GOP’s Lee Terry spends big, wins small—Democrat Ashford next

Joe Jordan | Nebraska Watchdog

“I just like winning.”

That was Congressman Lee Terry moments after his lackluster win over GOP upstart Dan Frei.

Despite ponying up $900,000 to Frei’s $40,000, Terry managed a meager six-point win.

Terry: 53%, 25,025

Frei: 47%, 22,339

According to Frei, if he had anywhere near the 8-term incumbent’s cash, “This race would have been over from day one.”

As it is though, Terry lives to fight again: a November match-up with Democrat Brad Ashford.

Ashford won his primary with 80 percent of the vote but don’t be fooled, it was just a year ago when Ashford finished fourth out of five in the Omaha mayor’s race—a race with many of the same voters he’ll be going after on Election Day.

And while Terry struggles to bring home a slew of anti-Terry Republicans, Ashford has his own political baggage.

It was just a few years ago when the 16-year state senator was a Republican. But he became an independent when he ran for mayor, and now he’s a Democrat seeking the Congressional seat.

By the way Terry has had primary problems before and lived to talk about them.

In 2010 his GOP opponent picked up 37 percent of the Republican vote but come November, 2010 it was Terry by a landslide.

In 2012 a handful of Terry’s GOP opponents got nearly 40 percent of the vote. Then, that November, with President Obama on the ballot helping to bring out the Democratic Party faithful—something you won’t see this fall—Terry squeezed out a two-point win.

One other note: Yes, Terry just spent some $900,000 but as of late April he still had nearly $600,000 in the bank.

Ashford had $80,000.

Contact Joe Jordan at joe@nebraskawatchdog.org

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Category: Nebraska, Brad Ashford, Joe Jordan, Lee Terry, Nebraska Watchdog