For Immediate Release:
June 9th, 2017
Contact LCGOP Chair JP Sabby
Lancaster County Party Challenges Krist to Declare Party
Senator Bob Krist, a Republican appointed by Governor Dave Heineman, who has indicated he wants to be Governor, yesterday on DriveTime with Coby Mach last night was unsure if he wanted to be a Republican.
He said “strong parties have made it almost impossible to run as an independent”.
His statement is untrue. State law, specifically statute 32-618 provides that independents can gain access to a ballot by petition. In fact this happened twice in Nebraska’s 2014 US Senate race with Jim Jenkins and Todd Watson.
Individuals have had success running and being independent of the two major political parties for various offices all across America. For example in the Nebraska Unicameral Ernie Chambers and Laura Ebke, and in the past Ron Raikes. At the federal level it includes U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator Angus King, and Governor Bill Walker of Alaska.
Just last session the Legislature made it easier for third parties to remain on the ballot by passing LB34.
Senator Krist announced an August listening tour for Governor where he will fly around Nebraska. He said he has to consider how he would win the election, indicating the “pathway to success may be running as a Republican, or something other.”
“The purpose of a political party is to signal to voters with some degree of reliability the general views of an individual seeking or serving in office,” said Lancaster Republican Party Chair JP Sabby. “Bob Krist has had 8 years of votes to determine what he believes.”
“The voters and volunteers that make up the Republican Party are not tools to be used to achieve someone’s personal ambition,” said Sabby. “We are organized along a set of principles and view of how government should work for the people.”
The Lancaster County GOP officially challenges Senator Krist to declare his support or opposition for the various tenants of Nebraska Republican Party Platform before his August fly around in Nebraska.
http://www.ne.gop/about/platform/
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