Nebraska Democratic Senate candidate Chris Janicek says he still is not bowing out of the race.
On Monday, Janicek held a media briefing to say again that he will not stop campaigning, even though the Nebraska Democratic Party wants him to step aside and let Alisha Shelton be the Democratic candidate. “First of all, I want to make it very, very clear that I am the Democratic party’s nominee for United States Senate here in Nebraska,” he said. Janicek came under fire earlier this summer after an inappropriate text to a campaign staffer was made public. He has since apologized for the message.
Janicek said he’s the best chance to beat Sasse in November and had harsh comments for the Nebraska Democratic party, who he said sat down to discuss the matter of his candidacy. “They had nothing to bring to the table, nothing to discuss other than they wanted to replace me with a third-place candidate,” he said, calling the situation “hostile.”
Janicek says Nebraska has a voter registration problem, especially among Democrats. “The state we live in is a state that doesn’t vote,” he said. His team has been traveling to western Nebraska, where he said they support President Trump but do not support Sasse.
He said that Nebraska Democrats feel abandoned. “I don’t work for Jane Kleeb; I don’t work for her Nebraska Democratic party,” Janicek said. “I am asking the people of Nebraska to hire me. I am asking Republicans, independents, Democrats to hire me, to go to work for the people. They are my boss. I need to dedicate and show work ethic towards them.”