While there are many resources to help educate one about politics, it is hard to sift through all the bias to find a real source. So, I just used social media!! Tiktok taught me all that I thought I needed to know, but there is so much more. More candidates, more policies, more elections – all of it! In this article, I will help you find out what you have been missing with the scrolling.
In the federal level of voting, there are three things we are voting for this year: President, US Senate, and House of Representatives. Here is the rundown.
Presidential Election:
I only knew about two of the candidates in the election, because that is all the news tells about. However, after deep diving, I found out there are five! Here is the lineup:
Kamala Harris (D) – Kamala Harris is the Democratic candidate for this election. As part of her election, Harris promises to grow small businesses, and invest in future entrepreneurs. At the end of her speeches, she often says “When we fight, we win!”
Chase Oliver (L) – Chase Oliver is the Libertarian in this election. As part of his campaign, he claims he will lower the cost of living and reduce inflation. His tagline is “It’s Time to Chase Your Dreams” (get it????).
Jill Stein (I) – Jill Stein is an Independent candidate in this election. To help promote her campaign, she promises to end homelessness and house insecurity with a Homes Guarantee. On her website, she promotes her views with the tagline “People, Planet, Peace.”
Donald Trump (R) – Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for the presidential election. One of his campaign goals is to lower taxes for workers, and get rid of the taxing of tips completely. His famous tagline is “Make America Great Again.”
Cornel West (I) – Cornel West is the other Independent candidate for the election. One of his campaign goals is to combat the abuse and neglect that comes with the elderly and give resources to the elderly that need it. He does not have an official tagline, but many things he stands for involve “justice.”
US Senate:
One thing many people don’t think about is the US Senate election. The Senate is very important because they are responsible for writing and passing legislation, as well as approving treaties. In this election, we are voting for both Nebraska senate seats. Here are the candidates:
Chair One – Deb Fischer (R) vs Dan Osborn (I) – Deb Fischer is a Republican candidate for the first Senate seat. Some organizations that endorse her include Pro-Life Warriors, Omaha Police Officers Association, and US Chamber of Commerce. Dan Osborn is the Independent candidate for this Senate seat. Some of his goals are to cut taxes for small businesses and the middle class and pass congressional term limits.
Chair Two – Pete Ricketts (R) vs Preston Love (D) – Pete Ricketts is a Republican candidate for the second Senate seat. His is a special election, because he was appointed to the US Senate in 2023 after Ben Sasse resigned. He is going against Preston Love, who is the Democratic candidate. Love stands for civil activism and served as Vice President of the NAACP.
US House of Representatives:
The House of Representatives, similar to the Senate, is the other legislative branch, and offers amendments, begins legislation processes, and serves on committees. In this election, one Representative is being elected.
Mike Flood (R) – Mike Flood is the Republican candidate for this position, and he is a very outgoing person. As some may recall, he came to the Memorial Stadium game to support the high schoolers and make a quick speech. He began serving as a Representative in 2022 after resigning from being a NE state senator. Flood sticks up for smaller businesses and is very vocal in the community.
Carol Blood (D) – Carol Blood is the Democratic candidate for this position, and she has lots of opinions she is vocal about. She has served as Senator since 2016 (re-elected 2020). She aims to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security if she is elected into office.
Next week: Come back to learn more about what’s on the ballot at the state level!
