New Party Petitions to Make November Ballot, Causing Partisan Finger-Pointing

by Matt Johnson and John Gage

A new political party is looking to organize in Nebraska ahead of the November elections. Robin Richards, the write-in candidate for Nebraska Legislature in District 12, is behind the effort to form a new “Nebraska Working People Party,” according to filings obtained by The Plains Sentinel.

The Secretary of State’s office provided a written affidavit of sponsorship for the formation of a new political party. Robin Richards’ name and signature appear on the document.

According to the affidavit, the purpose of the new party is “to provide Nebraska voters with a political organization dedicated to advancing the interests of working families, middle-class Nebraskans, rural communities, small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and individuals seeking practical solutions to improve economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and promote responsive and accountable government.”

On Monday, a Plains Sentinel reporter spoke with two of the petition gatherers outside of the Omaha Central Library. Neither offered any details about who was behind the effort, except that they had both been hired in the past couple of days.

When pressed, one of the gatherers said they did not even know the name of their boss. “It was a guy I met doing another petition, and I signed up with him,” they stated.

The other gatherer pitched the petition as a way for the minimum wage to be raised. “This is the Nebraska Working People Party. We are trying to put it on the ballot so that the minimum wage will go up,” the petition gatherer stated.

Signature gatherers were also seen at the Lincoln Farmers Market on Sunday with a petition table featuring prominent left-leaning signs. The signs carried the tagline “Socialistic Alternative” at the bottom and included messages such as “Democrats and Courts Won’t Save Us, Build A New Working Class Party” and “Trump is the Symptom, Capitalism is the Disease.” The two men staffing the table wore T-shirts with similar messaging, including “Protect Your Neighbors, Abolish ICE” and “Fight Sexism, Racism, and Transphobia.”

Richards Failed to Make the General Election

Richards, a registered Democrat, ran as a write-in candidate for the Nebraska Legislature in District 12 after her filing fee check bounced, which kept her name off the ballot. In the primary, she finished fourth, receiving 5.1% of the vote (310 out of 6,133 total votes).

The day after the election, Richards endorsed incumbent Merv Riepe on her campaign Facebook page.

“Merv Riepe is the only candidate left in this race who is in it for the right reasons: to protect and care about District 12. Not party politics. Not ego. Not personal nonsense built on lies, manufactured outrage, and deceit.”

The Plains Sentinel has reached out to Richards for comment on the story.

Nebraska Democrats were quick to respond to news of the new party’s formation. Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, posted on Twitter, blaming the move on Sen. Pete Ricketts:

“Spoiler alert...it’s a spoiler. Their name should be ‘Working for Ricketts Party.’ Decline to sign their petition!”

The Plains Sentinel has reached out to the Ricketts campaign for comment.

The Nebraska Republican Party responded to Kleeb’s accusations, saying they were not behind the effort and telling her to “get a grip.”

The Nebraska Democratic Party vice chair Ron Kaminski claimed the people behind the party were poor losers and trying to find a new way “to rip off donors.”

“It is being started by losing candidates and they are using that name to deceive voters,” Kaminski posted on Facebook. “They are mad they lost their elections and don’t have any way to rip off donors any longer.”

The deadline to turn in signatures for a new party before the November election is July 15.

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

— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.