OMAHA- Critics of the recent resolution passed by the Nebraska Democratic Party say it has caused an unnecessary distraction from local races — especially competitive House races in the 1st and 2nd Districts — and may damage financial contributions to Democrats and the party as a whole. But most concerningly, to some members of the party, is that the resolution “basically slandered” one of its own — Kleine was a longtime Democrat who has held his elected office since 2007. On Wednesday of this week, Kleine re-registered as a Republican and was welcomed by party leadership.
“It’s causing serious damage to the party,” said Paul Landow, a longtime Democratic activist and former executive director of the state party who now is a political science professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “It will diminish, it will erode long-term support for the party structure and makes it much more difficult to have any chance at all in electing Democrats in Nebraska.”
The Nebraska Republican Party already is using the issue to sow discord among Democrats and try to sway voters to GOP candidates. In a recent email, Republicans challenged Kara Eastman, the Democratic congressional candidate in the 2nd District, to say whether she supports the resolution. Angie Philips, who ran in this year’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and lost to Chris Janicek, fully supports Fox’s resolution. For the Democratic Party to ensure that all feel included, she said, strong stances on issues like race are needed.