Behind the Scenes at Nebraska’s 2nd District Democratic Debate

by Matt Johnson

(Photo credit Matt Johnson)

OMAHA — Five Democratic candidates for Congress in Nebraska’s 2nd District squared off in a debate at KETV in Omaha Sunday evening, each making their case to fill the seat being vacated by Republican Don Bacon next year.

The five candidates who appeared were Navy veteran and healthcare professional Kishla Askins, state senator John Cavanaugh, small business owner and co-founder of Women Who Run Nebraska Denise Powell, longtime public servant and Douglas County Clerk of the District Court Crystal Rhoades, and progressive activist Melanie Williams.

Topics included the war with Iran, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal spending and debt, and the candidates’ various backgrounds and resumes.

John Cavanaugh

Cavanaugh, currently the front-runner by a wide margin according to a recent poll, is the only candidate with a legislative record, and he used his time to highlight legislation passed during his time in the unicameral. This includes repealing the tax on diapers and creating a first-time homebuyer savings account modeled after a 529 plan to help families save for down payments.

Pushback against President Trump, however, was a key highlight of Cavanaugh’s presentation.

“We need somebody who is going to go in on day one and be ready to fight him and hold him accountable and stop this corruption,” he said.

After the debate, The Plains Sentinel asked if he thought President Trump should be impeached.

“I think there are many things that he could be impeached for,” Cavanaugh said.

When asked for an example, Cavanaugh replied, “I’m not going to speculate about anything until I get to Congress. If there’s articles of impeachment that are brought up when I’m in Congress, I’ll evaluate those specific ones.”

Cavanaugh has also been the recent target of Super PAC dollars, which have both come after him and boosted his campaign rival Denise Powell. When asked, Cavanaugh attributes all this to Republican challengers.

“I think that it’s clear there are national super PACs attacking me who want the Republicans to win the general election,” Cavanaugh said. “I’m opposed to dark money attacks, and I think that anyone spending money attacking me is helping the Republicans win the general election.”

Denise Powell

Powell has contrasted herself as a “pissed off mom” in a recent campaign ad, and “not a politician.” Anger at the Trump administration seemed to be the driving theme of her campaign.

“Yes, I used those words because I’m really darn angry, “Powell said during the debate. “And because I have heard from so many people in this district that they’re angry too. And you know what? You should be.”

For policy proposals, however, Powell was not always specific. When asked for an example of a “good tariff policy,” Powell instead spent her answer time attacking Trump’s tariff “rollercoaster.” When asked for details on her proposal for a Medicaid-like public option for every American, Powell had few details.

“We may not be able to get the perfect solution right away, but if we commit to trying to solve this issue, I think we can and should make some meaningful change for Nebraskans,” Powell stated.

Crystal Rhoades

Crystal Rhoades has served in many roles in public office, including Douglas County Clerk of the District Court since 2023, eight years on the Nebraska Public Service Commission, and two terms on the Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors. More recently, however, she has been a political operative in Nebraska, chairing the Douglas County Democratic Party and working as a political consultant helping Omaha Mayor John Ewing and now Douglas County Sheriff candidate Mark Martinez.

Rhoades has been at the forefront of internal Democratic Party rivalry with current state chair Jane Kleeb, and The Plains Sentinel asked whether divisions in the party would make unity difficult moving forward.

“At the end of the day, we all want the same things, and focusing on that is a great way to bring every team back together,” Rhoades said. “I’ve also long been a believer that you don’t attack your opponents. You just don’t. And you stick to the facts, right? … I think if you stay focused on that and away from personal attacks, it makes it a lot easier to bring people together at the end.”

Rhoades also had a different take on the issue of dark money entering the Democratic primary.

“I think that it’s very difficult to bring about change if you are engaging in exactly the same behavior–I’m not interested in doing that,” Rhoades said. “I think that there is a problem with money in politics. There’s no question about it. … And the thing that works the best is listening to the people that you are elected to serve, so I’m focused on that and I’m going to let them snipe at each other.”

Kishla Askins

Kishla Askins, a Navy veteran of 30 years, is a newcomer to Nebraska. When The Plains Sentinel spoke to her, she seemed to be aware of the “carpetbagger” label being applied to her campaign.

“I didn’t come here to run for Congress. Let’s make that very clear,” she told The Plains Sentinel. “My wife is from Omaha and Lincoln. I’m from Ohio. We knew we wanted to go back to our roots, [in the] Midwest. In 30 years, we moved 25 times. I am about to defend my doctorate at UNMC on April 22nd. I had been coming back and forth for four years while in the Biden administration and while she was in the Pentagon. We knew that we were coming to Omaha.”

Askins leaned heavily on her résumé as the only candidate with military experience and experience in Washington, D.C., working in the U.S. Senate, as well as the only healthcare provider.

Askins also spoke about special interests in the Democratic primary.

“When you get to Congress, if you’re tied to a Congressional Progressive Caucus–which we have with one candidate–and we have another candidate that’s already aligned with the New Dem Coalition and funded by Super PACs, then where is Nebraskans’ voice?”

Askins did highlight her support from the veterans’ PAC Vote Vets, but she also pressed for bipartisanship while running in a “purple” district like Nebraska’s 2nd.

“You have to work across the aisle. You have to take their voice to Congress. And if you already are affiliated with groups, then who is the priority? Those groups or Nebraskans?”

Melanie Williams

Williams is a self-described “democratic socialist” who entered the race in March. The Plains Sentinel spoke to her after the debate, and she said that she decided to enter the already-crowded field because she felt the current slate of Democratic candidates was not bold or progressive enough.

“I was sitting comfortably at home with a new grandson and realizing that I wasn’t hearing what people wanted to hear,” Williams said. “If we want to beat the Republicans in November, we have to have bold policies, bold solutions that we will actually fight for. It doesn’t matter who has been elected so many times. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the military. That’s not the kind of fight we need.”

Among Williams’ top issues is the conflict in the Middle East, and a disagreement with another candidate was also a catalyst for her entering the race.

“Crystal Rhoades is a denier of genocide,” Williams said. “She denies that in Gaza it’s a genocide. And I’ve argued with her about this. … You are not for terrorism if you are for humanity. Wherever it is, if it’s unjust, like occupation, if it’s apartheid, which none of us were thinking about until October 7th.”

As a Democratic socialist, Williams has a familiar platform of policy proposals, including Medicare-for-All, free college, free childcare, and a $20 minimum wage.

When it came to the issue of illegal immigration—wanting to secure the border and deporting violent criminal aliens—Williams described ICE as an “untrained, unvetted paramilitary force” terrorizing communities, breaking windows, disappearing people, and operating without due process.

She also supported the DHS shutdown as leverage for reform.

The Voters Decide

Mail-in ballots are currently being sent out for the May primary, and early in-person voting has already begun. On May 12, Nebraska’s 2nd District Democrats will have the final say on which of the five very different candidates will challenge Brinker Harding for the highly contested congressional seat this November.

— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.

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