Nebraska GOP stops short of curbing power of groups of women, young people

NORFOLK, Neb.(Nebraska Examiner) — The Nebraska Republican Party stopped short Saturday of eliminating the voting power of four groups representing Republican women and young people on one of the party’s top leadership committees.

In the end, proponents pulled their proposal after critics in their own party slammed them for nearly sidelining groups from constituencies that Republicans have said they need more votes from in 2024 — women and young people.

The proposal would have cut the voting slots on the state GOP’s Executive Committee held today by Nebraska representatives of the Federation of Republican Women, Young Republicans, College Republicans and High School Republicans. 

It would have made representatives of those groups advisory members of the committee, instead of full ones, letting the party chair exclude them from some meetings.

Reasons behind proposal

Third Congressional District GOP volunteer Chris Vail said she offered the amendment to fix a party process that she felt had tilted power toward Eastern Nebraska Republicans. Vail and Morissa Benson said the women and youth groups cater more toward Omaha and Lincoln. 

Both said they still want “women and the young involved in our party.”

“This is about geography,” Benson said. “If the auxiliary groups were out in the Third District and contributing to our counties, I would feel a bit different.”

It became clear by breakfast at Norfolk’s Divots Conference Center that Saturday would be an unusual day of public disagreement about the potential amendment to the state party constitution.

Big names push back

One of the top supporters of the new Nebraska GOP leadership team, former 2022 GOP primary gubernatorial runner-up Charles Herbster, left a message on every table opposing the change.

“We must do everything we can to heal past wounds, grow the party and include more women and younger voters …,” he wrote. “This amendment does nothing to advance those goals.”

Gov. Jim Pillen and every member of Nebraska’s all-GOP congressional delegation opposed it, too — U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, plus Reps. Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith.

Pillen said the proposal “reflects the opinion of a vocal minority and not the opinion of rank-and-file Republicans, or those of us who represent the voters officially.”

Said Fischer: “These groups strengthen our party.”

The measure was opposed by elected officials from nearly every political wing of the party, including State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and State Board of Education member Kirk Penner. Many said the groups provide volunteers and energy to their campaigns.

“I think it would have discouraged people when we are trying to encourage people,” Kauth said. “I’m familiar with all of those groups, and they all bring something different to the table.”

Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said the state GOP should accept that young people and women might disagree with them on reproductive rights, LGBTQ issues, climate change and more.

Deeper look

Several Republicans described an effort by some within the state GOP who want to rein in the outside groups, including officers who have butted heads with the current state party leadership.

Others worried aloud that the outside groups might not have the same goals as the new state GOP and might be loyal to the former GOP leadership team more closely aligned with Ricketts.

Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Theresa Thibodeau has disagreed publicly with some decisions by current GOP leaders. She is vice president of the Federation of Republican Women.

She said she was pleased the proposal was withdrawn. Regardless of internal disagreements, she said, her group’s members have spent thousands of hours volunteering for candidates statewide.

Some who said they had tried to join the groups from outside the state’s major cities complained about being excluded. 

Future changes

One 3rd District member of the State Central Committee, who did not give his name, said he was frustrated that members of the youth organizations had not attended his county GOP meetings.

The Nebraska Young Republicans group, responding to similar criticisms online, said they recently started a Central Nebraska chapter and are working on starting one in Southeast Nebraska.

Vail, after withdrawing the amendment, said she had “never in all of my life” felt the “unbearable pressure” and “incredible amount of force of people who are my elected officials.”

She said she was trying not to take the pushback from Herbster, whom she supported in 2022, and elected public officials personally. But, she said, “it’s tough.” 

“I’m not sure why this should be a divisive issue,” Vail said.

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