2018 Primary Lost 58 – 42 to Kara Eastman who I had ignored
2018 General Election Eastman lost 51 — 49
Brad Ashford wants his seat back
Once upon a time, not too long ago, Brad Ashford http://bradashfordforcongress.com/ was a Republican. He became a Democrat after losing a Republican primary for this congressional seat in 1994. He became a state legislator as a Democrat. He ran for mayor of Omaha as a Democrat. He ran for Congress as a Democrat in 2014 and won. In 2016, he lost to a Republican by a point. He lost by a point in a district that Hillary Clinton carried by three points. He wants his seat back and should be able to get it back in 2018.
Brad Ashford wasn’t Republican enough for a Republican primary almost twenty-five years ago. He might not be enough of a Democrat for some. For others, he would be honored for working across party lines. According to one calculation, Ashford was the 14th most bipartisan member of congress.
Brad Ashford is proud of his bipartisanship. He emphasizes his ability to find solutions. He avoids partisanship and works for local causes. As a freshman Congressman, he got a bill passed. He got a new VA Medical Center in Omaha which was intended to be an exemplar for other new VA health facilities.
Bipartisanship in the 114th Congress? He supported the TransPacific Partnership. He opposed the Iran agreement. He supported the Export-Import Bank. He opposed prohibitions of abortion after 20 weeks. He supported stronger screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria.
The run up to 2018: He opposed the enormous tax cut. He gets labor support. He gets support from groups seeking to preserve social security and Medicare.
Here’s one way to measure the kind of Democrat he is. Look at the interest groups that rate him positively or endorse him and those that rate him negatively:
Interest groups that give him an 75% rating or higher or endorse him include:
- Industry and commerce groups: oil and natural gas companies, mining companies, US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, general contractors, engineering companies, independent businesses, manufacturers. warehouselogisticals, home builders, forest and paper association
- Public oriented groups: government employees, retirees, social workers, Bread for the World, civil and human rights organizations, police, Planned Parenthood, Treasury employees, AFL/CIO, AAUW,
- Communal organizations: Armenians, NAACP,
Interest groups that give him a 25% rating or lower include:
- Conservative idelological groups: Conservative Review, American Conservative Union, Family Research Council, Gun Owners of American, Club for Growth, Heritage Action for America, John Birch Society, National Right to Life Committee, Eagle Forum, Freedom Works
- Communal organizations: Iranians, Palestinians, Quakers,
- Industry and commerce groups: Citizens against Government Waste, Environment America, Federation for Immigration Reform,
- Public oriented groups: Animal Welfare Institute, Earth Rights Inst.
Brad Ashford is a business-oriented Democrat who also supports labor. He believes in the effectiveness of government and is socially liberal. He is opposed by right wing groups and those who would change American foreign policy.
Initially, Brad Ashford was an expert in bureaucracy. Later he was something of a new businessman. He began as an attorney for the Federal Highway Administration. In private practice in Nebraska, he was a hearing examiner for the Nebraska Department of Education. He served as a judge for the Nebraska Court of Industrial Relations. Eventually, he became the vice president and business development investor of the online entity Discoverwhy.com. He also became co-owner of the online Nebraska Clothing Company,
In the 1950s, it made some sense for Brad Ashford to have been a Republican. It might have made sense in the 1990s in Nebraska. Each decade though his fit as a Republican lessened. As Republicans became more extreme, the place for a Brad Ashford in the Republican Party vanished.
Brad Ashford http://bradashfordforcongress.com/ was elected to a term in Congress and wants his seat back. You might call him a moderate Democrat. Look again at who likes him and who does not. He is the kind of Democrat who can get elected to Congress from Nebraska. He can get elected again. Do not simply rely on a Democratic wave. Think broadly about the people you can support. The wave will not happen without your help. In passing the new tax law, Republicans are assured that they will have enormous amounts of cash for their campaigns. Help offset that cash and make the Democratic wave happen. Provide support for Brad Ashford and for others Monthly support would be terrific.
