Dear Denise Powell,

Congratulations on winning the Democratic Party nomination for District Two. It was a hard-fought battle, but you made it to the finish line.

Nothing personal, but you were not my first choice. While you got your voters worried about losing the blue dot, I was worried about not getting a Democratic majority in the House. I thought and still feel that either John Cavanaugh or Kishla Askins had a better chance to beat Brinker Harding than you do.

But I’m open to being proven wrong. I hope I’m proven wrong.

Your fear-mongering about losing the blue dot worked for you. Congratulations. You probably saved it. Now it’s time to focus on getting a Democratic Speaker in the House of Representatives.

We hear so much about this district being blue. And it’s true that this area is more liberal than the rest of the state, but the blue dot is a light blue at best.

Since 1995, there’s only been one Democrat to represent the Second District. That Democrat was Brad Ashford. Brad Ashford was a former Republican, and he only lasted one term. Go back even further, and in the last 66 years, a Democrat has only held the seat for 12 of those years.

If you’re going to win and keep this seat, you’ve got to be more than pissed off. You’ve got to offer achievable solutions to our problems. You’ve got to be FOR things and not just against Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda.

The nasty primary is going to stick to you. Do you honestly think that the moniker “Dark Money Denise” isn’t going to be used by the Harding campaign? Touting your support from pro-choice groups worked well for you in a Democratic campaign, but in a general election, that policy is going to have to become far more nuanced.

I can totally understand if you’re in a state of euphoria right now. You deserve it. Take a victory lap. You beat John Cavanaugh. But don’t make the same mistake he and some of his supporters made. They took victory for granted until it was too late.

Six months ago, the smart money was on John Cavanaugh to win the race. He had a political machine and a recognizable name that had a record of winning. Most of the public had never heard of you.

On paper, with rising gas prices, higher inflation, an unpopular war, the history of the party not in power gaining seats, and Trump’s approval in the toilet, you might think you could coast to an easy win in November.

Don’t be so sure.

Your message played well with the Democratic primary voters in places like Dundee, Benson, and Blackstone. But now it’s the general election, and that’s a much different animal. Now you’ve got to sell your message to more than liberal Omaha Democrats. You need to appeal to moderate Republican and independent voters in West Omaha, Saunders, and parts of Sarpy County, too. Plus, you need to mend fences with the Democrats your campaign alienated.

It’s obvious you know how to raise a lot of money, but it’s going to take more than that.

The Harding campaign is already saying that you’re some rich kid from out of state. What are you going to do to prove him wrong?

I doubt you’ll even read this. And even if you do, I have no idea if you’ll take any of this to heart. You’ve got high-priced political consultants and big money donors bending your ear. Why would you listen to me?

Because I’m a realist. I’ve been observing and commenting on Nebraska politics for over 30 years. I know that this district isn’t as dark blue as some would have you think. It’s time to pivot to a more moderate tone.

Anger and fear can only get you so far. Stop being pissed and start being passionate. Offer solutions. Offer hope.

You’ve got the wind at your back, but an uphill battle to climb. Don’t blow it like Cavanaugh, or for that matter, Kara Eastman or Tony Vargas did.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that Brinker Harding might have some area Democrats endorsing him. I have no idea if that’s true or just a rumor his camp is putting out. I do know that Don Bacon got some Democrats to work for him. You’re going to need some Republican support.

I’m not trying to be negative. I’m just being realistic. I wish you well.

You’ve got the nomination. Now don’t blow it.

Sincerely,

Tom Becka

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.

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