The Omaha World-Herald takes stock of the potential Democratic candidates for the Nebraska Senate race — all two of them. Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and ’06 3rd District nominee Scott Kleeb won’t shut the door on a run just yet:
The party has no candidates at this time and their best contender, Fahey, is less than enthusiastic about running a statewide race. The Omaha mayor said that he was not ruling it out but that he has lots of work to do in Omaha.Fahey has taken an active and high-profile role in trying to keep the College World Series in Omaha. His work in that arena may make it easier for him to rebuff Democratic efforts to recruit him into the race. […]
Fahey said he will decide over the next 30 days whether to run.
“To call it an inconvenient time is an understatement,” he said.
Kleeb, who lost a congressional bid to U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith in western Nebraska last year, also may be a hard sell. […]
He said that he was disappointed in Kerrey’s decision and that he would wait to see what Fahey decided.
If Fahey stays out of the race, Kleeb said, he would consider running.
“It would have to be sooner than later. These campaigns these days take a long time,” said Kleeb, who has about $70,000 left in his congressional campaign committee.
It’s no doubt a daunting decision to go up against a formidable GOP foe in Mike Johanns. Frankly, I’m surprised that Fahey is still thinking about it, even hesitantly. However, if one of these two guys get in the ring, and if Bruning bloodies up Johanns, there’s still an outside chance that this race could become interesting.
(H/T: New Nebraska Network)
can Kleeb really win against a popular former governor in a Presidential election year?
Kleeb seems like schweitzer to me. He would have a chance at the senate, but would do much better as a governor. If Kleeb lost for senate, would he be able to rebound in 2010, and win the governorship like Schweitzer, or would the loss tarnish his appeal? Kleeb is probably the freshest face the Neb Dems have, and it would be a shame for him to wasted chasing windmills.
I, too, worried that we would blow cash on an unwinnable race in Nebraska. Our dollars are better spent elsewhere.
is unlikely. He’s more focused on reelection and the whole CWS/Rosenblatt thing has been a distraction.
I just hope he doesn’t take forever to say no.
We don’t even have a decent sacrificial goat candidate. Fahey will run for re-election… Kleeb really shouldn’t run if he was thinking about governor in 2010… That’s pretty much the rest of our bench.