Congressman-elect Mike Flood says he's already at work as the newest member of the U.S. House of Representatives even though he won't be sworn in until July 12 at the earliest, and Lincoln's interests are at the top of his to-do list.
Flood said he will focus on helping support and "grow every single inch of the 1st District, most notably our state's capital city, and I look forward to working with its leadership."
That means "making sure Lincoln has the water it needs for future growth," he said during a telephone interview.
"I will work with Lincoln as it attempts to find a second water resource" to help assure and support its future growth, Flood said.
And that means working to make sure the University of Nebraska receives the support it needs, including continued federal funding for development of the long-sought U.S. Department of Agriculture research center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Innovation Campus.
In addition, Flood said he wants to use his economic development experience to assist "our capital city's growth, innovation and start-up development."
Flood, who will trade in his Nebraska jersey as a state senator for a congressional jersey when the House returns from its July recess, said he already has communicated with NU President Ted Carter to arrange a meeting to discuss the university's priorities and needs.
When he was formerly Speaker of the Legislature, Flood said, he "worked hand-in-hand" with former Mayor Chris Beutler to help support Lincoln's development of Pinnacle Bank Arena and with former NU President James Milliken to help create Innovation Campus.
Flood, who hails from Norfolk, already has strong ties to rural Nebraska communities and agricultural interests, as evidenced by last week's special election results that showed him winning rural counties in eastern Nebraska by wide margins that often exceeded 80% of the vote.
Flood lost Lincoln and Lancaster County by a wide margin to Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, the Democratic nominee, but he won all other 11 counties and prevailed by 6,655 votes.
Taking into account the unusual circumstances of a summer election, Flood said, he considered it "a solid win."
The special election was called to choose a successor to former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Lincoln, who resigned from the House following his conviction on charges that he lied to federal officials about illegal foreign contributions to his 2016 reelection campaign.
Flood will serve the remaining six months of Fortenberry's term.
Voters in the Nov. 8 general election will choose once again between Flood and Pansing Brooks to determine who will serve the following two-year term that begins in January.
"We can't get complacent," Flood said. "We have to turn out the vote in November. We know we have more work to do in Lancaster County before the general election.
"I will introduce myself and do the job as well as I possibly can."
Flood said his district office in Lincoln will be fully staffed quickly and ready to provide constituent services.
In terms of national priorities, Flood said "we need to get our economy back on track."
Federal government spending is "fueling inflation," he said.
The United States needs to plan for energy independence, Flood said, and "get the border controlled."
Confetti falls around state Sen. Mike Flood and oldest son Brenden at an election night party June 28 at Midtown Event Center in Norfolk. Flood won a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a fellow Republican who was sentenced to two years' probation earlier in the day for a conviction on charges that he lied to federal agents.