Republican challenger switches House races to clear NE02 GOP primary field for Bacon vs. Frei

Nebraska Examiner ^ | 3/1/24 | AARON SANDERFORD

[cotton1706]

OMAHA — U.S. Rep. Don Bacon will face one Republican challenger in his party’s May primary instead of two after a candidate who filed to run against him changed his mind Friday.

His lone GOP opponent will be Dan Frei of Omaha, a former tea party darling who lost narrowly in the 2014 primary to Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. Frei says he wants to join the Freedom Caucus if elected.

Michael Connely had also filed to run against Bacon in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. He switched races on Friday to run in the 1st District House race. Connely told the Examiner he flipped races after hearing Frei speak during a Saunders County Republican Party event.

“It was as if I had dropped my notes in the parking lot and he had picked them up,” Connely said of Frei. “This guy is almost like my doppelganger.”

Connely filed as a pauper candidate, which means he didn’t have to pay the filing fee

Bacon, reached through a campaign spokesman on Friday, called Connely “a gentleman” and said he “could tell he believed in running a clean campaign.”

Frei’s campaign offered no immediate comment Friday night. The winner of the GOP primary will face Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.

Frei supporters wanted change Political observers told the Examiner that the Frei campaign and some of its supporters had been pushing for weeks to get Connely to switch races to consolidate votes against Bacon.

[cotton1706]

This is likely why J6 Committee-voting Bacon is all of a sudden endorsing Trump.

Primary is May 14th

[Alberta's Child]

This has the potential to be a disaster. Frei was a TEA Party candidate and wants to join the Freedom Caucus, but he’s running in a district that voted for Biden in 2020.

[Robert DeLong]

This is likely why J6 Committee-voting Bacon is all of a sudden endorsing Trump.

Not sure what you mean by that statement. He voted against Trump being impeached both times. He couldn't cast a vote in the J5 Committee since he wasn't on it. What am I missing or misunderstanding? 🙂

[PermaRag]

Bacon voted to create the J6 kangaroo court committee:

HR3233 (117th Congress) vote breakdown

He was 1 of 35 alleged Republicans who voted to do so.

[Robert DeLong]

Oh okay, I had forgotten that aspect of it. I knew I didn’t like the guy, though. He’s a RINO for sure.

[Tipllub]

I wish there was more of a focus on running “solid, rock ribbed patriotic conservatives” in rock ribbed conservative DISTRICTS.

[Linda Frances]

2022 results

100% in
R

D. Bacon
INCUMBENT
51.3%
112,663

D
T. Vargas
48.7%
106,807

[Linda Frances]

President: Nebraska
5 Electoral Votes
Trump
PROJECTED WINNER
+ FOLLOW
Electoral Vote Breakdown
Trump 4
Biden 1
Candidates

Trump
58.2%
556,846

Biden
39.2%
374,583
Est. 99% In
Updated 03:47 p.m. ET, Jan. 15

[Alberta's Child]

Nebraska is one of the two states that allocates electoral votes by House district. The winner of each House district (there are three of them) gets one electoral vote, while the overall winner of the state gets the two for the two Senate seats.

Joe Biden was awarded one electoral vote in Nebraska in 2020 because he won Bacon’s district.

[lee martell]

Bacon vs Frei?
Shouldn’t it be Bacon, TO fry?

[cotton1706]

“Not sure what you mean by that statement. He voted against Trump being impeached both times. He couldn’t cast a vote in the J5 Committee since he wasn’t on it. What am I missing or misunderstanding?”

He was one of those that voted to establish the committee.

[Deplorable American1776]

Hope Frei Fried Bacon.