Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon listens as former Democratic congressional candidate Ann Ashford endorses him. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA — Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon secured the endorsement Monday of Ann Ashford, a former Democratic candidate for his Home seat and widow of former Rep. Brad Ashford, whom Bacon defeated in 2016.
Ashford stated she supported Bacon partly as a result of exterior teams promoting in congressional campaigns maintain making an attempt to label candidates like Bacon and her late husband as excessive when she says they’re centrists.
She lauded Bacon’s crossover votes for infrastructure funds, the Respect for Marriage Act and authorized modifications to assist contributors within the Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
She and Bacon stated their two households grew to become mates after the 2016 race. They grew nearer when Brad Ashford confronted a mind most cancers prognosis. He died in 2022.
“I’m bored with seeing politics twist issues and attempt to flip somebody simply because they’ve the identify of a special celebration behind them … into some type of evil being or an extremist,” she stated. “As a result of Don’s not an extremist.”
Aggressive race
Her resolution dissatisfied some Democrats who stated it would assist Bacon amplify congressional rankings crediting his work throughout celebration traces. Others stated they weren’t shocked.
Nebraska Democrats have lengthy argued that Bacon is extra partisan than he portrays himself. Exterior advertisements operating on Bacon’s behalf have made comparable arguments about Bacon’s opponents.
Bacon stated that he was grateful to have her assist and that his relationship with the Ashfords is predicated on years of “respect.” He stated he noticed how onerous they labored to safe donor assist to construct a brand new Veterans Affairs clinic in Omaha.
“We don’t at all times agree, however we do know this,” Bacon stated. “We’ve got belief, and belief is at all times primarily based on character.”
Historical past of Ashford endorsements
Brad Ashford himself endorsed Bacon in 2020, the final time Bacon confronted a re-election combat in a presidential election yr. Ashford’s transfer angered Democrats, significantly native progressives.
On the time, some questioned whether or not he did so partly to punish Democratic nominee Kara Eastman for criticizing Ann Ashford throughout their major battle in 2020.
Ann Ashford didn’t endorse Eastman after the first.
Bacon received his rematch towards Eastman that yr by 5 proportion factors. Now Bacon faces one other rematch, this one towards his 2022 opponent, State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.
Ashford’s endorsement comes at a pivotal level in Nebraska’s best congressional race, as polling on each side repeatedly signifies a race throughout the margin of error.
Democrats reply
Meg Mandy, a Vargas marketing campaign spokeswoman, stated the endorsement can’t “cowl up the actual fact” that Bacon “votes time and again the way in which Donald Trump tells him to … to stay in workplace.”
She stated Bacon has voted “to lift taxes on the center class, block Medicare from negotiating decrease prescription prices” and backs “a nationwide ban on abortion with no exceptions.”
Nebraska Democrats interviewed stated they don’t anticipate her endorsement to hold a lot weight throughout the celebration’s base. Some stated it may assist Bacon on the margins.
Nebraska’s 2nd District is the purple state’s most evenly divided amongst Republicans, Democrats and registered nonpartisans. Each Bacon and Vargas are concentrating on these unaffiliated voters.
How Ashford balances endorsement with beliefs
When questioned, Ashford acknowledged the disconnect between her beliefs as a Democrat together with her endorsement in a race that may resolve which celebration controls the Home of Representatives.
She criticized the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s resolution on Roe v. Wade that despatched the choice on the way forward for abortion rights again to the states however stated Nebraskans will get to resolve on that challenge in November.
Bacon beforehand supported a proposed federal constitutional modification banning abortion with no apparent exceptions. He has stated since he helps exceptions for the lifetime of the mom.
Presidential politics
Ashford known as herself “a Harris-Bacon voter,” saying she deliberate to assist Vice President Kamala Harris for presidentover former President Donald Trump.
Political observers in 2020 famous that Bacon outperformed Trump within the district, crediting his victory margin to voters siding with President Joe Biden.
Bacon on Monday acknowledged his continued assist for Trump however stated, “there are loads of issues I don’t defend with the previous president.”
Nebraska Democratic Social gathering Chair Jane Kleeb stated no endorsement may cowl “how excessive Don Bacon has change into.” She stated he’s endorsed Trump 3 times.
Kleeb additionally criticized Bacon for signing onto a delegation letter looking for to vary Nebraska’s system of awarding Electoral School votes to winner-take-all.
“Democrats are centered on constructing a chance financial system for all Nebraskans with out the chaos of Trump and his cronies,” she stated in an announcement.
The Nebraska Republican Social gathering had no rapid touch upon the endorsement. Bacon stated he would proceed to work to signify all of his constituents, together with those that disagree with him.
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