LINCOLN- Jazari Kual says those representing Nebraska in Washington, D.C., should look more like the people being served.

That’s why he’s running for Congress.

Kual is seeking Nebraska’s 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which has been represented by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry since 2005. Kual entered the race as a Democrat and will face State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks in the primary election May 10.

The 26-year-old is a journalism student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He said he plans to graduate next spring.

Kual first gained local recognition over the summer of 2020 for filming the protests in Lincoln and Omaha spurred by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Kual said he ultimately decided last year to run for Congress because he was disappointed in Fortenberry’s votes on legislation addressing police brutality and the pandemic.

Kual is a co-founder of LNK Freedges, a hunger relief organization in Lincoln. He said he also volunteers with other local organizations.

Kual said statements Fortenberry made around the time of the missed CASH Act vote — including one where he said he favored more targeted relief — made the congressman seem out of touch.

Kual said he has heard from multiple Nebraskans who have just turned 18 that he will be the first person for whom they will vote.

“It’s really inspiring to me,” he said. “My whole goal is to inspire young people to get involved.”

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