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President Joe Biden has an electability problem. To counter that reality evident for months but put on the spotlight by a dismal debate performance last week his campaign on Monday touted a poll finding that eight other Democrats would lose to former President Donald Trump at similar margins as the incumbent.

Team Biden would have you believe that the poll shows that he has the best chance at beating Trump. Yet if the poll is meant to answer the question of which Democrat would fare best against Trump, the answer, evidently, is nearly anyone else.

The post-debate Data for Progress poll tested the odds of eight Democrats who have been floated as possible alternatives to Biden, including Vice President Kamala Harris and multiple Democratic governors. Bidens self-proclaimed advantage is tempered by the lack of name recognition so far for the other options. Aside from Harris, prospective voters were so unfamiliar with these Democratic leaders that between 39 and 71 percent of respondents said they hadnt heard enough about them to have an opinion. Even so, each potential candidate performed the same or even better than Biden.

For instance, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is losing to Trump by 2 points, compared to Bidens 3 despite the fact that 56 percent of voters do not know enough about her to share any particular opinion. Others, like Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, like Biden, trail Trump by 3, despite having little name recognition. Harris had the same result as Biden.

Since the poll results come without any concentrated campaign by any of the officials, they can be read as a reflection of floors rather than ceilings for each of the alternative Democrats. Given mass voter discontent with the choice between Trump and Biden, the polling suggests that voters could readily get behind someone else.

A Reuters poll conducted as far back as January found that about half of Democrats and 75 percent of independents thought Biden should not run for president again; it also found that 31 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of independents said Trump shouldnt run again. A NewsNation poll conducted around the same time found that 59 percent of Americans wouldnt be enthusiastic about a Biden-Trump rematch. The trend has continued in recent polling: A post-debate USA Today poll found that 41 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of independents wanted Biden replaced, with 63 percent of independents wanting Trump replaced. A CBS poll similarly found nearly half of Democrats want Biden to step aside.

In the aftermath of the debate, a CNN poll found 75 percent of all voters thought Democrats would have a better chance at winning the election with someone other than Biden at the top of the ticket. It suggested Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were all doing slightly better than the presiden, with Harris within the margin of error of Trump. (Harriss net-approval rating average is also 9 points better than Bidens).

This polling suggests there are substantial numbers of disenchanted Democrats, independents, and even Republicans who could be enthused by an alternative, while those still standing by Biden are just as likely to support any Democratic alternative to Trump. A Democratic presidential campaign thats been shedding support could instead be one thats gaining momentum.

In nearly every way, Biden is carrying baggage that no alternative Democrat would inherit. Aside from a five-day stretch, Biden has trailed Trump in national polling averages for the better part of the campaign. Trumps margin widened again after last weeks debate. Biden has been underperforming Democratic Senate candidates in a range of states, including ones he will need to win in 2024, such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, and even Ohio. Post-debate polls show Biden sinking in these states and even bringing others like New Hampshire and New Mexico into play. His approval rating is about the lowest its ever been during his presidency, at a net negative of 19.

And its not just the polling. Biden has faced a historic protest vote campaign in the form of the Uncommitted movement, which has netted hundreds of thousands of votes nationwide, including in key battleground states, expressing discontent with Bidens almost-unconditional support for Israels war on Gaza. His handling of the war has also birthed a historic nationwide movement of campus and community protests that could continue into the fall.

With concerns surrounding his age and mental fitness hanging over his campaign, one fact bears acknowledgment: Biden is not getting any younger.

Efforts to challenge Biden earlier in the cycle did not take off in part because the political establishment had put up a united front around Biden. But even as Bidens advisers try to tamp down concerns, the list of people who have expressed concern about Bidens performance or suggested he step aside in order to maximize the odds of beating Trump range only grows. They range from Never Trump Republicans Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell and hosts of the former Obama staffer-led Pod Save America, to Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Gabe Amo, to the editorial boards of the Chicago Tribune, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the New York Times, former Obama Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julin Castro, and several Democratic members of Congress and committee leaders nationwide including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to step aside.

For now, the possible alternative candidates have stayed quiet and reiterated their support for Biden. Whitmer reportedly called a senior Biden campaign official to express that she hated she was being floated as a possible replacement, while also sharing concern about how much more difficult the campaign will now be for Biden. She later released a statement affirming her 100 percent support for Bidens fight against Trump.

Newsom, who one California columnist has described as waiting in the wings, maintained his tune as an avid Biden surrogate even while being swarmed by reporters after the debate. On Thursday night, he expressed his disgust at Trumps debate performance and his pride in Biden on the substance.

If the president is meant to be a messenger for the wider governing structure he represents, Biden, as evidenced by his debate performance, falls short. While Trump spouted lies and racist remarks like clockwork, Biden fumbled to not only respond to those comments, but even to maintain a coherent positive message. If the president is meant to actively craft and execute responsive policy, just look to Bidens remarkable intransigence in supporting Israels war or his timidness in the face of an out-of-control and unaccountable Supreme Court as signs of a politicaland an electoral liability. If the role of a president is some combination of both, Bidens recent record appears all the worse.

Despite their hesitance to jump in, alternative candidates have the possibility to not only more effectively contrast themselves against Trump but also against Bidens inability to do so. And in a race in which the American public is disenchanted not just with Biden, but with Trump too, the question is whether other Democrats have a better chance than the incumbent against someone who ought to be among the most beatable candidates in presidential election history.

After all, Trump is now the first former president to be a convicted felon and still faces several other criminal proceedings. He appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who not only helped overturn decades-old abortion rights in the U.S., but recently freed corporate America from regulation and ruled that homeless people can be considered criminals for sleeping outside, while crime-committing presidents can be immune from prosecution for nearly any misdeed. He is the face of a movement that sought to overturn an election, that has pursued book bans and mass deportations and infringements on peoples abilities to love whoever they do.

In 2020, Biden had the benefit of challenging a historically unpopular incumbent and garnering the volunteer energy to do so, and still, he won narrowly. If he takes seriously his own warnings of what dangers Trumps re-ascendance may unleash, he would act accordingly. By every single metric, he is faring much worse in 2024 than he did four years ago, while those same factors suggest nearly any prominent Democratic alternative could perform better.

Read more:
Is Joe Biden the Worst Option for Democrats to Beat Trump? - The Intercept

The Biden campaign wasted no time slamming former President Donald Trump and making a plea for campaign donations, minutes after the guilty verdict in Trump's New York hush money trial.

"In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law," Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement on Thursday evening. "There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box."

"A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans' freedoms and fomenting political violence and the American people will reject it this November," Tyler added.

President Joe Biden's reelection effort echoed that statement on social media, with a link to the Democratic incumbent's donation page.

The campaign doubled down on that fundraising pitch in a text message blast to voters, asking for $20 donations: "If you have been waiting for the perfect time to make your first donation to Joe Biden's reelection campaign, we're here to tell you today is the day."

By contrast, the White House Counsel's Office spokesperson, Ian Sams, was relatively tight-lipped, saying only, "We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment."

Trump on Thursday became the first former president to be convicted of felonies after a 12-person jury found him guilty of all 34 charges of falsifying business records in his New York hush money trial.

The Biden campaign's reaction marks a pivot to offense for the president's reelection team, and breaks President Joe Biden's weeks-long silence, as the hush money trial played out and the possibility of acquittal still existed.

President Joe Biden wears sunglasses given to him by supporters after speaking on the PACT Act, which expands coverage for veterans exposed to toxic substances, at the Westwood Park YMCA in Nashua, New Hampshire, on May 21, 2024.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

The campaign's attacks amplified a chorus of Democratic criticism from lawmakers across Capitol Hill.

"Despite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Ca., said in a post on X.

Manhattan District AttorneyAlvin Bragg, a Democrat whose office prosecuted the case, took his own victory lap at a press conference in Manhattan with the rest of his legal team after the verdict.

"Today we have the most important voice of all, and that's the voice of the jurors. They have spoken. Donald J. Trump has been convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records," he said.

In response to a question about the possibility of Trump serving jail time, Bragg pointed to Trump's July 11 sentencing: "We will speak in court at that time."

Trump, meanwhile, denounced the trial as "rigged" and a "witch hunt" that he falsely claimed had been ordered by President Joe Biden.

Original post:
Biden, Democrats react to Trump guilty verdict - CNBC

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Some Maryland Democrats have a soft spot for Larry Hogan, their former two-term Republican governor in a heavily blue state. But they dont want to turn an open Senate seat and possibly control of the chamber over to the GOP this year.

Party voters in Tuesdays primary will decide which candidate they think is in the best position to beat Hogan in November in a state that hasnt elected a Republican senator in more than 40 years. David Trone, who's in his third term as a congressman, and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are the leading contenders among the 10 candidates.

After leaving an early voting center at a recreational facility in Annapolis, John Fischer said he voted for Trone. It was a tough choice for the 75-year-old retired federal employee. In the end, he went with the candidate he felt had more experience.

I also think that he can probably beat Larry Hogan, who I actually like, except I dont intend to put a Republican majority in the Senate if I can help it," said Fischer, who voted for Hogan for governor in 2014 and 2018.

Lisa Hartman, 65, voted at the same site for Alsobrooks, noting the candidate's long list of high-profile supporters, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and former Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

She had the backing of almost everyone in the Democratic Party, and David Trone I got so tired of hearing all of his commercials," said Hartman, who also had voted for Hogan for governor.

Trone, who owns a national chain of liquor stores called Total Wine & More, has put more than $61 million of his own money into his primary bid in what could become a record for a self-funded Senate campaign.

Hartman said Trone's ads have been relentless. "I feel somewhat like hes trying to buy an election, she said.

Hartman said she would have considered supporting Hogan in November under other circumstances. But given that Democrats are defending a narrow majority in the Senate and have twice the number of seats on the line this year as Republicans, she thinks the stakes are too high.

I would love to, in the next race, vote for him, but I wont because of that situation," Hartman said, though she added later that she could change her mind.

In this government town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the nation's capital, people tend to understand the political ramifications of the race.

You just hear it all over town, any time you go to a gathering of any type," Hartman said.

Maryland Democrats have had to endure a barrage of negative campaigning. One Trone ad included a local Prince George's official who said, The U.S. Senate is not a place for training wheels.

The attack ads worry prominent Democrats, who say party unity is crucial in an election that normally should go their way, given that Republicans are outnumbered 2-to-1 statewide.

Trone points out that he has won elections in a part of the state with more Republican voters than most of Maryland's other congressional districts.

Voters across Maryland know that Im in the best position to beat Larry Hogan in November," Trone said in a statement Friday. "Throughout this campaign, weve built a broad coalition led by working people who are excited for change.

Alsobrooks is being outspent, but she said in an interview that she will have the support she needs to win in November with an appeal that she thinks will inspire Marylanders.

If the message is to just vote against Larry Hogan, that is not the most persuasive way forward," she said Friday. "What I offer is a real positive message that will bring people together and I believe thats going to be what will help us win in the general election.

She said her campaign was based on growing economic opportunity, investing in education, making communities safer and protecting abortion rights.

Preserving reproductive freedom is an issue that Maryland Democrats hope will help them in November, as it has in other states since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to abortion. A constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion is on the Maryland ballot in November.

Trone supports abortion rights, too. In fact, broad similarities between the candidates on policy matters may push identity politics to the forefront. Alsobrooks would be Marylands first Black U.S. senator in a state that is 29% Black, the nations largest percentage of any state outside the Deep South.

That matters to Donna Gathright, 69, who cited the historic significance and Alsobrooks' extensive experience as a local official as top reasons for voting early for her in Annapolis.

She was someone who I knew of more than the other people, and being a Black female, I also feel more seen and heard by people who are like me, Gathright said. I felt that she might have the interests of women and minority women more in the forefront.

Maryland long has had women in its congressional delegation. Today, it has none.

Alsobrooks is the chief executive of Maryland's second-largest jurisdiction, and Prince George's is home to the state's highest number of registered Democrats in the Washington suburbs. She has highlighted the donations Trone has made to Republican candidates in the past, including to some who supported abortion bans.

He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat good Democratic candidates," Alsobrooks said in a televised debate last month.

The money Trone has spent in this campaign has forged connections with some voters.

Ive been listening to his ads for a couple of years now, and Ive just supported a lot of the issues that he has been strong on, said Anne Hamilton, 47, an early voter in Annapolis.

Trone has criticized Alsobrooks for taking big donations from special interests, something he hasnt felt the need to do because of his wealth.

Im the only candidate on this stage that doesnt take money from Exxon, Trone said in the debate. Theyre not helping us in the environment, I dont think. Im the only candidate here that doesnt take money from Pfizer. Pfizer is not helping us bring health costs down.

Trone, who describes himself as a progressive Democrat willing to work with Republicans, has highlighted his endorsement by the state teachers union, which has about 75,000 members and considerable political clout. He is supported by some prominent Prince Georges officials as well as Attorney General Anthony Brown, a former congressman from Alsobrooks' home county.

Some Democratic leaders worry that the fierceness of the campaign could make the race against Hogan harder. Six former Maryland Democratic Party chairs voiced support for Alsobrooks in a joint announcement Wednesday and said Trones negative ads could jeopardize unity among Democrats.

It is simply wrong to accept that a self-funder is the answer to keeping the Maryland Senate seat blue, said a statement signed by Kathleen Matthews, Terry Lierman, Susie Turnbull, Peter Krauser, Ike Leggett and Yvette Lewis. In fact, we need a nominee who can inspire women and voters of all ages and backgrounds.

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Ex-GOP Gov. Hogan is popular with some Maryland Democrats, but not enough to put him in the Senate - Yahoo! Voices

Zellnor Myrie, an Afro-Latino state senator from Brooklyn known for backing progressive causes, announced on Wednesday that he is moving to challenge Mayor Eric Adams in next years Democratic primary in New York City.

Mr. Myries announcement is further indication that Mr. Adamss path to re-election is expected to be more challenging than is typical for Democratic mayors in New York. Mr. Adams, who faces record low poll numbers and a federal investigation into his campaign fund-raising, now must contend with at least two challenges from his own party.

In an interview, Mr. Myrie said that the mayor had shown a failure of competence and that his administration did not have a full grasp of the nuts and bolts of how city government should work. He also criticized the mayors cuts to libraries, parks and schools, arguing that they were driving families out of the city.

For too many New Yorkers that I speak to, theyre tired of the showmanship, he said. What people want to see are results. They want to see their government working relentlessly to make this city affordable, to make this city safe, to make it livable.

Mr. Myrie, 37, who is often called Z, opened an exploratory committee on Wednesday to begin raising money for his campaign.

More:
Zellnor Myrie Emerges as 2nd Democrat to Likely Run Against Mayor Adams - The New York Times

OMAHA State Sen. Jen Day is defending her Sarpy County legislative seat against two challengers who believe that their conservative views are more aligned with the voters of District 49.

Day a Democrat who won a close election four years ago against a Republican appointee faces Bob Andersen, 61, a defense contractor and U.S. Air Force veteran, and Caleb Muhs, 40, a former FBI analyst now in the insurance industry. Both are Republicans, and seeking their first public office.

Officially, Nebraska legislative races are nonpartisan, so the top two vote-getters regardless of political affiliation will move on from the primary to the general election.

A mom, wife and former business owner, Day believes residents of the north-central Sarpy County district appreciate her approach, which she describes as starting on middle ground and working one way or another depending on the discussion.

She notes that while the district is heavily Republican, a combined count of voters registered as Democrat and nonpartisan outnumbers them.

Registered independents, theyre tired of the hyperpartisanship and divisiveness that exists in politics, said Day, 42. Ive found that this district consists of a lot of people like me, families with young children just trying to get by.

District 49 includes parts of La Vista, Papillon, Gretna and the Chalco area.

Andersen and Muhs said in separate interviews that theyre ideologically opposite of the incumbent. And as an example, each pointed out the contentious Nebraska bill that would define K-12 school bathrooms and sporting teams as male or female based on students sex at birth.

The measure fell two votes short of advancing this past session. Day voted with the opposition. The sponsoring lawmaker vowed to resurrect the Sports and Spaces Act, and both Andersen and Muhs said theyd be on that team.

Men should not be able to compete in womens sports and steal the opportunities that these women have worked for their whole life, said Andersen. Just because somebody says they want to be identified as something different doesnt mean that the physiology changes it doesnt.

Taking aim at the same issue, Muhs contends that Day is opposed to protecting girls from male athletic competitors and with their own private spaces.

Day called it a waste of government time and resources to discuss things that are not a problem and contends that her challengers want to stir anger and division.

She said the Nebraska School Activities Association already has a gender participation policy in place. Fewer than a dozen students as of earlier this year had applied and been approved under that policy to play on a sporting team of their choice.

Its not the role of government to step in the middle of that, she said.

Days priorities this past session included food security for youths. Bills she introduced included subjects such as memory care facility training, building inspections, the child care subsidy and vehicle tax exemptions for Gold Star families.

Day, who is married with two sons, said her priorities if re-elected include reducing property taxes, legalizing medical marijuana and improving access to maternal health and behavioral health care.

Both Muhs and Andersen say that a greater issue propelling each into the race is a quest for property tax relief.

Muhs is critical of Days suggestion to raise state revenue by legalizing medical marijuana. Day also suggests turning to online gambling as a new revenue source.

I think Nebraska has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, Muhs said.

Muhs described himself as a small government conservative who would shrink government and a believer that strong families are the foundation of a healthy society.

He said that while he is not soft on violent crime, he believes systems should look for ways other than prison to address and help substance abuse addicts. He favors a redesign of certain income-eligible welfare benefits to incent, rather than discourage, the formation of families.

A Grand Island native, Muhs met his wife while studying at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The couple now have five children.

Muhs said his path after college led him to a counterterrorism stint at the FBI and to Fordham University for a law degree. He volunteered at a public defenders office before settling into self-employed consulting work in the insurance industry.

The family returned to Nebraska in 2021.

Andersen was born in Ohio, raised in Michigan and said he has lived in the Omaha area about 33 years. He and his wife have two sons.

Now retired from active military duty, Andersens career in the U.S. Air Force started at age 19 as a Russian linguist. He was in Germany during the Cold War and the Middle East after Sept. 11, 2001.

He said he enjoys Nebraskas conservative environment and says his political leanings began as a kid making phone calls for Richard Nixons campaign.

Anderson said he favors a collaborative approach, and has received endorsements from five Sarpy County commissioners. His campaign literature says he is endorsed by Kirk Penner, the highest-profile conservative member of the State Board of Education.

Today Anderson is a small businessman and defense contractor.

Among top priorities, he said, is capping real estate taxes.

Were forcing retirees out of their houses, were forcing them to leave the state, said Andersen, who said young people also cant afford a house.

Fundraising in the District 49 race so far has reached nearly $300,000, with Day outpacing her opponents.

Among those boosting Days nearly $186,000 fundraising tally is the family of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz and Emily Patel, a maternal and fetal medicine doctor.

Andersen, who raised nearly $64,000, was helped by donors including Tom Peed of Sandhills Publishing, Hal Daub and Charles Herbster.

Muhs has raised nearly $46,000, and has among his contributors the Nebraska Realtors Association and Pete Ricketts.

The Nebraska Examiner asked the three candidates about issues facing state government and the Legislature. Here are responses, in their own words:

Q: How would you want the State of Nebraska to address property taxes, if at all, and how would you pay for your approach?

Day: Addressing property taxes requires three important components: 1) reducing the reliance on local property taxes to fund public education in perpetuity, not just temporarily, 2) implementing new revenue generators like medical marijuana and online gaming, and 3) ensuring that we are creating a welcoming environment in Nebraska for businesses and employees so we can slow down and eliminate brain drain.

Andersen: Nebraska has to stop punishing people for owning a home. The most pressing issue I hear at almost every door are the property tax increases caused by dramatically higher valuations. These back-door tax increases are hurting our families and businesses. It forces people out of our state. In Sarpy County last year the average increase was 14%. Some were as high as 40%. This is unfair. My top priority will be finding a way to cap the amount a homeowners tax payments can go up on an annual basis. Capping the increases to a reasonable amount annually would help our families plan year-to-year and our municipalities would have a stable tax base estimate each year. We have to stop punishing homeowners.

Muhs: We need to rein in spending at both the state and local level. We have a spending problem in Nebraska as opposed to a revenue problem. We should simplify the tax code and end a number of loopholes, but we must do this in conjunction with spending reductions.

We should look into slowing down the ability of local taxing entities to raise taxes along with ensuring that elections on bonds occur during the normal election cycle to ensure greater representation and that they are transparent on costs to taxpayers.

Q: What spending would you prioritize in the Legislature and why? What spending do you think the state could cut and why?

Day: Nebraskas Constitution requires a balanced budget, so the spending needs will vary based on economic conditions. That being said, my top priority for spending is education, both K-12 and higher education. A close second would be things like mental health care, child care and roads. In terms of spending cuts, I would look at being more responsible in choosing incoming big projects like the Perkins Canal that are large costs to the state and place the tax burden on local property owners. We have to be sure to right-size funding for projects like these. Additionally, efficiency reviews are an essential way to address redundancy and waste.

Andersen: We need to prioritize our basic needs and look at everything else to make sure programs and projects the state funds are actually accomplishing their intended purposes. I believe if we look at every item we will find a lot of waste and programs that are no longer needed. I applaud Gov. Jim Pillen for eliminating the unfilled positions in state government. We owe it to the taxpayers to examine everything. The top spending items for our state government need to be education, health and human services, public safety, and roads and infrastructure.

Muhs: I would prioritize slowing down spending growth and then reducing the amount that we spend. All areas of state and local government should review their entire budgets to see what can be done better and more efficiently, where waste can be eliminated and honestly ask whether value is being provided to Nebraskans. There may be areas that are underfunded, which I suspect includes the foster care system.

Q: What would you like to see the state do to encourage economic development, growth, workforce development and housing?

Day: First, creating a welcoming environment where businesses and employees want to live is imperative. Second, programs like our Middle Income Workforce Housing and Rural Workforce Housing that provide incentives to increase affordable housing will become more and more important in the future.

Andersen: It all starts with making Nebraska a more affordable place to live, work, raise a family, start a business and retire. Our overall tax system is putting Nebraska at a disadvantage to surrounding and comparable states. We cannot compete under these conditions. We need to look at our entire tax system and look at what other states, like Iowa, are doing.

As far as the workforce, affordable and available housing is a major issue. We need to make it easier for developers to build mid-range housing developments for both workforce and empty nesters looking to downsize. Papillions Affordable Housing Action Plan is a good roadmap for creating more affordable housing. Our communities need to eliminate burdensome regulations which make it more difficult to develop and redevelop neighborhoods to fit the workforce and downsizing models.

Muhs: We need to start by making Nebraska an attractive location with a low, competitive tax burden as well as an efficient but light regulatory framework. We also have an opportunity to pursue an energy policy that provides Nebraskans with reliable, cheap power and gives industry in Nebraska a competitive advantage. We can begin to address housing by ensuring zoning regulations are not overly burdensome and seek to reduce inefficient and wasteful regulatory costs, which are roughly 33% of total construction costs in Nebraska vs 22% nationally.

To address workforce development, we should encourage and incentivize private enterprise to further develop our workforce and attract talented individuals.

Ultimately, a small and limited government that upholds the rule of law, respects the rights of the people, doesnt pick winners and losers and efficiently provides the services needed will create an environment where all Nebraskans can succeed.

Q: What policies would you prioritize at the state level in K-12 and higher education, and why would you emphasize them?

Day: First, a restructuring of how we fund public education would be top priority. Second, assuring students have all the resources they need to get a quality education; mental health care access, qualified instruction, nutritious meals. Students need to be ready to learn, and its our responsibility to make sure they are prepared and taken care of.

Andersen: We must return to the basics of reading, writing, math, science, and civics. There is too much social engineering going on in some of our schools. Let parents be parents and teachers be teachers. We are failing if we do not prepare students with everyday life skills. In District 49 we have really good schools. But it is our responsibility to make sure every student in Nebraska has access to the best educational opportunities available. No option should be taken off the table.

Muhs: I prefer local control over K-12 education, but I do think girls sports and private spaces should be reserved only for girls. We need to get back to focusing on education instead of pushing divisive ideologies for political purposes. I hear this sentiment echoed from many teachers who are frustrated with the politicization of education as well as the amount of administrative work they perform which takes away from teaching children.

Q: What issues are you hearing from voters in your district that need to be addressed?

Day: Property taxes are always at the top of the list! But I also hear a lot about health care access; voters dont want their access restricted by government. The cost of living and the economy are also high priorities; families are struggling with affordability of housing, food, etc.

Andersen: The number one issue by far are higher property tax payments caused by dramatically higher valuations. allowing boys to compete in girls athletic events is both unfair and dangerous. These girls work hard to be successful in their events and I will work to protect their opportunities.

Muhs: I think this mostly covers it at the state level.

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Democrat incumbent and two Republicans vie for Sarpy County District 49 race in NE Legislature Nebraska Examiner - Nebraska Examiner