Ernie Chambers,ÌýNebraska's longest-serving state senator who filed last week to once again runÌýto represent District 11 in the state's Legislature, has no reservations over his decision to challenge incumbentÌýSen. Terrell McKinney for theÌýNorth Omaha seat.
Chambers, 86,Ìýheld the seat for 46 years and was term-limited out twice, including in 2020, which paved the way for McKinney's election to the body, where the 33-year-old has emerged as a champion of Omaha and the Legislature's most vocal critic of mass incarceration.
McKinney's once-likely path to reelection was upended Tuesday, when Chambers, one of the state's most famous politicians known for his fiery speeches and mastery of the Legislature's rules, followed through on filing for the office again after long flirting with the idea of another return to the body.
His entrance into the race, though, comes as about the age and acuity of President Joe Biden, 81, raising questions over Chambers' bid for another termÌýthat pits him against the senator he endorsed to succeed him four years ago.
"There's the obvious, immediate concern that you have when you have the system we have in our state where the MAGA Republicans can choose a replacement," said Jane Kleeb, the chair of Nebraska's Democratic Party, who noted that should Chambers be elected but unable to finish his term, Gov. Jim Pillen would appoint his replacement in a district where 63.6% of voters are registered Democrats.
"That’s obviously a factor,"ÌýKleeb said.Ìý"People shouldn't pretend that it’s not.â€
The state party is "firmly behind" McKinney, she said, noting that he's the only Democrat in race to represent District 11 in the formally nonpartisan Legislature. Chambers, like 23% of voters in the district, is a registered nonpartisan.
"It's time to pass the torch," Precious McKesson, the party's executive director, said in a social media post last week. "I love Sen. Chambers and will always acknowledge his fight and the great things he's done for LD11, but it's time to let the younger generation lead and that person is Sen. McKinney."
Chambers, though, remains unmoved.
In an interview Friday, he downplayed concerns over his age and insisted McKinney's performance as a senator was not a factor in his decision to seek office again, nor were theÌýpreferences of anyone in NebraskaÌý— other than Chambers himself.Ìý
"I can be aware of what other people are doing, but the obligation I have is to my own conscience," he told the Journal Star. "And I tell people, always, I'm not running against somebody. I'm running because of things that I think need to be handled differently."
Still, the octogenarian acknowledges the uncertainty that his age inherently brings.
"I cannot pretend I'm not reaching the end of my rope," said Chambers, who will turn 87 in July. "None of us knows when we will die. There are babies who have died. There are middle-aged people. Of all ages, people kick the bucket.
"But thus far, I haven't had any of the kind of ailments that would give me a warning that the grim reaper is right around the corner or knocking at my door.
"And I do believe there are things that I could do in the Legislature to diminish the negative impact that will be felt in the kind of things that are being introducedÌý— and I look at the governorÌý— somebody needs to be there who can kind of be a check or a brake on that wheel on this runaway train."
In a style distinct from Chambers, though, McKinney has often tried to play that role in Lincoln, railing against the state's "horrible" prison systemÌý— which he calls the Department of Punitive ServicesÌý— and pleading with his colleagues to "have some humanity."
McKinney, who said he was unsurprised by Chambers' decision to run against him, said he appreciates the legendary former lawmaker for "still having the energy to still want to fight for the community." But McKinney is unconvinced by Chambers' belief that he alone can change the course of the Legislature.
"I mean, if you want to stop the runaway train, the honest truth is you’ve got to get more — one person is not gonna stop that train," McKinney said. "You have to get more people who feel a different way about these bills.
"In the Legislature, it’s about the vote count. I mean, yes, you can slow it down and filibuster, but we had senators here filibustering all last year. Those bills were still passed because of the votes. So, I mean, yeah, you can slow it down, but if they still got the votes, they got the votes. And that’s what we’ve got to change is the vote count."
McKinney, too, said the legislative wins he has notched in his first term in officeÌý— banning hair discrimination in the workplace, barring the suspension of students younger than third graders, bringing "historic" economic recovery to North OmahaÌý— set him apart.
He said he never expected his community's mantle to be handed to him. In fact, he said, he never expected anything to come without a fight.
"Life has always been hard," McKinney said. "And I still deal with things, even as a senator. So even (Chambers) running — that’s why I said it is what it is. Because to me, it’s just life. Life is an obstacle in itself everyday.
"So I don’t get too up or down about things. You take the obstacles and you figure out the pathway to win. And that’s what I’m focused on, is winning. And representing my community.â€
In his in 2020, McKinney triumphed in the general election over 72-year-old Fred Conley, a longtime officeholder whoÌýbecame Omaha's first Black councilman in 1981 and beat McKinney by 17% in the May 2020 primary.
In this year's election that will feature a similar generational divide, "Ernie’s got to be the favorite," said Walt Radcliffe, a longtime lobbyist and state political observer.
He pointed to Chambers' inherent name recognition and the "retail politics" of the 11th District, where there were fewer than 10,000 votes cast in the November 2020 election that .
“Over half of those voters know Sen. Chambers, probably personally," Radcliffe said, later adding: "This just comes down to people knowing Chambers — forever.â€
Still, Radcliffe said it would be "very difficult to attack Terrell on his record" after four years of delivering "in concrete ways" for the 11th District.
He suggested McKinney is in a better position to beat Chambers than any candidate before him. But no candidate before him has prevailed.
“The cold, hard truth is it puts McKinney in a hard position, right?†said Kevin Smith, the chair of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "He's been an effective legislator. I don’t see how you avoid an uncomfortable dynamic in that race. But as somebody once said, politics isn't bean bag. It’s a sharp-elbowed sport.â€
Smith, an observer of state politics who studies the biology and psychology of the differences in people's political attitudes and behavior, said that Chambers' age would undoubtedly be a storyline as the "fascinating race" plays out.
But he cautioned that a candidate's age is not an accurate tell of their mental acuity.
That assessment, Smith said, should be left up to the voters of District 11.
“Does Ernie get one more hurrah or does the torch get passed on firmly and finally to a new generation?" he said. "I mean, ultimately, I think that’s what this election will come down to.â€
Former Nebraska Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha pictured in October 2021. Chambers, 86, filed last week to again run to represent District 11 in Nebraska's Legislature, where he served for 46 years.