Precious McKesson is a political analyst and organizer with the Nebraska Democratic Party and a familiar face to viewers of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, where she hosts the recurring segment “Politicin’ with P.” Ahead of the May 12 Nebraska primary, McKesson was deep in the work — chasing ballots, mobilizing voters, and making sure her community showed up. We sat down with her to talk strategy, the stakes on the ballot, and why she’s done playing nice.
Q: You posted about “Party at the Polls” on social media. How did the event go?
A: We had a really good turnout. We had one plan and had to shift it due to political reasons — we couldn’t be too close to the election commission office without risking being considered electioneering. So we moved it to our office and it worked out just fine.
Q: What’s the energy and excitement like heading into the primary?
A: We’re feeling pretty good. Right now we are really focused on chasing a lot of the ballots that are out — calling those individuals, texting them, reminding them to turn those ballots in. We’ll have some numbers drop and then we’ll continue chasing those ballots all the way until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Q: Are you expecting strong voter turnout this year?
A: I think it’s going to be a great turnout. This seat is now a flippable seat, and the candidates have been able to touch their base. On top of that, the national attention has gotten people asking questions. People are seeing what’s happening nationwide with redistricting and saying, “My vote really does matter.” If our vote did not mean anything, they would not be investing all this money to disenfranchise people across the nation.
Q: What do voters need to know about returning a mail-in ballot — and what are their options if they want to vote early?
A: Once you have a mail-in ballot, you can’t take it to your polling place. You have to drop it off at an election commission drop box. Ballots are due by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. But I say get it in today so you can be counted in the first round of results. And if you haven’t voted yet, you can still vote early in person at the election commission office.
Q: Beyond Congressional District 2, what other races should voters know about?
A: We have the U.S. Senate race, where Pete Ricketts used William Forbes as a last-minute addition to the ballot. We have the Governor’s race with Lynn Walls running against Ellen Pillan. We have the Attorney General’s race with Jocelyn Brass running against Mike Hilgers — who keeps jumping on lawsuits instead of minding Nebraska’s business. We also have Secretary of State, Douglas County Attorney, the sheriff’s race, and legislative seats. Our goal is to get 17 people elected to the legislature. And importantly, the Douglas County Treasurer and Clerk of District Court races will be decided in this primary, not the general election.
Q: If you’re an independent voter who wants to participate in the Democratic primary, what do you need to do?
A: You have to ask for a Democratic ballot. Every year, the Democratic Party submits a letter of statute saying we will allow independents to vote on the Democratic ballot. We are, if I’m not mistaken, the only party that allows independents to vote on our ballot. So please make sure that if you’re an independent, you ask for a Democratic ballot — and then you’ll be able to see everyone on it.
Q: How do you think the candidates’ varying responses to the situation in Palestine are affecting the Congressional District 2 race?
A: I don’t speak for the candidates — they have a choice to answer questions the way they want. Personally, I stand with Palestine. I always have. What’s going on is wrong. But I also have people right here in Omaha, Nebraska calling my phone asking for help finding food pantries. I have people every day asking me to help them pay their light bill. So I have to know how to shift between supporting the people who are here with me and supporting another movement from here in Nebraska. Whoever is the nominee going forward is going to have to have that conversation — and whoever has it with them, be respectful. Everybody is not going to agree, and you cannot force someone to think the way you think.
Q: What are you seeing nationally, and how are you feeling about where things stand right now?
A: It’s hurtful. What we’re seeing right now is truly a return to the Jim Crow era. They can’t win without cheating. And this is why I have a problem when people sit behind keyboards and say whatever they want but won’t get out and vote. This is why you vote — because your vote is your power, and that is exactly what they are trying to take from you.
“I tell people all the time: I don’t have time for the cookie cutter. I don’t have time to be nice. Get in the damn mud with them. They don’t care about us, so why are we playing nice?”
Q: What is your message to candidates who appear on Black media platforms?
A: You need to be investing in these businesses, because they are all business owners. Don’t go on their platform and capitalize on it without investing in it. I stand by that, and the Nebraska Democratic Party stands by that. Any nominee going through this process needs to be investing in Black media — not just showing up to talk about their platform.
Q: What’s your final message to voters heading into the primary?
A: Please, please, please — I cannot stress it enough. They are trying to erase our history, and we are letting them when we don’t show up at the polls. We vote people into office. They work for us — we don’t work for them. If a candidate doesn’t reach back out to you, call me. I will reach out, because that is their job. They were voted in to represent us. If we start talking to each other and asking, “How do we work together instead of against each other,” I think we’ll see a lot more work getting done.
We thank Precious McKesson for joining us on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning and for her tireless dedication to empowering voters across the Omaha community.
