For Nebraska Rep. Fortenberry, a two-sided challenge in 2022

LINCOLN, Neb. – When helium seeks bureau again successful 2022, U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska volition fundamentally look 2 opponents: a progressive Democrat with a batch of enactment successful the state’s second-largest city, and a national authoritative successful California who has accused him of lying to the FBI.

The nine-term Republican has ever coasted to reelection successful his GOP stronghold district, an expanse of rolling farmland and tiny towns with left-leaning Lincoln successful the middle. Now, he’s moving with a national indictment implicit his caput and the imaginable of a condemnation that could nonstop him to situation and outgo him benefits helium receives successful office.

He's besides apt to look authorities Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, a Democrat with a beardown fundraising inheritance who is well-known successful Lincoln. Pansing Brooks announced her candidacy for Congress connected Monday, pitching herself arsenic a results-focused campaigner who would propulsion for amended telephone and net work successful agrarian areas and little medicine cause costs. She's the lone Democratic campaigner to announce.

Ad

“No question, it's going to beryllium a pugnacious race, but I'm conscionable going to bash the champion I can,” Pansing Brooks said successful an interview. “I person an quality to marque friends connected each sides of the aisle.”

Her run is inactive a agelong shot, based connected some past and Republican dominance successful the district. Other Democrats who showed promise astatine the outset of their campaigns person ended up losing to Fortenberry. Still, salient Democrats are hopeful that, with the indictment and a newly drawn legislature district, they mightiness person a accidental to unseat Fortenberry.

“He’s been wounded by the scandal, and I deliberation Patty volition person a precise well-funded, top-drawer campaign,” said Dennis Crawford, a Lincoln lawyer who challenged Fortenberry unsuccessfully successful 2014. “It’s inactive a dense lift, and would necessitate an upset, but the accidental is inactive there.”

Ad

Crawford said the territory is hard for Democrats due to the fact that truthful overmuch of it is agrarian and Republican-leaning, which offsets the party’s vantage successful Lincoln. He said that besides made it pugnacious to rise money, due to the fact that the territory is wide seen arsenic unwinnable.

Pansing Brooks won her legislative spot doubly successful a heavy Democratic Lincoln district, but is ineligible to tally again due to the fact that of word limits. She pointed to her enactment acquisition successful respective large fundraising initiatives, including a $9.6 cardinal propulsion to redevelop Lincoln's Centennial Mall, a $6 cardinal Union Plaza fundraiser successful the metropolis and a palmy $250 cardinal Lincoln Public Schools enslaved issue.

Fortenberry has much than $897,000 successful currency connected manus for his campaign, according to the Federal Elections Commission, and stepped up his fundraising astir the clip prosecutors announced charges against him.

The territory remained GOP-friendly aft lawmakers redrew the state's governmental boundaries earlier this year, but little truthful with the summation of Democratic-leaning areas of Bellevue, an Omaha suburb. The territory besides mislaid Republican-heavy Saunders County to the overmuch much competitory 2nd Congressional District.

Ad

Fortenberry besides faces the imaginable that much accusation astir his lawsuit volition trickle retired during the campaign, giving his opponents ammunition to usage against him. His proceedings successful U.S. District Court successful Los Angeles likely won't instrumentality spot until February astatine the earliest.

Fortenberry was accused past period of lying to the FBI and concealing accusation from agents astir an probe into amerciable run donations from a Nigerian billionaire. He has pleaded not guilty.

Despite the charges, galore salient Nebraska Republicans person publically maintained their support. Gov. Pete Ricketts defended Fortenberry connected Monday arsenic “a antheral of integrity" and said helium recovered the allegations hard to believe, but acknowledged that it could marque it tougher for the congressman to triumph reelection.

Ad

“I deliberation it does contiguous an further situation for Congressman Fortenberry, but again, he's got to spell done this process with respect to the courts,” Ricketts said.

In a statement, Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb praised Pansing Brooks for her enactment successful the Legislature to assistance susceptible children and said she volition “restore dignity to the bureau and bring her afloat bosom to get enactment done for the radical of Nebraska.”

Pansing Brooks has been a vocal champion of LGBT rights, but besides worked with conservatives connected authorities aimed astatine enactment trafficking and Native American issues. She kicked disconnected her run Monday with a circuit of the district, wherever she planned to talk astir the request to upgrade bridges and roads. She said astir Nebraskans “don't unrecorded successful a partisan prism,” and privation to spot authorities that improves their lives.

“Things person go truthful partisan, and I deliberation that’s wherever Patty volition truly person an advantage,” said Sen. John McCollister, a Republican who has often clashed with his enactment and who appeared successful Pansing Brooks' run announcement video. “She’s capable to span the gaps similar cipher I know. And truthful if it tin beryllium done, Patty Pansing Brooks volition marque it happen.”

Ad

___

Follow Grant Schulte connected Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.