OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska state senator and former Bellevue City Council member became the first Democrat to announce a bid for governor Monday.
State Sen. Carol Blood promised to try to unite Nebraskans.
“I love Nebraska, but I know we can do better,” said Blood, who grew up near Hastings. “Our collaborative efforts are much stronger than the voices of a few and we can build a better Nebraska. We do this by inspiring hope and working to transform our divisions.”
Blood first won a seat in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature in 2016 by defeating a Republican incumbent in a politically divided Sarpy County district. She overcame a GOP challenger in 2020 to hold onto the seat.
But the 60-year-old Blood will face a difficult task getting elected in the GOP-dominated state that former President Donald Trump won by 18 percentage points.
In fact, Ben Nelson was the last Democrat to hold statewide office when the moderate served as governor from 1991 to 1999 and as U.S. Senator from 2001 to 2013.
