LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Businessman and candidate for Governor Charles Herbster was accused Thursday of groping or forcibly kissing eight women, one of which is state Sen. Julie Slama, according to the Nebraska Examiner.
“It’s really altered the Republican primary situation right now,” said University of Nebraska Professor of Political Science John Hibbing.
Polling from multiple campaigns in March reflected Herbster in the lead and it will take some time until the results of new polls are distributed in the wake of the release of the bombshell report.
Hibbing says the timing of the article, coming less than four weeks before the primary, wasn’t good for Herbster.
“The fact that it blew up right now was probably not a coincidence, but I guess I’m a little bit less bothered by that than other people might be, because to me, the key thing to me is, ‘Are these allegations true?’ and I don’t care when they were divulged, that’s what we need to figure out,” said Hibbing.
These allegations, which include seven unnamed women and Slama, are being forcibly denied by Herbster.
“I deny them 100%, I have nothing to hide, I have nothing to run from,” Herbster told KFAB Radio on Thursday. “I can assure you that I’ve never even done that when my wife was alive in the 37 years with her personally.”
Herbster told KFAB Radio's Ian Swanson that he’ll sue, but who exactly he intends to sue is unclear.
“That’s going to be between myself and my attorneys. I’m not going to answer that question,” said Herbster.
Regardless of a lawsuit — the allegations could open up the race. Hibbing believes some voters may now veer towards Jim Pillen, who uses similar, Donald Trump-type rhetoric to Herbster.
“Pillen and Herbster were busy trying to out-right each other whereas Lindstrom saw his track as a little bit different, maybe slightly less eager to kind of have the Trump wing of the party support him,” said Hibbing.
There's a chance Herbster will still win the primary election. That would set up a general election against Democrat Carol Blood.
“It’s hard to know what that’s going to play out like in November, but certainly this has opened the door, I think, for the Democrats to have a chance, especially if Herbster is the nominee,” said Hibbing.
The last Democrat elected to a statewide office in Nebraska was Ben Nelson in 1998.
Democrats seeking hope could look at Kansas, where a moderate Democrat was elected governor after facing a far right-wing candidate four years ago.
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