Are some Unicam voters tired of the drama?

Joe Jordan | Nebraska Watchdog

For the second time in four years a pack of mostly small town voters appear to be saying no to more drama.

First it was a state senator, with a checkered personal tax record, asking to be re-elected: he wasn’t.

Now that same senate seat is eyed by a small town pol who is accused of his own hinky dealings.

Welcome to the Nebraska Legislature’s 16th District, just north of Omaha. It covers, among others, the 8,000 folks in Blair as well as the 472 in Decatur.

In 2010, following a lengthy investigation by Nebraska Watchdog, State Sen. Kent Rogert of Tekamah lost to Lydia Brasch by six points:

Brasch 53%, 4,796

Rogert 47%, 4,300

As Rogert turned his attention to lobbying, Scott Japp the feisty and embattled member of the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District, has turned his attention to Brasch.

But if their first head to head meeting—they’ll face each other again in November— is any indication Brasch has little to fear as she coasted to an easy win in the May 13 primary election.

Brasch 63%, 4,646

Japp 37%, 2,680

Boat, similar to Kent Rogert’s, which was at the center of a Nebraska Watchdog investigation

Japp, who is accused of using his NRD post for “financial gain” at taxpayer’s expense—an accusation made by his fellow board members—is not talking about the beat-down he received at the polls.

Nebraska Watchdog has asked Japp if he blames his poor showing on the NRD’s accusations: He’s not responded.

Meanwhile, according to the latest campaign cash reports, Japp is going nowhere fast.

Brasch starts the fall fight with $32,670 dollars in the bank—she only spent $1,089 in the primary—while Japp has yet to file a report indicating that he has raised less than $5,000.

Contact Joe Jordan at joe@nebraskawatchdog.org and listen to Joe every Monday morning at 7:40 on KFAB radio in Omaha.

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