'Handing Mike Flood a Gift': Dems Defiant as Burbank Endorses Independent Ahlman
by John Gage
(Picture credit Austin Ahlman Instagram)
Cindy Burbank, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, announced her endorsement of Independent candidate Austin Ahlman in his bid to unseat incumbent Congressman Mike Flood. Burbank said Tuesday she was “proud to support Austin because he truly understands the real struggles of families in Nebraska right now” and that he was not a “spoiler” candidate.
Burbank has stated publicly that she plans to drop her bid for the Senate in favor of Independent Dan Osborn against incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts.
The endorsement of Ahlman comes in defiance of her own party, as the Democratic Party has backed Osborn’s Independent Senate run but not Ahlman’s run in the First Congressional District. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb responded to the news, saying it was “handing Mike Flood a gift.”
"The Nebraska Democratic Party supports Chris Backemeyer to defeat Mike Flood,” Kleeb said. “Chris also has the backbone to stand up to the extreme MAGA agenda.”
“Anyone jumping into this race this late to split the vote isn’t offering an alternative — they’re handing Mike Flood a gift. The united choice for change is Chris Backemeyer,” she added.
Ahlman has positioned his campaign as taking on both the Republican and Democratic establishments, criticizing both Flood and Backemeyer for their foreign policy and economic views.
Backemeyer has responded to criticism of his campaign by saying Ahlman was “someone who has never had to solve real-world problems.”
Ahlman said he launched his campaign after watching Backemeyer beat Eric Moyer, a renewable energy advocate. Backemeyer worked for former President Joe Biden’s State Department on Middle East issues. In an article from 2022, Ahlman said President Joe Biden’s decision to freeze money to Afghanistan was “tantamount to mass murder.”
Ahlman said Tuesday that Burbank’s endorsement was proof he had support from both Republicans and Democrats.
“The most supportive folks so far have actually been my Republican friends and neighbors who are sick of Mike Flood and want real change, so I’m really thrilled that we’re picking up support from anti-establishment Democrats as well who know the leaders of their own party have been failing too,” he said, adding, “I know this wasn’t easy for Cindy.”
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with comment from Austin Ahlman.