Ricketts sets June special election to pick Fortenberry's replacement

Voters in Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District have another election date to add to their 2022 calendars: June 28.

Between the May 10 primary and Nov. 8 general, they will choose a representative to fulfill the rest of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s term.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the date Friday, the day after Fortenberry’s resignation from the House of Representatives went into effect. Fortenberry announced his resignation Saturday, two days after he was convicted of three felonies related to illegal campaign contributions. The election is scheduled for the same day as Fortenberry’s sentencing in federal court. He could face up to five years in prison on each count but also could receive supervised release.

Now, the executive committees of the Nebraska Republican and Democratic Parties are tasked with voting on nominees for the special election. The parties have until April 22 to submit candidate names and filing fees.

Two state senators, Republican Mike Flood of Norfolk and Democrat Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, have been campaigning for the office for months.

Flood launched his campaign in January and has the support of major figures in the GOP, including Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman. Flood said he has been notifying party leaders about his interest in the nomination.

“On Jan. 16, I ran for this job because I wanted to be the 1st District’s voice in Washington,” Flood said. “And, given the circumstances, it’d be an honor to fill out the remainder of Congressman Fortenberry’s term, and I’m confident I can work both as a congressman and campaign.”

The GOP has heard from a few interested candidates, state party director Taylor Gage said. People can send letters of interest to the party, he said, and they will be shared with the roughly 30-person committee voting on the decision.

J.L. Spray, national committeeman for the state GOP, said he expects the party to first look at people who have “already thrown their name in the ring” and are willing to campaign for the job. He doesn’t anticipate it being a “vanity appointment” or a way to honor someone.

GOP Chairman Dan Welch said he would expect Flood, as the likely party nominee for the general election, to be the favorite in the nomination process among most executive committee members.

Spray said whoever gets the spot could gain an advantage of seniority, which can affect important parts of the job, such as committee positions. He called it a “silver lining” to the situation.

The state Democratic Party is considering the impact a special election may have on general election turnout, party director Jane Kleeb said.

“A special election can have huge momentum going into the general, or it could confuse voters,” she said.

Some may think the special election is the election for the seat, and it could affect down-ballot races later, such as those for the Legislature, she said.

Pansing Brooks told The World-Herald that she has been letting people know she’s interested. She said she would be honored and it would offer the chance to reach out to more voters.

“I look forward to it,” she said. “No matter what, on this journey my goal is to get people to be kinder and to recognize that we are not each other’s enemies. So, if this gives me one more chance to be able to communicate with people and try to get people from throwing grenades at each other from their corners, then that’s great.”

The two state senators are not the only candidates in the mix: Jazari Kual, a journalism student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who’s also running as a Democrat, said he wants the nomination and has made his intentions clear to a party official. John “Glen” Weaver, a recently retired Offutt Air Force Base lieutenant colonel, said he’s interested in the nomination and wrote a letter to send to GOP leadership as soon as Fortenberry’s resignation was official, out of respect for the congressman.

People who want to appear on the ballot by petition can submit 2,000 valid signatures by April 22, but they won’t appear with a party affiliation.

In-person voting at county election offices will start May 31. June 10 is the deadline for mailing early ballots to voters who have requested them and the last day for voters to register online and to register to vote by mail. June 17 is the deadline for in-person registration.

The special election will use the freshly redrawn boundaries of the 1st District, which legislators altered during redistricting last fall.

The district now encompasses Madison, Stanton, Cuming, Platte, Colfax, Dodge, Butler, Seward, Lancaster and Cass Counties, along with parts of Sarpy County (including La Vista and the bulk of Papillion) and northeastern Polk County.

Costs for the election will fall to counties, secretary of state spokesperson Cindi Allen said, and those costs will vary.

For Lancaster County, Election Commissioner David Shively estimated costs will be about $300,000. That money comes from the county’s general fund.

The county will need to get through the May 10 primary and turn around quickly to make the special election happen. Shively said a quick turnaround isn’t new territory — the City of Lincoln’s primary and general elections are four weeks apart. But for those, there are months of planning time.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Fortenberry’s term, which ends in early January. At that point, the winner of the November general election will be sworn in. It is too late to alter the ballots for the May 10 primary (Fortenberry’s name will still appear on the ballot despite his resignation).

Fortenberry, 61, is the highest-ranking elected official in Nebraska history to be convicted of a felony. A federal jury in Los Angeles found the nine-term congressman guilty of lying to federal authorities about an illegal $30,000 campaign donation from a Nigerian billionaire.