Big names to headline Nebraska GOP, Dem events

OMAHA — Nebraska’s major political parties are bringing in guests they hope will send partisans reaching for their wallets.

The Nebraska Democratic Party announced that its Sept. 29 Ben Nelson Fundraising Gala in Omaha will feature Nelson, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and State Rep. Justin Pearson of “The Tennessee Three.”

The Nebraska Republican Party announced that its Aug. 18 Booster Event and State Central Committee meeting in Norfolk will feature former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.

Nelson, a former U.S. senator and governor, cast a pivotal vote for health care legislation under President Barack Obama. He is the last Democrat elected to statewide office in Nebraska.

Walz is a favorite governor of many Democrats for boosting Minnesota’s investments on K-12 education, protecting reproductive rights and finding room in a bluestate budget for income tax cuts.

Pearson rose to national prominence, along with Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones and State Rep. Gloria Johnson, for participating in gun control protests on the floor of the Tennessee statehouse. Fellow state lawmakers briefly expelled Pearson and Jones from the Tennessee legislature. Local officials reappointed them after protests erupted in their defense.