Senate Dem nominee Burbank endorses nonpartisan Ahlman in Nebraska’s 1st District U.S. House race

LINCOLN — Nebraska Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Cindy Burbank, whom the party backed in the May primary election, has endorsed nonpartisan Austin Ahlman in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District over the Democrat who won the U.S. House primary. 

The 1st District race has been jostled by progressive journalist Austin Ahlman jumping into the race alongside Democratic nominee Chris Backemeyer, a former diplomat, and the incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood. The Nebraska Democratic Party chair has called Ahlman a “fringe third candidate” and accused him of being a potential spoiler. 

Burbank, in a statement, said, “There may be a spoiler in this race, but it isn’t Austin.” She said she is “proud to support Austin because he truly understands the real struggles of families in Nebraska right now.”

Burbank, echoing Ahlman, criticized some of Backemeyer’s tenure at the State Department, which lasted 20 years. Ahlman has said part of why he chose to run was because part of Backemeyer’s work involved Israel and the Middle East. Backemeyer has defended his work under multiple presidents.  

Burbank, the Senate Democratic nominee who had no real political profile locally until the race, has gained national attention for fending off anti-abortion pastor William Forbes in a primary in which both major candidates faced allegations of being planted candidates for either nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn (Burbank) or Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (Forbes). Both the accused candidates and both competing top-line campaigns denied any involvement in such efforts. 

Burbank jumped into the senate race on the last day of the filing deadline, shortly after Forbes filed to run. She has said she plans to drop out of the Senate race to give Osborn a cleaner shot against Ricketts, although Secretary of State Bob Evnen has hinted that he might force her to sue to remove her name from the ballot. 

Burbank, in recent interviews, has hinted at some tension between her and Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb. Burbank told the New York Times that Kleeb told her to “sit down and shut up and not talk to anybody.” Kleeb told the Times she was trying to help Burbank avoid getting tossed from the ballot. 

Burbank also expressed frustrations with Kleeb at a Denise Powell event in Omaha in April. Ahlman said he is thrilled to have Cindy’s endorsement. 

“Working Nebraskans have got far more in common with each other than party bosses and the donor class, and that’s why we’re going to win,” Ahlman said. 

Nebraska Democrats have criticized Ahlman for jumping into the race after the primaries. Backemeyer’s campaign has argued that Ahlman was going to run regardless of the primary’s results.

Kleeb, in a statement Tuesday morning, said the Nebraska Democratic Party supports Chris Backemeyer to defeat Flood. 

“Anyone jumping into this race this late to split the vote isn’t offering an alternative, they’re handing Mike Flood a gift,” she said. “The united choice for change is Chris Backemeyer.”

The Backemeyer campaign released a poll last week showing him within striking distance of Flood in a head-to-head contest. It indicated that Ahlman would take support away from Backemeyer in a three-way race. Kleeb, posting about the poll on X, wrote, “We don’t need spoiler candidates. Backemeyer is best positioned to win.”

The Ahlman campaign released its own poll when he launched his bid on May 14, showing a nonpartisan candidate could win the district in a head-to-head contest with Flood alone — if the Democratic nominee quit the race — after educating voters about the candidates. 

To reach the general election ballot, Ahlman would need to gather and submit 2,000 signatures from registered voters in the 1st District by Aug. 3. Nik Sandman is also running as a Libertarian.  The general election is Nov. 3