National 'Working Families Party' considering legal action against Nebraska 'Working People Party' organizers

The leaders behind the national Working Families Party are “considering its legal actions” in response to a new effort in Nebraska to create a political party called the “Nebraska Working People Party.”

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office on Monday confirmed that a petition was filed to start the new political party, and petitions were seen circulating through Omaha over the weekend. A copy of the affidavit filed with the office on June 25 shows Robin Richards, who attempted to run as a write-in candidate for Legislative District 12 in the primary, is leading the effort. Richards, a registered Democrat, wrote the party's purpose is to "provide Nebraska voters with a political organization dedicated to advancing the interests of working families, middle-class Nebraskans, rural communities, small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and individuals seeking practical solutions to improve economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and promote responsive and accountable government."

A call to Richards' campaign was not returned.

The press secretary for the national Working Families Party confirmed Monday that the Nebraska petition is not involved with the national organization.

Leaders with the Nebraska Democratic Party have warned that the new petition effort could be trying to mimic the national group to confuse voters and plant “spoiler” candidates ahead of the November election.

“We forcefully denounce the use of our name and reputation, which grassroots volunteers and members have spent decades building, by a cynical spoiler party,” Ravi Mangla said in a statement to Nebraska Public Media News. “The Working Families Party is a coalition-based party that rejects playing the role of spoiler in elections.”

NDP Chair Jane Kleeb claimed Saturday that the petition effort is the work of Pete Ricketts, one of Nebraska’s U.S. Senators up for reelection this November, likely facing independent Dan Osborn. NDP Vice Chair Ron Kaminsky said the effort is being funded by Republicans “because all this new party wants to do is help Pete Ricketts, Jim Pillen, Mike Flood and Brinker Harding win their elections.”

Requests for comment sent to Ricketts’ and Flood’s respective campaigns were not returned. But Nebraska GOP Chair Mary Jane Truemper told Nebraska Public Media News Sunday night that, “No ‘top’ Republican would ever try to undermine our nominees.”

"Nebraska Republicans are focused on electing Republicans. We respect everyone’s right to file petitions, but our focus remains clear: to win in November with Republicans up and down the ballot," Truemper said.

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office has a July 15 deadline for organizers wanting to create a new political party ahead of the November election. Organizers would need to collect valid signatures from at least “one percent of the total votes cast for Governor at the most recent general election for such office” – or around 6,726 – from Nebraska voters.

If the group succeeds in collecting signatures, Nebraska state law allows it to place its own candidates on the general election ballot, essentially letting the party bypass a primary election.

These are the latest allegations of spoiler candidates in Nebraska’s midterm elections. A Trump-voting pastor in western Nebraska filed to run as a Democrat in the U.S. Senate race against Democrat Cindy Burbank. However, he garnered only 10% of the vote.

Burbank herself has posted on social media that she plans to eventually drop out of the race and support Dan Osborn, an independent candidate who earlier this month turned in what are likely enough signatures to get on the ballot. And then there were two alleged plants in the Legal Marijuana NOW Party primary – both of which were accused of entering the race only to help either Ricketts or Osborn.

Several political insiders claimed that in addition to Richards, Crystal Rhoades, who finished third in the Democratic race for the 2nd Congressional District, was also tied to the effort. Rhoades told Nebraska Public Media News that she was unaware of the new political party.