How money was raised, and spent, by candidates in Nebraska's 1st Congressional District

Money drives politics.

In Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, there’s a large fundraising gap between incumbent Republican Mike Flood and Democratic challenger Carol Blood.

Rep. Flood has raised nearly $1.9 million. State Sen. Carol Blood has accumulated more than $112,000, according to the latest campaign finance data.

Flood has used those funds for a TV commercial, while the Blood campaign has focused on knocking on people’s doors.

Comparatively, Flood has about 17 times more funding at his disposal than Blood.

The district leans Republican. It includes Lincoln, much of Sarpy County, Fremont, Norfolk, Columbus and rural parts of eastern Nebraska. Trump won the district by 11% in 2020.

Of the approximately $1.9 million donated toward Flood’s campaign, about $855,000 come from political action committees (PACs) or other committees. That’s 48% of his funding.

The former state senator also has a fund of his own, called the Mike Flood Victory Fund. Sen. Pete Ricketts gave $156,000 to the fund in April of last year.

Flood has long advocated for the advancement of cryptocurrency, dating back to his time as a state senator. Several financial companies donated to his campaign.

“It takes a lot to understand the role of the FDIC, as it relates to the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency), as it relates to the Federal Reserve,” Flood said of ties to the financial sector.

His knowledge of the industry can be helpful in Washington, Flood said.

The money donated to his campaign helped Flood catch voter’s attention with a TV commercial that included some special effects.

In the ad, special effects show a spy balloon with the Chinese flag on it flying over Nebraska. At the end of the commercial, Flood shoots down the balloon with a large pistol, causing it to explode.

“I think that people in an election cycle get very burned out on the negative,” Flood said, “and so I try to do something just a little light-hearted in my ads, to kind of make someone smile.”

The TV spot responds to the outburst of reporting in 2023 that revealed a balloon from China made its way to Montana before being destroyed off the coast of South Carolina.

U.S. military and intelligence determined the balloon had limited capability to extract information.

“But this is a real concern of Nebraskans,” Flood said.

That’s especially true for farmers and workers at the Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Flood said, so it made sense to use some of his campaign dollars for an advertisement about China.

According to an analysis from the Flatwater Free Press that dug into data from 2018-2022, China didn’t appear in any land sales transactions in Nebraska.

Voters in Columbus had mixed thoughts about the message from Flood and campaign fundraising. Columbus is a growing area in the district.

“I like Mike Flood, it went a step too far at the end,” said Barb, a retired school teacher who didn’t want to use her full name.

Barb is registered as an independent and voted for Flood. She said she was confused by the message Flood was trying to send. She added it’s also important to recognize that money impacts how often people get to hear from a candidate.

For other voters in the area, Flood’s advertisement resonates with them.

“I think Biden's in bed with China,” said Todd Wilson, a Republican.

Wilson isn’t alone in his view on China.

Flood’s opponent, State Sen. Carol Blood, said she recognizes China as a potential threat.

“China and Russia are both issues for the United States. (The Offutt) Air Force Base is part of our district, and I've worked very closely working for both our veterans and military families in this area,” Blood said.

But, the state senator said China plays a significant role in Nebraska trade and helps the farming industry.

She believes cybersecurity online is a more important concern with the communist nation.

As far as the fundraising trail, Democrats raised more money in District 1 last cycle.

In 2022, the party fundraised almost $1.8 million for their candidate.

Blood, who currently represents parts of Bellevue and Papillion in the state legislature, said she’s been successful with lean campaign budgets in the past.

“If you look at my history of the campaigns that I've won,” Blood said, “you'll see that I always spend less than my opponents.”

According to campaign finance data, Blood spent more than her opponent in a race for the state legislature in 2020, a race she won. She spent nearly $173,000 in 2020. Her challenger, Rick Holdcroft, spent more than $140,000.

In that race, Blood said incumbents often hold an advantage in fundraising.

She said she was alluding to her first state senate win in 2016 where Blood’s opponent spent more than double her amount. Her opponent, Tommy Garrett, spent about $97,000, while Blood spent about $47,000.

Blood also served on the Bellevue City Council and said the public harps too much about money in politics. Blood added that too many people get back into office by millionaires.

The Blood campaign didn’t purchase any TV advertising for this election.

They’ve emphasized “on-the-ground” efforts like door-knocking with her budget. The candidate’s team has knocked on more than 44,000 doors, she said.

In those interactions with voters, Blood said the campaign can talk about health care.

“I think you'll find, for as wealthy as our country is, that we do a really poor job when it comes to maternal health,” Blood said.

Another campaign message from Blood includes the idea that Congress needs to pass a long-term budget.

One Democrat who lives 13 miles outside of Columbus, John Richards, said he hasn’t gotten many messages from the campaign.

“I've gotten, recently, four Democratic Party mailers. I do not think any one of the four mentioned Carol Blood,” Richards said.

The Nebraska Democratic Party didn’t accept an interview request about financing and campaigning in District 1.

District 1 is made up of 46% Republican and 28% Democrats. In the last election, Flood won the district by more than 15% of the vote.