KHAS Weather
Kerrey will not run for Senate seat
After US Senator Ben Nelson announced his retirement, Democrats across the state turned to Bob Kerrey as the best candidate to maintain a democratic seat in the Senate.
But Tuesday, Democrats hopes came crashing down. Kerrey announced that he will not be running. Most residents in the Democratic party are obviously disappointed, but the Democrats have not lost hope that there is a candidate that would be able to beat out the republican candidates. "I mean, I think the immediate reaction is disappointment," said Jane Kleeb, BOLD Nebraska. Senator Bob Kerrey announced Tuesday that he will not be running for the US. Democratic Senate seat. Kerrey issued a statement this morning saying: "For many reasons I nearly said yes. In the end I choose to remain a private citizen. To those who urged me to do so, I am sorry, very sorry to have disappointed you. I hope you understand that I have chosen what I believe is best for my family and me." "You know it was really disappointing not to see him run, but clearly we understand that his family always does come first," said Kleeb. With Kerrey out of the equation, it brings up the question, could we be seeing a central Nebraska candidate? Does this move from Kerrey convince either of the Kleebs to consider running? "No, no, no neither Scott or I are interested in running for the US Senate," said Jane Kleeb. The Kleebs aren't considering, but others are. Some names being mentioned. Former Lieutenant Governor Kim Robak, State Senator Steve Lathrop, and University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook. "Well it means that I'm very seriously considering running for the Senate," said Hassebrook. While Hassebrook might not be a household name, it's something that Kleeb says hasn't mattered in the past. "Nobody had heard of Bob Kerrey before Bob Kerrey ran. Nobody had heard of Ben Nelson before he ran. Nobody had heard of Dave Heineman before he ran," Kleeb said. At this point, whichever Democratic candidates enter the race they'll have a late start in an already uphill battle. "The odds are always against a Democrat in Nebraska, but I believe that if I do everything right and get a few breaks, I can win," Hassebrook said. One Democrat has already thrown his name into the hat. Steven Lustgarten, owner of an Omaha video production company, is currently the only Democrat officially in the race. |
On Demand
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Poll |
Most Popular