We haven’t even had the mayor’s election yet and the race for the Nebraska Senate seat is already heating up.

Last week, shortly after independent candidate Dan Osborn announced he had a poll showing him in a statistical tie with Pete Ricketts, President Trump announced his endorsement of our incumbent senator.

I had a conversation with Dan Osborn a few months ago where he said he was weighing all his options, but if he decided to run for office again, he might have a better chance running against Don Bacon than going for a second try for senate. For one thing, it’s going to take a lot more money to run a statewide race, and Pete Rickets and his supporters have very deep pockets.

But that conversation was a couple of months ago and in politics a couple of months can be a lifetime.

I always look at any early poll released by the candidates with a jaundiced eye. You might recall back in February; Mike McDonnell released a poll before the mayor’s primary showing him with a lead over Jean Stothert.

What happened? Did people’s attitude about McDonnell change that much between February and the March election? Was it even a legitimate poll in the first place? Perhaps it was nothing more than a ruse to try to convince the voters McDonnell was destined to be our next mayor.

Like I said, I’m always skeptical of polls like the one Dan Osborn put out last week.

But evidently, President Trump and the Ricketts campaign are taking this poll seriously.

Now I don’t know if it’s because of Osborn, or if Ricketts is worried about a primary challenge from another Republican, but it appears the senator really wanted the president’s approval.

Even though Trump’s tariff policies were tanking the stock market and potentially hurting our farmers, Ricketts announced his support for what Trump was doing. He said he wouldn’t support Senator Grassley’s bill to return tariff authority to Congress. Soon after he kissed Trump’s ring with that announcement, the president announced his endorsement of Ricketts.

Not to repeat myself from a column that ran last week, but I’m not convinced that a Trump endorsement has the clout he’d like you to think it has, especially now when the President’s poll numbers are going down along with the value of Nebraskan’s 401K’s.

With or without President Trump’s endorsement, I do think Pete Ricketts is more vulnerable than Deb Fischer was.

Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Octavio-Cortez are cris-crossing the country, attracting big crowds, and warning of the dangers of America turning into an Oligarchy. It’s going to take a hell of a lot of money to convince voters that Pete and his billionaire family aren’t part of the wealthy ruling class.

And even though Donald Trump endorsed Pete Ricketts, will the MAGA crowd that wants manufacturing jobs to come back to America support a blue-collar candidate over a rich one? I wouldn’t bet against it.

If I had a pro-Osborn PAC, (which I obviously don’t) I’d run ads showing all the attacks Pete Ricketts has made against legalizing Medical Marijuana in the state. The ad would say something like “70% of Nebraskans voted for medical marijuana. But Pete Ricketts and his money think he’s smarter than you.” Then I’d show a quote from Ricketts where he said that medical marijuana was going to kill your children. And then finish by asking, “Does that sound very smart to you?”

I’d be really surprised if a Democrat steps up to the plate to challenge Pete and Dan. When he ran against Deb Fischer, Osborn was more effective than anyone the Democrats have put up in decades. My guess is Jane Kleeb will be satisfied to sit on the sidelines and watch the battle between the working man and the executive.

While that race is going to be fun to watch, before we focus on it, we need to elect a new mayor.

Join us at the Free Speech Society meeting this Saturday morning. Jean Stothert and John Ewing will hold a debate where many of the questions will be provided by you the voter.

The Free Speech Society meets on the third Saturday of every month at 8:30. The meetings are held at the Centris Federal Credit Union 132nd and Pacific.

Whether it’s the mayor’s race or the upcoming run for senate, make sure you’re an informed voter and then make sure you get to the polls.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.