Update: According to the Nebraska Secretary of State office website, an independent can vote in a Republican primary but must request a non-partisan Republican ballot (https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/how-nonpartisan-voting-works-nebraska-primary-elections). However, according to Ballotpedia, the political parties have voted for close primaries (https://ballotpedia.org/Primary_elections_in_Nebraska). You have to dig into the details on the Secretary of State website to find:
This confuses voters and can hurt down ballots candidates. I really wish more effort was made to have voters registered Republican.
I will be happy if Brett Lindstrom or Brinker Harding become elected to Congress of Nebraska’s Congressional District 2. I have much to agree with both of them. Looking merely at issues, I find no significant flaws in either candidate. They both advocate and promote good ideas with success.
However, when I review my personal battles with government, the Covid mask mandates come to mind. When Douglas County attempted to implement them, three City Council members objected to the point of filing a lawsuit. (I had already been speaking against these mandates to the City Council and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.) Brinker Harding was one of the City Council members objecting to the mandate (https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/three-omaha-councilmembers-join-state-lawsuit-against-mask-mandate). These three stood up for freedom when it was not a popular time to do so. It cost them much money. They deserve our praise for confronting irrational fears.
My father was a medical scientist, and physician. I learned much from him. I know masks will stop bacteria, and block tree pollen, but are completely useless against an airborne virus such as Covid. This is not rocket science. In fact, it is very simple high school science. Everyone should have known this but to my dismay and horror, very large masses of people did not. Those who tried to point to these facts out, such as myself, were defamed, dismissed, and shunned.
For me, Covid destroyed most of the social structures I was use to visiting. There are dozens of friends I have lost touch with. All because panic overrode reason.
I know many Brett Lindstrom supporters will be disappointed with me, and you have my heart-felt apology. I understand. Outside Douglas County, Linstrom may do better, or it may be a reverse scenario. I do not know. What I do know is neither campaign is encouraging registered voters to become Republicans. The Republican primaries are closed to non-Republicans. This means independents cannot cast a Republican ballot in the primary. Yet, this is where the battle will be.
The problem with having Republican primaries open to non-Republican voters is that it encourages the Democrats to come over and vote too, which can heavily skew the vote against better candidates.
We already have Democrats running as Republicans (i.e., lying about who they really are) just so they can get into office and vote for things none of us support. We really don't need more of that.
If the Independents want to vote for Republicans then it's easy to change their party affiliation so they can do that.
Otherwise, they have no business voting in the Republican primaries.
Having the courage to fight is a difference maker!