Walz Picks Former Republican For Running Mate
by John Gage
(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
Democratic gubernatorial challenger Lynne Walz revealed she has picked her running mate in her bid to unseat Republican Governor Jim Pillen. Walz told the Omaha World Herald on Tuesday that she has picked Ben Steffen, a former Republican and southeast Nebraska farmer, as her lieutenant governor pick.
The Walz campaign is holding a press conference on Tuesday morning to officially announce the pick.
Walz said on Twitter that she was “excited” about her pick. “I thought long and hard about who this person should be,” she said. “And Ben checks all the boxes. He’s honest. He’s hardworking. He has integrity and Ben is just salt of the earth.”
Steffen said that he and Walz would be working together to “make things better for Nebraska.”
Following the announcement, the Nebraska Republican and Democratic parties sparred over the merits of Walz choice. Democratic Chair Jane Kleeb touted Steffen as a “farmer” while attacking the current Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly for being a “lawyer.”
The Nebraska Republican Party responded, saying Kelly is a “respected prosecutor” and calling Steffen a “glorified activist.”
Steffen, who is now a registered Democrat, owns Steffen Ag Inc., a business that “specializes in providing agricultural services and products to local farmers and businesses.”
Since leaving the Republican party, Steffan has become a critic of President Trump and Republican policies nationally and locally. This year, he spoke at a left-wing “No Kings” protest in Omaha.
“It’s the price at the pump, it’s the price at the grocery store and rent, and people are concerned about what’s going on in the Middle East,” Steffen said at the rally in March according to WOWT.
“People are thinking about things differently. The conversations have shifted. There’s a tremendous amount of unease around agriculture. The economics are in really bad shape. We haven’t been in shape like this since the 1980s, and it’s really opening up conversation. You know, maybe we need to think about things in a different way.”
Steffen is also a “storyteller” for the left-wing nonprofit, Nebraska For Us, which opposes Republican lawmakers and priorities. The organization is currently spending money attacking Republican Reps. Mike Flood and Don Bacon.
Walz promised in her campaign platform rollout last week that she will be appointing Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to key positions in her administration. Earlier this month, Walz picked up the endorsement of former GOP State Senator Mark Kolterman.
The Pillen campaign responded to the news of Walz picking a running mate, saying: “This pick does nothing to change Walz’s liberal record on hiking property taxes, keeping boys in girls’ sports, and giving taxpayer subsidies to Big Tech data centers.”
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.