Nebraska Democrats read different motives for conservative PAC's attack ads

It also appears to have helped heat up the key primary race in the final weeks leading up to May 12. 

The ads from conservative nonprofit American Action Network have circulated on TV, on online videos and in the mail. They attempt to link State Sen. John Cavanaugh to President Donald Trump over a bill the lawmaker proposed to eliminate state taxes on tips and overtime to align with recently changed federal law. The ads ask viewers to thank Cavanaugh for supporting Trump and MAGA policy. 

Cavanaugh affirmed he intends to stand against the Trump administration and called no tax on tips and overtime pay a policy that helps working people. He also said the ads target him to boost his opponents because the GOP sees him as the biggest threat: "They're spending money to try to beat me, so they clearly have the opinion that I'm the strongest candidate."

Kishla Askins — a Navy veteran and physician's assistant who is a former official in the Department of Veterans Affairs — saw the ads differently. She alleges the ads actually boost Cavanaugh's campaign by drawing sympathy and attention because Republicans see Cavanaugh as beatable.

The Askins campaign, in a press release, said district voters "expect practical, common-sense leadership and regularly support candidates from both parties. That’s why you’re seeing this kind of interference: to elevate the opponent they think gives Republicans the best chance to hold the seat."

Denise Powell, a political fundraiser and business owner in her first run for office, also said the ads are meant to boost Cavanaugh because she is a real candidate who scares Republicans.

"Why would Republicans spend money to help a Democrat win his primary?" Powell's campaign asked in a press release. "Because they know who they want to face in November, and they’re worried about it being Denise Powell." 

At a press conference Friday in the Nebraska Democrats' Omaha headquarters, Cavanaugh called the ads tying him to Trump deceptive, untrue and an attempt to get Democrats to attack one another. 

Fact check: Conservative PAC ties Democratic candidate in Nebraska's CD2 race to Trump

"I'm running for Congress to fight Trump's agenda and defend our democratic values and restore our economy and our democracy," he said. The ads won't work, Cavanaugh said, because "I believe Democrats know me. They know what I've done. They will see through these false and cynical attacks, and I'll continue to fight against corruption of our political system and our democracy."

Cavanaugh called the organization behind the ads a "dark money group." He noted that anti-corruption organization Citizens United endorsed him and that he supports campaign finance reform to end or at least shed a light on dark money and corporate PAC money in politics. 

Omaha Sen. Ashlei Spivey and Bellevue Sen. Victor Rountree spoke in support of Cavanaugh, affirming that they all fight together for working people and combat the presidential administration. 

"These attacks are unnecessary, but it shows that we are on the right track and that (Cavanaugh) is doing what he needs to do to fight against MAGA Republicans," Spivey said. 

On the Republican side, the party nominee for the 2nd Congressional District is Omaha City Council Vice President Brinker Harding. 

Amid the hubbub over the ad about Cavanaugh, both the Askins and Powell campaigns highlighted a January report in the Washington Examiner, a D.C.-based conservative political outlet, about Democratic challengers that GOP operatives don't think can win a general election. 

The outlet obtained a dossier that said Cavanaugh "has a rich history of far-left votes in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature." There are no further details about those votes in the Examiner story.

Republicans control a supermajority of the Nebraska Legislature, so progressive policies rarely, if ever, make it to the governor. Democrats and a nonpartisan progressive lawmaker often vote as a bloc in hopes to filibuster controversial bills, but the past two years, they've needed backing from at least one Republican for those filibusters to be successful. 

Askins' campaign chief of staff, Alison Thompson, said more so than Cavanaugh's votes, his vulnerability is his endorsement from the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC. She said Cavanaugh would not win a general election because he is not in line with the district.

What happens to Nebraska Legislature if Omaha lawmaker John Cavanaugh goes to Congress?

Thompson also said possibly losing the "Blue Dot" through Cavanaugh's election is a concern for voters, echoing an argument that Douglas County Clerk Crystal Rhoades has made for months in the CD2 campaign.

Rhoades this week in a Politico report doubled down on highlighting that Cavanaugh leaving the Legislature for Congress could mean losing a crucial seat to protect Democrats' ability to filibuster. Democrats in recent years have barely fought off proposals like a total abortion ban and becoming a winner-take-all state in presidential elections.

Powell, in campaign emails, has joined Rhoades in pointing out a risk to the "Blue Dot," the colloquial name for the district because it has voted for Democrats the past two presidential elections. 

Cavanaugh and party leaders have expressed confidence in flipping enough legislative seats to absorb the blow of potentially losing Cavanaugh's.  

At Friday's press conference, Precious McKesson, executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said the ads about Cavanaugh were not the only interference in the Democrats' primaries.

She said the party is neutral about the outcome in the congressional primary, which also features progressive activist Melanie Williams, "but what we're not going to stand neutral about is the ongoing effort by the Republicans to mislead voters and manipulate our elections."

McKesson accused Bill Forbes, a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, of being a plant to confuse voters.

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Democrats and the campaign for Dan Osborn, an independent candidate challenging Sen. Pete Ricketts, have accused Ricketts' campaign of putting Forbes, a pastor and anti-abortion activist, up to disrupt the race. Forbes has denied being a spoiler and said he is a legitimate Democrat, despite his activism and sermons invoking conservative talking points.

Ricketts' campaign has said it has nothing to do with Forbes and said that Osborn's campaign has once again backed a candidate to interfere with the Legal Marijuana Now party's primary. Osborn's campaign denied a connection to the candidate, Mike Marvin.

Forbes joining the Senate race at the last minute led Cindy Burbank of Omaha to also run for Senate and "protect the party line." Burbank intends to win the primary and then support Osborn. 

The party also called out Secretary of State Bob Evnen for his attempts to remove Douglas County sheriff candidate Mark Martinez and Burbank from the primary ballot. In both cases, the State Supreme Court ruled those candidates should be on the ballot. 

After the May 12 primary, the general election will be Nov. 3.