Democratic congressional nominee Patty Pansing Brooks pledged Wednesday to be a congresswoman for all Nebraskans who live in the 1st District during a news conference where about two dozen registered Republicans and nonpartisans gathered to express their support for her candidacy.
"I am a lifelong public school teacher and lifelong Republican," Trudy Hines said during the event at the Pansing Brooks campaign headquarters in downtown Lincoln.
"Today I stand here as a Republican for Patty because she is on the record as working with both sides to create the best solutions for all."
Matt Kirkland, a Lincoln realtor and nonpartisan voter, said "Patty has a proven record of getting things done that matter to her constituents and helps make Nebraska a better place."
Pansing Brooks, a Lincoln state senator, said her Republican and nonpartisan support demonstrates a sharp contrast with Republican Rep. Mike Flood of Norfolk.
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"Time after time we've seen Mike Flood vote lockstep with what his party bosses tell him to do," Pansing Brooks said.Ìý
"This is terrible for Nebraska," she said, "and not what I intend to do."
Flood, who was a Norfolk state senator at the time, defeated Pansing Brooks in a June 28 special election to fill the remaining six months of Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's House term after the former congressman resigned following his conviction on charges that he lied to federal officials about an illegal foreign contribution to his 2016 re-election campaign.
Voters will choose who will serve the next two-year term in November.Ìý
U.S. House of Representatives, District 1
U.S. House of Representatives
Nebraska holds three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Eastern Nebraska's 1st District includes Lincoln; the 2nd District includes Omaha; and the 3rd District encompasses western and central Nebraska, along with the northeastern and southeastern corners of the state.
November's general election is the second matchup between the candidates running for the 1st District seat, which includes all or part of 12 eastern counties.
Republican Mike Flood defeated Democrat Patty Pansing Brooks by a 6,344-vote margin in a June 28 special election to determine who would serve the remaining six months of former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's term representing the eastern Nebraska congressional district.
Fortenberry resigned following his conviction on charges that he lied to federal officials about illegal foreign contributions to his 2016 reelection campaign.
The rematch will determine who will serve the next two-year term.
In the eastern 2nd District, incumbent Rep. Don Bacon of Papillion faces state Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.
Third District Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering, the incumbent, faces Democrat David J. Else of Overton and Mark Elworth Jr. of Omaha, the Marijuana Now candidate.
Members of Congress receive $174,000 annually.
Patty Pansing Brooks
Age: 64
´¡»å»å°ù±ð²õ²õ:Ìý1925 Dakota St., Lincoln
Occupation: State senator
Political party:Ìý¶Ù±ð³¾´Ç³¦°ù²¹³Ù
Website:Ìý
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I have been a state senator for eight years, where I serve as vice chair of the Judiciary Committee and serve on the Education Committee. I co-chaired the LPS $250 million bond issue to better every school in every zip code, co-chaired the $6 million Union Plaza Campaign for our first urban park and co-chaired the $9.6 million Centennial Mall renovation campaign. I am a mom, attorney and small business owner. This has prepared me to serve Nebraskans in Washington.
What is the biggest challenge facing the country and how do you believe Congress should address it?
The biggest challenge facing the country is the toxic partisanship that hinders our ability to solve our nation’s biggest challenges. For example, many Americans cannot afford visits to the doctor, prescription medications and necessary surgeries. Congress must reduce the cost of prescription medications and ensure affordable, accessible health care for all Americans through programs like the Affordable Care Act. It’s beyond time for people in both parties to find common ground and work together for all Americans.
What specific legislation and priorities would you pursue in the interest of Nebraska and your congressional district?
I will pursue agriculture investments to help Nebraskan farmers, with a primary focus on passing a farm bill as soon as I get to Congress. I will also work to pass legislation for paid sick and family leave, as well as child care. In addition, I will prioritize legislation to stop government mandates on bodily autonomy, guarantee access to birth control, and also guarantee the ability of individuals to travel across state lines for health care.
Do you believe there is evidence of global climate change? If so, what should Congress do, if anything, to address its impact?
Clear evidence shows that climate change is rapidly changing our global landscape and threatening Nebraska’s economic interests. Nebraska and other states are facing severe droughts, countries are seeing devastating natural disasters, and temperatures have been continuously climbing. Farmers are also seeing the effects in our agriculture sector. We must plan for the impacts of climate change and diversify our energy resources.
Do you believe Congress should enact some form of increased gun control measures? Why or why not, and if so, what form should the legislation take?
Congress must enact commonsense reforms to our gun laws. Our citizens are forced to live in fear at schools, places of worship, grocery stores, etc. I support universal background checks, red flag laws and age restrictions on the purchases of firearms. I support the Second Amendment. I agree with former Justice Antonin Scalia when he said not every gun in every place at every time is protected. The gun violence in this nation needs to end.
What significant differences are there between you and your opponent?
I will work across the aisle. My opponent has demonstrated he will only take orders from his party leaders. Whether opposing birth control, same sex marriage, interracial marriage, or an amber-alert system to inform people of active shooters, he marches lockstep to his party’s commands. He doesn’t support reproductive health care access, even in the case of rape/incest. Unlike my opponent, I don’t take corporate PAC dollars. I will answer to the people and not parties or special interests.
What role would your party affiliation, party leadership within the House and your party’s House caucus play in determining how you would vote?
One of the many reasons that I am running for Congress is to end the grenade launching from both sides of the aisle. My party will not dictate how I vote. I will vote in the best interest of Nebraskans. Period.
What committee assignments would you seek or prefer?
I would like to be on the Agriculture Committee to ensure our agriculture interests are protected. I would also like to be on the Appropriations Committee so that I can ensure Nebraska economic interests are heard and supported. Finally, I will request to be on the Veterans Affairs Committee to ensure our veterans receive the support they deserve for their sacrifice.
Mike Flood
Age: 47
´¡»å»å°ù±ð²õ²õ:Ìý2910 Pinnacle Drive, Norfolk
Occupation:ÌýSmall business owner, member of Congress
Political party:ÌýRepublican
Website:Ìý
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I’m an entrepreneur and small business owner. I’ve been making a payroll every two weeks since I was 24 years old, so I know what it takes to grow our economy, bring down prices and create good jobs. I’m also an experienced citizen legislator, having served for a decade in the Nebraska Legislature, six of those years as speaker. This experience provides me with the skills and vision to fight for Nebraska’s interests and commonsense, conservative values in Washington.
What is the biggest challenge facing the country and how do you believe Congress should address it?
Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi’s massive spending spree has caused the highest inflation in four decades, pushing our economy into a recession. Today, Nebraska families are struggling to pay skyrocketing prices at the grocery store and the gas pump. Congress can do its part by stopping out-of-control government spending, cutting taxes and expanding domestic oil and gas production. Working together, we can rein in inflation, let Nebraskans keep more of their hard-earned money, and make America energy independent.
What specific legislation and priorities would you pursue in the interest of Nebraska and your congressional district?
I’m focused on fighting inflation and turning our economy around, which will help every Nebraska family. We need to reduce federal spending, cut taxes, and increase domestic energy production — the opposite of the Biden/Pelosi agenda. That’s how we’ll bring down prices, help families make ends meet, and achieve energy independence. If we continue down the same path of wasteful spending, higher taxes and bigger government, we’ll keep getting the same result: inflation and economic recession. It’s time to change course.
Do you believe there is evidence of global climate change? If so, what should Congress do, if anything, to address its impact?
Earth’s climate has been changing since the dawn of creation, and it will continue to change. Just as we monitor the weather every day, we should be cognizant of those changes and their impact. At the same time, there is no excuse for raising taxes, imposing new taxes, creating more regulation and bureaucracy and limiting our economy’s potential. The “Green New Deal†radicalism of the far left would decimate our state and our nation, and I will fight against it.
Do you believe Congress should enact some form of increased gun control measures? Why or why not, and if so, what form should the legislation take?
At every level of government, we can do more to improve the delivery of mental health care. We must do a better job of identifying troubled people before they hurt themselves or others. We also need to enhance the security of school facilities. Those are concrete steps that will make our communities safer and prevent acts of mass violence, saving lives. Infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners is unacceptable, and it isn’t a real solution.
What significant differences are there between you and your opponent?
I’m a conservative, and my opponent is a far-left liberal. I believe in smaller government; she believes in bigger government. I believe in personal freedom; she wants to expand government control. I want to cut taxes and spending; she wants to increase spending and raise your taxes to pay for it. I want to fire Nancy Pelosi and get America back on track; her first vote would be to keep Pelosi as speaker and keep America on the wrong path.
What role would your party affiliation, party leadership within the House and your party’s House caucus play in determining how you would vote?
I work for the people of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, and I vote in their best interests. Right now, Washington is under the Democrats’ one-party rule, and the results have been disastrous. The radical policies of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have landed us with a recession, massive inflation, a border crisis and rising crime. I think we need to work together to turn things around, and that’s what I try to do in Congress every day.
What committee assignments would you seek or prefer?
Currently, I sit on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform as well as the Committee on Small Business. These assignments allow me to pursue aggressive oversight on behalf of taxpayers and advocate for Nebraska’s many small businesses, the backbone of our economy. In the future, I would welcome assignments on the Committee on Financial Services or the Committee on Agriculture, allowing me to continue to advocate for the interests of our district and our great state.