Kerry Eddy, the Lincoln woman and Nebraska Air National Guard veteran who joined the state's smallest political party and sought its U.S. Senate nomination in a last-minute effort to boost the chances of Dan Osborn's independent run for the Senate, won the Legal Marijuana NOW Party's primary Tuesday.
With nearly 90% of the state's precincts reporting Tuesday night, Eddy had won close to 69% of the vote cast in the race, beating party devotee Kenneth Peterson in a landslide and advancing to the general election, where Eddy could square off with Osborn and incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer — if Eddy decides to accept the nomination.
Eddy had cast her candidacy as one meant to support Osborn's independent bid to unseat Fischer, a Republican seeking her third term in the Senate.Â
People are also reading…
On , she outlined her plan to win the Legal Marijuana NOW nomination before, apparently, dropping out of the race ahead of November's general election and pushing would-be Eddy voters to support Osborn, a former union leader.
Eddy had been less direct in an interview with the Journal Star in the weeks before Tuesday's primary, saying she would be "reevaluating" her campaign following the primary before determining whether to drop out of the race in support of Osborn.
As she watched favorable results roll in Tuesday night from the Zoo Bar in downtown Lincoln, Eddy called her victory "wild" and said she was happy to have rallied support for her unorthodox campaign.
"I think it's actually pretty great, and it proves that people can come together to further a cause, I guess, and get behind a candidate that maybe is different than anything that's been out there before," she said in a phone interview.
She indicated she hasn't yet decided whether she'll withdraw from the race.
"I think I'm just gonna watch, see what happens here, find out what the final result is gonna be tonight and talk to some people and take the temperature as it were," Eddy said at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Eddy's campaign had drawn the ire of Legal Marijuana NOW Party loyalists, including Peterson, who has been with the party since it first gained formal recognition in 2021, and Mark Elworth Jr., the party's chairman and a founding member, who had cast Eddy's run as "nefarious" and dishonest "shenanigans."
"I think that the whole thing is very corrupt," Peterson said in a phone interview Tuesday night. "I would never do that. I would never put a candidate out there to beat me so that she can drop out and support Dan Osborn."
Voters, though, resoundingly backed Eddy's run, supporting her bid in a 2-to-1 margin over Peterson.
Her campaign had also been backed by a PAC, funded by out-of-state donors, that is also investing in Osborn's campaign, which said in a statement that it "is not supporting Kerry Eddy or any other candidates for the U.S. Senate seat held by Deb Fischer."
If Eddy does reject the party's nomination, state law would allow the Legal Marijuana NOW Party to choose a replacement nominee via a mass convention or the party's executive committee.
Elworth has pledged to seek the Senate seat himself if Eddy drops out, creating the spoiler scenario that Eddy sought to avoid.
The Journal Star's complete coverage of Nebraska's 2024 primary election
Here's the Journal Star's complete coverage of Nebraska's 2024 primary election.
Election results in Nebraska's 2024 primary election have begun rolling in. Follow along for live updates.
The second batch of Election Day results helped Sen. Carolyn Bosn grow her lead over challenger Nicki Behmer Popp in the race for District 25.
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts and Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith won their GOP primaries and advance to the November general election.Â
Kerry Eddy, who joined the Legal Marijuana NOW Party and sought its U.S. Senate nomination in an effort to boost Dan Osborn's run for Senate, …
The Waverly bond issue was failing by more than a 2-1 margin as of 10:25 p.m. Tuesday night.
Primary voters narrowed the field Tuesday in two races for the Nebraska State Board of Education, although the final outcome wasn't entirely d…
If Tuesday’s primary results are any indication, Nebraskans appear ready for another Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump race for the White House.
Incumbent Rep. Don Bacon held off populist challenger Dan Frei in the Republican primary for Nebraska’s 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of…
Voters reported minimal issues with Nebraska's new voter ID requirements in the first election since the new law took effect.