LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) – Republicans in Nebraska fought to leave the gubernatorial campaign behind on Wednesday as a rally aimed at emphasizing party unity instead showed division after the first major loss for a candidate backed by Donald Trump this year’s by-elections.
The cracks remained apparent in the hours since the primary was called for Jim Pilen, a regent from the University of Nebraska, backed by Gov. Pete Ricketts and other prominent Republicans.
Charles Herbster, a Trump-backed candidate who finished second, briefly appeared at the event but left shortly afterwards without answering questions or approving Pilen. Herbster, a businessman and breeder who has faced palpable accusations from eight young women during the campaign, has a pending lawsuit against one of his accusers, a Republican state senator.
Another major contender, State Senator Brett Lindstrom, did not attend the rally after the election, as is common for losing candidates. He backed Pillen on Tuesday night after giving up the race.
Despite all the bad feelings, Pilen will be a strong favorite against Democrat Carol Blood, a state senator, in November. Nebraska, a Republican stronghold that has not elected a Democrat to governor since 1994. The Ricketts have been barred by law limiting the term from running again.
“I know when you or your candidate are on the losing side, it sometimes gets damn hard to unite,” Dan Welch, chairman of the Republican Party in the state, said in a speech at the rally. He added: “But if you think what unites us as a party, these are not the candidates. What unites us are our conservative ideologies, our conservative principles and our philosophies. ”
The disagreement highlights the dangers for Trump Republicans of running in primary races where other Republican leaders have approved various candidates. The stakes will rise only later this month for Trump at the primaries in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, as he seeks to reward allies and punish his enemies before a possible White House bid in 2024.
Trump attacked Ricketts in a statement Wednesday calling himself and others “RINO,” abbreviated to “Republican by name.” The former president defended Herbster during personal and telephone rallies with Nebraska voters, saying the allegations against the candidate were politically motivated. Trump has previously denied accusations of sexual violence using similar language.
Pilen expressed a unifying tone in his speech at the rally.
“I think what’s important today is to focus on tomorrow,” he said, adding, “I’m going to work very, very hard to win the rest of the Republican votes, eye to eye, handshake to handshake, in the whole state.
During the campaign, both Herbster and Lindstrom faced television attacks from conservative Nebraska, a ricketts-funded political action committee, a wealthy former CEO and son of TD Ameritrade billionaire founder Joe Rickets. The family has spent millions of dollars over the years to help their chosen candidates and causes.
Herbster denied accusations that eight women, including State Sen. Julie Slam, had touched them, and accused Ricketts and Pilen of plotting to spread the story; both men denied this. Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slam, who responded with her own lawsuit, accusing him of sexual assault.
Herbster’s campaign spokeswoman Emily Novotny said Wednesday that Herbster “will continue to pursue all legal channels until his name is cleared.”
“This trial was never for the governor’s race, but to restore honor to Mr Herbster’s reputation,” she said in an email.
Slama’s lawyer did not respond immediately to emails and phone messages. After the race was called for Pilen, Slama tweeted “God bless Nebraska” with emojis on the American flag.
U.S. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who helped set up a legal fund to protect Herbster’s prosecutors, said her group has not yet decided whether to break up. “He lost. We have to move on,” said Linehan, a Pillen supporter.
Ricketts said in an interview that it was important for Republicans to rally against Blood and all other Democrats in November. He said Pilen has a better game on the ground and a message that resonates with voters.
“Approvals have only brought you so far, especially out-of-state approvals,” Ricketts said. “What the people of Nebraska want to know is what you’re going to do, and one of the things Jim Pilon did was run the best mass campaign to tour the state and tell people directly. That’s why he won. “
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