U.S. Senate candidate Preston Love Jr. announces his 2024 Democratic bid for the Senate in Omaha on Wednesday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unexpected U.S. Senate race is getting a small jolt of outside spending from a SuperPAC tied to former Omaha-area U.S. House candidate Kara Eastman.
Cavalry PAC is buying a single statewide TV ad this week, helped by $20,000 from the Weitz Family Foundation, which is tied to the family of University of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz.
The group has spent $35,000 on an ad for Democrat Preston Love Jr. to run on cable and streaming services during the Saturday football game between the Huskers and Northern Iowa on the Big Ten Network.
The ad supports Love’s candidacy against Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, who was appointed to the seat after former Sen. Ben Sasse resigned to lead the University of Florida.
Eastman, an upstart candidate when she first ran in 2018, said her group is investing in a candidate who isn’t getting as much support from the typical Democratic Party donors.
“Preston Love Jr. is a phenomenal candidate,” she said of the North Omaha civil rights activist. “When you’re up against a billionaire like Ricketts, it’s really hard to compete.”
Love had raised $164,000 as of the end of June and listed $6,500 in campaign cash on hand. Ricketts had raised $4.3 million and listed $1.7 million in cash on hand.
The ad features child actors meant to look like a young Love and a young Ricketts. It shows young Love character talking about wanting to play football for the Huskers and making his community better.
The young Ricketts character says he’ll use “daddy’s money” to take away women’s rights and reach the Senate.
Jessica Flanagain, a political consultant for the Ricketts campaign, said in response to the ad, “Senator Ricketts has been elected by Nebraskans statewide twice and will be again in November. Regarding this childishness – if a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it….”
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Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
