Austin Ahlman, independent candidate for Nebraska's 1st District, suspending campaign

Austin Ahlman, an independent candidate who appeared poised to shake up the 1st District Congressional race, announced Sunday that he is suspending his campaign.

Ahlman, who has made his parents' health and financial struggles a centerpiece of his campaign, said in a social media post that his father's cancer, which had been in remission when he started his campaign in May, has returned.

"My family and I have gone from speaking about the future in terms of decades to mere months," Ahlman said in the post.

"Family comes first -- always," Ahlman said. "For that reason, I am suspending my campaign for Nebraska's 1st District."

Ahlman's campaign said earlier this month that it had already collected enough signatures to get his name on the ballot but would continue with the process.

Ahlman, who's been an investigative reporter for left-leaning outlets The American Prospect and The Intercept, said he moved back to Norfolk in 2025 to fight “the bank to keep his family home” and care for his father after his diagnosis. His mother died by suicide earlier this year.

Ahlman's withdrawal from the race leaves three candidates: Incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Flood, Democratic candidate Chris Backemeyer and Libertarian candidate Nik Sandman.

Flood, in a social media post, said he knows how cancer can reorder your priorities. In 2012, he dropped out of the Nebraska governor's race after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"I respect Austin for engaging in the American system and running for office," Flood said in the post. "I respect him even more for putting his family first, and I can say with confidence that he will not regret that decision."