RNC chair looks to squash Nebraska’s independent experiment

OMAHA — Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters sipped a vanilla latte at Rally Coffee Co. in a state where he hadn’t expected to spend time at the beginning of the midterm cycle. 

“But I love Nebraska,” Gruters quickly told the Examiner Wednesday. “I’m glad I’m here … we don’t always get to come to Nebraska because you guys aren’t usually competitive, but this cycle you are, and so hopefully we won’t have to come back here again in two years.”

Gruters — despite the political environment — said he believes Republicans still have a path to maintain control of both the U.S. House and Senate because the GOP has the fundraising advantage and candidates who he thinks can win. Meanwhile, the independent Dan Osborn campaign and Nebraska Democrats see the visits as a sign that Republicans are concerned about holding the traditionally red state. 

Gruters said Republicans’ secret weapon is President Donald Trump. 

“(Trump) has been able to turn out low-propensity voters three times. That’s why when he’s at these rallies, he says, ‘I’m on the ballot,’” said Gruters, who became chair of the RNC last year. “He is, because if somehow the left wins, either the House or the Senate, they’re going to investigate, obstruct, impeach.”

In the last month before Election Day Nov. 3, Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and now Vice President JD Vance have visited Nebraska to campaign for incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. 

Gruters said the GOP can lean on Ricketts’ reputation as  a “conservative fighter” with “robust knowledge of the policy issues” to win the race

The former governor is in a bitter race against registered nonpartisan Osborn as both have engaged in heavy mudslinging.  Gruters said the recent events aim to energize the GOP base.

“What we have to do is we’re going all over the country, including states that we wouldn’t normally go to, because it’s all about turnout,” Gruters said. 

Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb, who is the Democratic National Committee’s vice chair, said in a statement that Gruters’ visit to Nebraska is “very telling that things are very bad for local Republicans.”

“We will not take our foot off the gas no matter what the RNC plans,” Kleeb said. “Our coalition of supporters has been on the ground and talking to voters from Alliance to Plattsmouth. Democrats across Nebraska are mobilizing this upcoming weekend to knock 10,000 doors in a day to ensure voter turnout translates into victories for our Democratic and independent candidates up and down the ballot.” 

Kleeb said ensuring victory for those candidates is necessary to stop “local MAGA candidates like Pete Ricketts, Mike Flood, and Adrian Smith from rubber-stamping all of Trump’s hurtful and disastrous policies.”

The Nebraska Senate race set a trend for other red states with independent candidates. Osborn is one of a handful of nonpartisan candidates who have been painted as Democrats by their opponents.

The Osborn campaign released a statement about GOP leaders’ recent visits to Nebraska, saying that if only “Ricketts brought this much attention to Nebraska before his job was in jeopardy, he wouldn’t have to spend millions on a reelection campaign.”

“We have a busy schedule finishing the 93-county tour, but would happily make time for either Leader Thune or Vice President Vance if they wanted to meet,” said Xavier Royer, an Osborn spokesperson.