Bob Kerrey is officially running for Senate in Nebraska
It’s official: Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) is running for Senate again.
Former Nebraska senator Bob Kerrey speaks in New York in 2010.
(Mark Lennihan - AP)
Kerrey had announced earlier this month that would not try to return to the Senate, citing his family in New York City.
“Doing things the conventional way has never been my strong suit,” he said in a statement. “I came to realize that my previous decision was the easy one, not the right one. My commitment to serve Nebraska and America, and to be part of the debate about the challenges we face, was too strong to dismiss.”
His wife went from opposing to supporting the idea, according to a Democratic official, and that played a big role in his reversal.
“My family supports this decision 100 percent,” Kerrey said in his statement.
He already has a Web site ready for the race.
Sources told The Fix of Kerrey’s decision Monday, but the former senator’s staff continued to say that he had not made up his mind.
The decision is good news for Democrats hoping to keep control of the Senate. The party now has a candidate with experience winning statewide in Nebraska to run for the one being vacated by Sen. Ben Nelson (D). Kerrey also served as governor of the Cornhusker State.
But Kerrey is open to accusations of both carpetbagging (he even considered running for mayor in New York) and wishy-washiness for going back on his decision not to run.
“As Nebraskans reacquaint themselves with Kerrey, they will quickly recognize that living in Greenwich Village for so many years tends to change a person,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh.
Kerrey has also created some tension with his fellow Nebraska Democrats.
Chuck Hassebrook stepped down from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to run after Kerrey passed on the race. He said earlier this week that “I gave up my seat ... based on his word. I do not believe he would go back on it.” Hassebrook is now vowing to stay in the primary.
Attorney General Jon Bruning is the frontrunner in the GOP primary, although state Treasurer Don Stenberg has the support of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
- Spam
- Obscene
- Duplicate
Blog Contributors
Chris Cillizza
Chris Cillizza is founder and editor of The Fix, a leading blog on state and national politics. He is the author of The Gospel According to the Fix: An Insider’s Guide to a Less than Holy World of Politics and an MSNBC contributor and political analyst. He also regularly appears on NBC and NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show. He joined The Post in 2005 and was named one of the top 50 journalists by Washingtonian in 2009.
Juliet Eilperin
Juliet Eilperin covers the White House for the Washington Post. She served as the Post's House of Representatives reporter from 1998-2004, covering the impeachment of Bill Clinton, lobbying, legislation, and five national congressional campaigns. Since 2004 she has been one of the country’s leading reporters covering the environment, reporting on science, policy and politics in areas including climate change, oceans, and air quality. She is the author of two books, "Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship is Poisoning the House of Representatives," and "Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks." Follow her on Twitter.
Ed O’Keefe
Ed O’Keefe covers Congress and politics for the Washington Post. He previously covered the 2008 and 2012 campaigns and reported on federal agencies and federal employees as author of The Federal Eye blog. Follow Ed on Twitter.
Aaron Blake
Aaron Blake covers national politics at the Washington Post, where he writes regularly for “The Fix,” the Post’s top political blog. A Minnesota native and summa cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota, Aaron has also written about politics for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and The Hill newspaper. Aaron and his wife, Danielle, live in Annandale, Va. Follow him on Twitter.
Sean Sullivan
Sean Sullivan covers national politics for “The Fix.” Prior to joining the Washington Post in the summer of 2012, Sean was the editor of Hotline On Call, National Journal Hotline’s politics blog. He has also worked for NHK Japan Public Broadcasting and ABC News. Sean is a graduate of Hamilton College, where he received a degree in Philosophy. He lives in Washington, D.C. Follow Sean on Twitter.
Scott Clement
Scott Clement is a survey research analyst for Capital Insight, the independent polling group of Washington Post Media. Scott specializes in public opinion about politics, election campaigns and public policy. He helps design and analyze all Washington Post polls, including the Washington Post-ABC News poll. Follow Scott on Twitter.
Rachel Weiner
Rachel Weiner covers national politics for Post Politics and The Fix. She came to the Washington Post in 2010 as a political web editor and anchored the Post's 2012 election blog. She was previously a web editor at The Huffington Post. Follow her on Twitter.
Latest Tweets
I miss Sir Ian Darke. cc: @MenInBlazers
RT @nycjim: Snooki & @GovChristie have odd encounter on Seaside Heights boardwalk. http://t.co/tRdPQa8jKS http://t.co/32UK2NV2o1
Anthony Weiner’s rocky restart: http://t.co/TCzxloeDoK
Loading...
Comments