Speaker Mike Johnson Campaigns with Brinker Harding in Omaha
by Matt Johnson
(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
OMAHA — Speaker of the House Mike Johnson paid a visit to Omaha Saturday morning, appearing at WheatFields Eatery & Bakery with Brinker Harding, who is running for Congress in Nebraska’s Second District.
Filling the room were high-level Republicans from across the state, including GOP State Party Chair Mary Jane Truemper, National Committeeman William Feely, and over a dozen state senators and candidates for office.
Harding and Johnson championed Republican accomplishments nationally, while also taking aim at the leftward tilt of the Democratic Party.
‘No Tax on Tips’ and Working to Keep the House
Speaker Johnson has been on the campaign trail working to bolster Republican candidates in a midterm election largely expected to favor Democrats. And while he admitted “on paper, this thing looks like it goes to the Democrats,” he was decidedly optimistic.
“It’s a contrast between common sense and crazy,” Johnson said. “And I’m telling you, I am absolutely convinced. I’m going to predict for you right now: We are going to make history—we are going to grow the House majority.”
The venue was chosen specifically to highlight the “no tax on tips” portion of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed last year.
“We’re highlighting no tax on tips, because we’re here in an all-American, quintessential restaurant that’s been here for 26 years,” Johnson said. “Ron and Ruth Ann Popp opened this facility, and it is a kind of heartbeat place for the whole community right here—you see it on display. The ‘no tax on tips’ helps servers and wait staff—like millions and millions of people across the country—keep more of their hard-earned dollars.”
The Democrats’ Leftward Shift
During this past election cycle, the Democratic Party has pivoted sharply to the left, particularly in primary elections in Colorado and New York. The Plains Sentinel asked Speaker Johnson if he thought this represented a long-term shift for the party.
“I am sad to tell you that our parents’ Democratic Party does not exist anymore,” Johnson said. “The communists are taking over the party, and there are, as I describe it, little mini Mamdani’s are popping up around the country, and they’re winning those races.”
Brinker Harding chimed in.
“This isn’t just happening in New York or California. We just saw what happened in our neighboring state of Colorado two weeks ago—a 22-year Democrat incumbent knocked off in the primary. So we cannot fool ourselves to think that they’re not trying to get here to Nebraska.”
Johnson was also quick to connect the shift to Harding’s opponent, Denise Powell.
“His opponent is for trans surgeries for minors, boys playing in girls’ sports. She’s on the board of a group that wants radical sex education for kindergartners, and she was a personal donor to AOC, one of the founders of the Squad in Washington.”
Local Race, National Attention
The high-profile visit highlights the national attention the congressional race has drawn, and it comes on the heels of a visit by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who campaigned with Denise Powell on Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon, Rahm Emanuel, former White House Chief of Staff under Barack Obama, will appear with Powell alongside striking members of Teamsters Local 554 outside the Premier Midwest Beverage in Omaha.
Harding wrapped the event by describing how he’ll take his experience on the Omaha City Council to Congress.
“The things that we do here, we can take to Washington, D.C., and work with the Speaker and work with members of Congress to deliver those results,” Harding said. “I’ve worked on the City Council, balanced the budget, supported the ‘blue,’ made sure we have record-low crime rates, and unleashed the American spirit so that they can flourish and really prosper.”
Johnson added, “And that is the direct opposite of what his opponent believes, so we have a serious choice to make—and I’m convinced Nebraska’s Second District is going to make the right choice.”
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.