1st Congressional District voter guide: Flood hopes to fend off three challengers as he seeks third full term

Incumbent Republican Mike Flood has represented Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District since 2022. Democrat Chris Backemeyer won his party’s nomination in the May primary election and appears to be Flood’s main opponent. But two other candidates will also be on this ticket: Libertarian Nik Sandman and America First Party candidate Dan Hartong.

Flood and Backemeyer participated in an hour-long debate in September that was hosted by Nebraska Public Media News and the Omaha World-Herald. The two candidates discussed affordability, the Iran war, artificial intelligence, rising insurance prices, ag market support and Medicaid changes.

The 2026 general election comes at a difficult time for Nebraska’s rural and urban economies. The ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran has pushed gas prices well above $4 a gallon, with diesel reaching a record price of more than $6 a gallon in September. The increase in transportation and import costs is bleeding through to consumers. And that’s on top of prices for some goods still remaining high from several tariff disputes between the Trump administration and other countries.

Other national issues have developed since the 1st District’s last election in 2024. President Trump’s most recent term has brought a sharp increase in ICE arrests, especially in Nebraska, where detentions increased 329% in 2025. Congress has also passed major legislation, primarily in the One Big Beautiful Bill, that has made changes to Medicaid funding, SNAP eligibility and taxes on tips and overtime.

Congress passed significant housing legislation earlier this year called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. It attempts to put more limitations on large investors from buying up single-family homes, award more federal grants toward housing initiatives and pull back from some environmental reviews.

District 1 covers the cities of Lincoln, Fremont, Norfolk and Columbus. All of Butler, Cass, Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, Lancaster, Madison, Platte and Stanton Counties are included. Northeastern Polk and eastern Sarpy Counties are also a part of the congressional district.

Flood, Backemeyer and Sandman answered questions about the economy, the war in Iran, healthcare and much more in interviews with Nebraska Public Media News. Hartong declined an interview request.

Mike Flood emphasizes federal legislation

Republican Rep. Mike Flood served in the Nebraska Legislature for nearly 10 years in two different stints. He represented Norfolk, the city where he grew up. In the private sector, Flood is a lawyer and owns a statewide broadcasting network.

Flood was elected in 2022 during a special election to fill the vacant seat. He was reelected that fall and again in 2024. He ran unopposed in the 2026 May primary election.

This election cycle, the two-term lawmaker has touted the ROAD to Housing Act, for which he was an original co-sponsor.

“I was pleased to have written the housing bill that became law, the most significant housing bill in 36 years that essentially will increase supply and bring prices down,” Flood said in an interview with Nebraska Public Media News. “Affordability is the issue of this election cycle.”

He said rising costs on American households are carrying over from the previous administration, while also acknowledging that the war in Iran has “complicated” gas prices.

“We inherited high prices from Joe Biden,” Flood said.

As for the Iran war, he said “now is the time to land the plane.” Flood talked about the focus on economic pressure to end the war, which he called a good plan.

“Ultimately, the people of Iran need to decide for themselves: Is this the direction they want to continue going?” Flood said.

He said President Donald Trump is the first president in his lifetime “to put his foot down and say enough” with Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The Congressman believes that lawmakers should give Trump the runway to end the conflict.

“The president is the Commander in Chief of our military,” Flood said. “Obviously, the executive branch leads the way when it comes to foreign relations. I think it's counterproductive for members of Congress to undercut the president's ability to resolve this issue by passing these bills that send mixed signals to a bunch of terrorists that are in Tehran.”

On elections, Flood said he believes Nebraska elections have been fair and safe because of the state’s strong election laws.

“But in blue states around the country, voter fraud is happening,” Flood said. “That's why we need to pass the SAVE Act. I voted for it three times. I'll vote for it again.”

That bill would make it illegal for non-citizens to register to vote, which is already illegal and enforced, and would require individuals to provide photo identification to vote in federal elections. It would also require states to submit a list of eligible voters to the Department of Homeland Security. Voting rights advocates have argued it would make it more difficult for women to register to vote, since they often change their last names after marriage.

When asked about the rising financial pressures on rural health systems, Flood said money is coming to his district’s healthcare facilities.

“Seven point two million dollars is coming to northeast Nebraska for projects ranging from remote patient monitoring and chronic disease management to dental care, workforce training, and community health programs,” Flood said. “That's out of the $218.5 million Nebraska received, so there are resources coming to rural Nebraska.”

Flood discussed the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated $50 billion for rural healthcare across the next five years. The fund was created in an attempt to offset steep Medicaid cuts, which have stirred up concern from some Nebraska healthcare advocates.

Nebraska will receive $218.5 million each year over the next five years from the OBBB funding.

Chris Backemeyer touts Washington experience

Democratic challenger Chris Backemeyer worked in the U.S. Department of State for 21 years in a few stints, before moving back to Lincoln where he grew up. He also did a tour at the National Security Council.

Backemeyer won his party’s nomination with a primary vote margin of 16 percentage points. He defeated energy manager Eric Moyer, also of Lincoln.

Addressing affordability concerns would be one of his priorities, he said.

“Number one is to address these affordability issues, and that falls into a few different categories,” Backemeyer said. “It is bringing an end to the trade war and the tariffs that are driving up prices for consumers in the district that are also causing a crisis in our farm economy.”

Backemeyer said he wants to bring “an end to the chaos.”

He talked about restoring Congress as a coequal branch of government and ending corruption federally and locally. He pointed to federal issues like “threatening our alliances overseas” and “weaponizing our justice system.” Locally, he said "scandalous ballot initiatives” and “no bid contracts” are signs of corruption.

As for the Iran war, Backemeyer went back to his point of bringing power back to Capitol Hill.

“Congress has the authority to declare war, not the president of the United States,” Backemeyer said. “They've tried to not call this a war, but it clearly is.”

The situation in Iran hasn’t gotten any better, he said. It may not be possible to walk away from the war better off than the U.S. was before, Backemeyer said.

“They're not doing anything to actually finish the job,” Backemeyer said. “We traded one dictator for another.”

A diplomatic outcome is the only way to resolve the issues, adding that military force can create leverage.

Backemeyer’s experience in Washington, D.C. was a point that Flood emphasized in the September debate. The Republican “welcomed” Backemeyer back to Nebraska when he made attempts to jab the Democrat.

On election integrity, the former State Department worker said the SAVE Act would make it harder for women to vote.

“There's no question that American elections have been safe and fair and credible,” Backemeyer said. “We have, especially in the state of Nebraska, I think we have proven that we have people that are committed to election integrity.”

He called the bill scary and hopes “to get as many people out to vote as I can.”

With several rural areas in District 1, he wants to make Affordable Care Act health insurance plans competitive with employer-sponsored plans.

“There are a lot of people in those communities that rely on Medicaid or rely on the Affordable Care Act for their healthcare coverage,” Backemeyer said.

The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act put more of the Medicaid reimbursement burden on state governments and clinics, rather than the federal government, Backemeyer said. He alluded to reports that the OBBB’s cuts to Medicaid coverage outweigh the $50 billion total offered up to states in the Rural Health Transformation Fund over the next five years and would further erode rural healthcare.

He said he doesn’t support Medicare for all, “because it requires people to give up their private insurance,” even for people who like their current plan.

Nik Sandman leans into ag experience

Libertarian Nik Sandman lives in Lincoln and ran unopposed in the primary election. Sandman grew up in Wauneta — located just northwest of McCook in southwest Nebraska. His family had a farm that harvested wheat and corn.

He also helped with the founding of a low-power FM Christian radio station in Lincoln.

Sandman said the so-called “farm crisis” is one of his top issues for this election.

“I'm running for Congress, because the political establishment in Washington, represented by Mike Flood and career politicians in both parties, has broken its promises to rural America and working families,” Sandman said.

High input costs and the high amount of corn and soybeans that are produced mean not many producers have survived over the last several decades. About 75 years ago, he said prices were cut from the “parity” rate to the market rate farmers are paid today for their commodities.

Farmers are at the “mercy of the Chicago Board of Trade and big corporations that buy their products,” Sandman said.

He’s an advocate for putting more cattle on corn stubble to increase the domestic supply.

As for the Iran war and rising fuel prices, Sandman said Congress should use its power to put an end to the conflict.

“They can stop fighting Iran and let them open the Strait of Hormuz up and get petroleum for the world's economies,” Sandman said.

It was “short-sighted” to start the war in the first place, he said.

On voting, he said the state runs fair elections.

“I think elections are well conducted in Nebraska, and I think that they are pretty much according to the law,” Sandman said.

However, he said running as a third party candidate is more challenging in Nebraska, compared to other states.

When asked about healthcare costs, Sandman said rural areas are often hit hardest when a facility decides to close down. Not as many doctors want to live in rural areas compared to areas like Lincoln, he said.

“People are moving away, and the people that are left still need to have services,” Sandman said, “but they can't afford it anymore, and so it comes back to the affordability thing.”

That includes a strained farm economy, he said.

“You don't hear many people putting the farm or the agriculture community ahead of the other economic things, AI, stuff like that,” Sandman said. “There's no great hope for AI being our savior, it's agriculture. And stability and profitability in agriculture is essential, I think.”

Back to healthcare, Sandman is alone in this race, in advocating for Medicare for all.

“I'm a Libertarian, because I believe in economic freedom, but I also believe in practical reality,” Sandman said. “When it comes to healthcare, the current system is fundamentally dysfunctional.”

He said the insurance-based system needs to be “totally rethought” on the basis of freedom. His motto is to leave Nebraskans alone and “let us find a local way of solving our problems.”

Important election dates and reminders

Nebraska’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Most county election offices begin sending early voting ballots in September.

Voters can cast their ballots early, in person at their respective county election office starting Monday, Oct. 5. Voting in person at county election offices will end Monday, Nov. 2. All early voting ballots are due back to county election offices by the close of polls on election day. Ballots received after the polls close will not be accepted.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can locate their polling place online at Nebraska’s VoterCheck system. There, voters can also verify that their voter registration information is up to date and preview their ballot once those are finalized by county election offices.

There are two voting registration deadlines ahead of the general election. Friday, Oct. 16 is the final day Nebraskans can update their voter registration information or register to vote online, by mail, at the DMV, via personal agent or via deputy registrar. Friday, Oct. 23 is the final day Nebraskans can update their voter registration or register to vote in person at their respective county election offices.

Read Nebraska Public Media News’ election-related coverage on our Campaign Connection page.