The Tea Partys Best Chance In 2014?
May 13, 2014 3:00am
Another Tuesday, another Primary Day as Nebraska and West Virginia voters go to the polls today.
The key race today is the GOP Senate primary in Nebraska and it is the tea partys best shot at victory, but its not exactly a clear tea party vs. establishment brawl as we saw last week in North Carolina. Of course, it is still a brawl, a three-way fight that has seen outside money pouring in and big name endorsements all around. There is also agubernatorial race in that state that sees a re-match of sorts as well as a seven way battle in West Virginia.Here are the top primary races being held today and why they matter:
TEA PARTYS BEST CHANCE AT VICTORY:
As mentioned above, the Senate GOP primary in Nebraska is todays key race to replace retiring Sen. Mike Johanns and its one of if not the best shot for victory for the tea party in this election cycle. But the tea party candidate, Midland University President Ben Sasse, backed by both Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz, is not your typical anti-establishment choice. Sasse seems to have the momentum, but hes facing off against two candidates in a three-way battle that could really go in any direction. Pinnacle Bank Chairman Sid Dinsdale, who has partially self-funded his campaign, was seen until recently as the other candidate to Sasse and State Treasurer Shane Osborn, but he has seen a recent surge of momentum as Sasse and Osborn have entered in to an ugly intra-party civil war with money on both sides pouring in and paying for nasty ads.
Its allowed the candidates to try and stay above the fighting, but could be helping Dinsdale if it turns off voters. If it sounds familiar this is exactly what happened in 2012 when Deb Fischer surged from outsider status to victor.
WHY IT MATTERS:
Sasse may not be exactly a tea partier, though. He has previously worked in D.C., and has also been endorsed by both Paul Ryan and the National Review, elevating his profile in more establishment circles. Of course if he wins today it will be seen as a huge win for the tea party movement, whether he is your typical tea partier or not.
Aides like to describe him more as a Ryan-style conservative. His ads, though, have been focused squarely on Obamacare and outside groups like the Club for Growth, Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF), and the Madison Project have all thrown money into the race. And Osborn has been endorsed by some local tea party groups, as well as more establishment-aligned groups like a super PAC with ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that has put money in targeting Sasse. The two had a high-profile blow-up in November when McConnell reportedly lit into Sasse for working with SCF, who is trying to oust McConnell and other incumbents.
Osborn actually hit Sasse on his Obamacare stance, but used an editorial that the newspaper says was taken out of context. Sasse has been attacked over his out-of-state support and a recent ad touted his Nebraska backers, including former Gov. Kay Orr. If there is any question whether Dinsdales late surge is real, just look at the outside money, which has turned their dollars and negative ads directly at Dinsdale. The victor today is the likely winner in this deep red state.
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The Tea Partys Best Chance In 2014?