from leadership is candor, not more politician-speak that touts Biden as some kind of guiding light for the future. Kleeb's depiction of him is disconnected from the outlooks of grassroots Democrats. Today, few Democrats agree that Biden is a fitting exemplar for their party. This month, when a CNN poll asked Democratic voters 'which one person best reflects the core values of the Democratic Party,' only 1 percent chose Biden. Pretending otherwise is politically foolish. Biden might appeal to the more hidebound party leaders, but it's a whole different story for the voters that the party needs to mobilize. The reflex to do implausible public relations has been chronic among Democratic leaders, often undermining their credibility and damaging the party's electoral prospects. The anger that so many blue voters are venting at congressional Democrats this month is largely a response to party leaders' continuation of Biden-style politics, akin to following Marquess of Queensberry rules while being attacked with hammers and knives. Meanwhile, people who comprise the Democratic base are crying out for a far more combative strategy against the MAGA Republicans as they take a wrecking ball to basic democratic structures of the U.S. government. Telling voters that they find Biden 'beloved' is the kind of infantilizing nonsense more befitting of a PR agency than a political party in need of credibility. This is the sort of fawning approach that enabled Biden to run for reelection until it was too late, as Democrats in Congress and state party chairs publicly lauded the Biden 2024 campaign even while often privately bemoaning its slim chances. Biden, with his zeal for compromising with Republican politicians and his routinely feeble opposition to them, could hardly be less of a model for what the Democratic Party — and the country — now desperately need. In 2019, Biden declared, 'The thing that will fundamentally change things is with Donald Trump out of the White House. Not a joke. You will see an epiphany occur among many of my Republican friends.' Of course, no such epiphany occurred. After winning the 2020 election, Biden made a point of lamenting 'the refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another.' Despite the GOP's obvious extremism, he contended that the American people 'want us to cooperate' and pledged 'that's the choice I'll make.' While president, Biden often extended an olive branch to congressional Republicans, who only to have Republicans toss it aside and block the Democratic agenda. All this matters now because party leadership must stop pretending about the past in order to chart a viable path toward regaining power. But leadership has shown few signs of recognizing why Democrats lost so much support from voters during Biden's term. Despite the massive falloff of working-class votes that sank the Democratic ticket last year, the response of the party establishment has been to deny the truth in what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in the wake of the election: 'It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.' Days after the November wipeout, the DNC's then-chair Jaime Harrison blasted Sanders's critique as 'straight up BS.' A month later, Sanders's astute postmortem was still rankling party loyalists. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) went out of his way to label it 'an absolute crock.' Now, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are inspiring huge crowds and voter excitement with economic populist messages, in sharp contrast to mainline congressional Democrats who are incapable of doing any such thing. The faster that the Democratic Party can shed the Biden brand, the better its prospects will be for the midterms and the 2028 presidential campaign. Trying to pretty up the party's recent past can only divert attention from the need to discard old playbooks and really fight for a much better future.
