Omaha House race: Democrat Ashford snubbed again—Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Joe Jordan | Nebraska Watchdog

Despite growing speculation that Omaha Congressman Lee Terry is in for his toughest re-election bid ever, for the second time in three months Nebraska Democrats are downplaying Brad Ashford’s absence from a key money list.

In March it was the national Democrat’s “Red to Blue Program.”

Now it’s a $40 million snub.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has released a list of 36 House districts across the country where the DCCC is reserving TV ad time for the fall fights, according to the Associated Press.

The potential “buys” range from $2.8 million in Washington D.C.—a Northern Virginia seat is in play following GOP Rep. Frank Wolf’s decision not to seek re-election—to $290,000 in Lansing, Michigan where the GOP’s Mike Rogers is retiring.

But so far not a dime for Ashford.

“We’ll win without or without (DCCC money)” Ashford’s campaign manager, Jim Rogers, tells Nebraska Watchdog.

Rogers and other local Democrats are counting on several factors:

• Tea Partyer Chip Maxwell’s 3^rd-party run which is expected to skim conservative votes from Terry.
• Terry’s self-inflicted wounds: two highly publicized gaffes.

In the end insiders, on both sides, expect Ashford will make the D.C. Dem’s wish list if there is credible polling putting Ashford in the hunt.

Last year Democrat Pete Festersen—who got in the race, then out, then in and finally back out—made the DCCC’s “Jumpstart” program, which promised “financial, communications, operational, and strategic support.”

The cash pledge to Festersen came in the aftermath of the government shutdown and a Democratic poll which found Festersen with a two-point lead over Terry.

Terry has made a GOP list which puts him in line for some national Republican money.

That’s the good news for the 8-term incumbent. The bad news is only those considered “endangered” make the list, according to Roll Call.

Contact Joe Jordan at joe@nebraskawatchdog.org

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