(While I'm reticent to call Bruning the "early favorite", this has the potential to be one of the quirkiest Senate races of the cycle. - promoted by James L.)
As expected, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) is ready to officially get in the race this week.
Omaha World-Herald:
It looks like Jon Bruning's days of exploring a 2008 U.S. Senate bid are coming to an end.
Bruning, who has printed campaign posters touting "Bruning, United States Senate," plans to hold a press conference Thursday at the State Capitol to talk about his political future.
All signs - including recent public comments from Bruning - indicate that the second-term attorney general will officially get into the race, setting the stage for a possible primary challenge against fellow Republican and incumbent Sen. Chuck Hagel.
Hagel, who has angered many rank-and-file party members with his Iraq war criticism, has not announced whether he will run for a third term. He plans to make his decision later this fall.
Bruning, however, has given strong indications that he will run since forming an exploratory committee earlier this spring.
He has hired several campaign workers and his campaign office in Lincoln has been busy, raising money and calling supporters.
Bruning has to be the early favorite to get the Republican nomination - perhaps even if Hagel decides to run. The longer Hagel waits, the more support he will drain. His March 12 press conference was a huge strategic blunder.
Meanwhile, the rumblings of a potential Bob Kerrey Senate bid are getting stronger. Outside of Iraq - where Kerrey managed to piss off quite a few Democrats in the last couple of weeks - Kerrey's actually a very good Democrat for Nebraska. What's more, in a race against Jon Bruning, I'm fairly certain that he would win quite handily.
June 23rd, Kerrey is headlining the Nebraska Democrats' annual Morrison-Exon dinner. |
