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LINCOLN — Two new Nebraska political parties have submitted their constitutions and leadership to the Secretary of State’s Office as the next formal step toward becoming official parties in the state.
The Nebraska Working People Party and America First Party still await a ruling from the state Supreme Court on appeals by the state’s Democratic and Republican parties after a lower-court judge dismissed their objections. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has informed the Supreme Court that he plans to certify the parties on Thursday unless the court orders otherwise, according to a letter obtained by the Examiner.
The Nebraska Supreme Court accepted the cases and received briefs earlier this week. It’s unclear which races will have candidates from these two new parties, but the deadline to file names for the Nov. 3 general election is Sept. 1.
The chairperson for the Nebraska Working People Party is Robin Richards, followed by Joe Hunter as the vice chair. Vincent Ruksta is the party’s treasurer; Melissa Harbison is the secretary.
The America First Party chairperson is John Cartier. Kimberly Bowling-Martin is the vice chair; the secretary is John Knight and Devin Specht is the party’s treasurer.
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Both parties have caused an uproar among Republicans and Democrats. Democrats have issues with Richards’ involvement with the Working People Party because State Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb has accused U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts of being behind the effort to establish the party, which his top political consultant has denied.
Richards, a registered Democrat, endorsed incumbent Republican state Sen. Merv Riepe for the general election after losing as a write-in candidate in Legislative District 12 earlier this year.
Republicans have pointed to Cartier’s connection to Legal Marijuana Now Senate candidate Mike Marvin, who has suspended his campaign and endorsed nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn. In its lawsuit, the GOP called Cartier’s effort to establish the America First Party “political sabotage.”
Cartier, in his affidavit for the case, wrote that he is no longer the treasurer for Marvin as of Aug. 14. Cartier also wrote that he was the attorney for Osborn’s 2024 Senate campaign.
Kleeb told the Omaha World-Herald that she believes Richards, Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades and other disaffected Democrats are playing into Ricketts’ hands in his Senate race against Osborn.
Rhoades has denied any involvement with the Nebraska Working People Party.
At the Nebraska Democratic Central Committee meeting Sunday, Rhoades tried to offer a motion to nominate Kishla Askins to replace Cindy Burbank, who dropped out of the Senate race. Askins had been a candidate in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary.
The Democratic Party committee voted not to fill the vacancy caused by Burbank. William Forbes, who lost to Burbank in the Senate primary, is suing the party to try to force them to name a new candidate.
The general election is Nov. 3.
