A Wilber, Nebraska Man Is Running for President... Again

A Wilber, Nebraska has been running for president of the United States since 2007. He doesn't get many votes, but that hasn't stopped him from building his presidential museum.

Les Vilda stands on an empty lot alongside a highway that cuts through the small southeast Nebraska town of Wilber.

Drivers honk as they go by because they know Les. The 64-year-old grew up here. And he’s also running for president of the United States… for the fourth time. Why would he do that?

"Because you couldn’t do any worse. It’s my campaign slogan," Les said. "I’ve been using it ever since I started running for president in 2007. Get more with Les, because you couldn’t do any worse."

Looking at Les, you might mistake him for Uncle Sam, right down to the long white beard. He dresses in red-and-white-striped pants, a red shirt and a bright blue coat. A star-spangled hat sits atop his head.

But even if he looks the part, he doesn’t sound like a politician. For example, he refuses to make campaign promises.

"I figured if I promise you nothing and I accomplish nothing, you won’t be disappointed that you voted for me," he said.

He has the confidence of a successful politician. In 2010, Les built what he hopes will be his lasting legacy.

"This is the Les Vilda Presidential Museum and Library. What a beautiful structure," Les said.

That structure is an old small wooden outhouse. If you look on the back wall, you can see a mounted toilet seat with the inscription, "Picture Les Vilda in the Oval office," Les said. "It’s beautiful. Of course there’s a picture of me in the bottom side of the toilet seat."

Les tells voters if he wins, his presidential cabinet will include names like Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker. And when he’s asked about his platform, he’ll tell you, "It’s an eight by fourteen, made of redwood, sits off the back of my house. It’s a beautiful platform."

When Les takes to the road to campaign, he does it in his 1920 Model TT Ford truck, the same one his dad drove in high school. He calls it his "mobile campaign headquarters." People just stare and point when he pulls into town.

"But I’m not sure if they’re pointing at me or they’re pointing at the truck, but I guess we’re a group package so it doesn’t really matter," Les said.

You’ll frequently find the truck parked outside the local Fox Hole Tavern in Wilber. That’s where he meets with his supporters at a small table in the back.

"All right! B.E.E.R. Party supporters," Les greeted them. "Hey, how’s it going?

The "B.E.E.R." in Les’ B.E.E.R. Party actually stands for the group’s mascot, a biologically engineered cross between a bear and reindeer. But to his supporters like Steve Ourecky, a beer is a beer.

"Les usually buys the rounds," Ourecky said.

Another B.E.E.R. Party backer, David Fikar, admits Les may not win the race for president.

"I would put Les’ chances at less and less," Fikar said.

But Luann Nickel says this character gets her vote for being the candidate with character.

"I guess I’d say there’s so much hate in this world anymore. And I could not tell you one person that hates Les or one person Les hates. He is just an awesome guy," Nickel said, as his other supporters at the table started applauding.

And while negativity seem to be a big part of politics these days, Les Vilda has a different campaign strategy. In a moment of seriousness, he says the real reason he has been campaigning for president non-stop since 2007 is to get us all to lighten up..

"Because I see a lot of the conflict," Les said. "Maybe hatred is too strong of a word, but it’s, I don’t know. It seems when people are having a good time, things seem to fall into place. It’s going to work out better than when they’re fighting, when they’re in conflict. So yeah, put that smile on their face."

That smile is the only campaign promise Les knows he can deliver.

So with the current state of politics, maybe the country could use a little more Les.

"A little more of Les," Les repeated. "You’ll get more with Les because you couldn’t do any worse."

Watch this Nebraska Stories video segment on Les Vilda