Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon listens as former Democratic congressional candidate Ann Ashford endorses him. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA — Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon secured the endorsement Monday of Ann Ashford, a former Democratic candidate for his House seat and widow of former Rep. Brad Ashford, whom Bacon defeated in 2016.
Ashford said she supported Bacon partly because outside groups advertising in congressional campaigns keep trying to label candidates like Bacon and her late husband as extreme when she says they are centrists.
She lauded Bacon’s crossover votes for infrastructure funds, the Respect for Marriage Act and legal changes to help participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
She and Bacon said their two families became friends after the 2016 race. They grew closer when Brad Ashford faced a brain cancer diagnosis. He died in 2022.
“I’m tired of seeing politics twist things and try to turn someone just because they have the name of a different party behind them … into some kind of evil being or an extremist,” she said. “Because Don’s not an extremist.”
Competitive race
Her decision disappointed some Democrats who said it might help Bacon amplify congressional ratings crediting his work across party lines. Others said they weren’t surprised.
Nebraska Democrats have long argued that Bacon is more partisan than he portrays himself. Outside ads running on Bacon’s behalf have made similar arguments about Bacon’s opponents.
Bacon said that he was grateful to have her support and that his relationship with the Ashfords is based on years of “respect.” He said he saw how hard they worked to secure donor help to build a new Veterans Affairs clinic in Omaha.
“We don’t always agree, but we do know this,” Bacon said. “We have trust, and trust is always based on character.”
History of Ashford endorsements
Brad Ashford himself endorsed Bacon in 2020, the last time Bacon faced a re-election fight in a presidential election year. Ashford’s move angered Democrats, particularly local progressives.
At the time, some questioned whether he did so partly to punish Democratic nominee Kara Eastman for criticizing Ann Ashford during their primary battle in 2020.
Ann Ashford did not endorse Eastman after the primary.
Bacon won his rematch against Eastman that year by 5 percentage points. Now Bacon faces another rematch, this one against his 2022 opponent, State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.
Ashford’s endorsement comes at a pivotal point in Nebraska’s most competitive congressional race, as polling on both sides repeatedly indicates a race within the margin of error.
Democrats respond
Meg Mandy, a Vargas campaign spokeswoman, said the endorsement can’t “cover up the fact” that Bacon “votes again and again the way Donald Trump tells him to … to remain in office.”
She said Bacon has voted “to raise taxes on the middle class, block Medicare from negotiating lower prescription costs” and backs “a nationwide ban on abortion with no exceptions.”
Nebraska Democrats interviewed said they do not expect her endorsement to carry much weight within the party’s base. Some said it could help Bacon on the margins.
Nebraska’s 2nd District is the red state’s most evenly divided among Republicans, Democrats and registered nonpartisans. Both Bacon and Vargas are targeting those unaffiliated voters.
How Ashford balances endorsement with beliefs
When questioned, Ashford acknowledged the disconnect between her beliefs as a Democrat with her endorsement in a race that might decide which party controls the House of Representatives.
She criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade that sent the decision on the future of abortion rights back to the states but said Nebraskans will get to decide on that issue in November.
Bacon previously supported a proposed federal constitutional amendment banning abortion with no obvious exceptions. He has said since he supports exceptions for the life of the mother.
Presidential politics
Ashford called herself “a Harris-Bacon voter,” saying she planned to support Vice President Kamala Harris for presidentover former President Donald Trump.
Political observers in 2020 noted that Bacon outperformed Trump in the district, crediting his victory margin to voters siding with President Joe Biden.
Bacon on Monday acknowledged his continued support for Trump but said, “there are a lot of things I don’t defend with the former president.”
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said no endorsement could cover “how extreme Don Bacon has become.” She said he’s endorsed Trump three times.
Kleeb also criticized Bacon for signing onto a delegation letter seeking to change Nebraska’s system of awarding Electoral College votes to winner-take-all.
“Democrats are focused on building an opportunity economy for all Nebraskans without the chaos of Trump and his cronies,” she said in a statement.
The Nebraska Republican Party had no immediate comment on the endorsement. Bacon said he would continue to work to represent all of his constituents, including those who disagree with him.
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