A signature gathering effort to establish a new political party in Nebraska is underway, with some characterizing the effort as a scheme to confuse voters and siphon support away from other candidates.
On Thursday, June 25, the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office received an affidavit for the formation of a new political party named: “Nebraska Working People Party.” Courier Nebraska obtained a copy of the affidavit and a sample ballot for the party Monday morning.
The full stated purpose of the new party, according to the affidavit, is to provide voters with “a political organization dedicated to advancing the interests of working families, middle-class Nebraskans, rural communities, small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and individuals seeking practical solutions to improve economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and promote responsive and accountable government.”
To successfully establish this new political party via signature collection, the campaign will have to work fast.
In total, the effort will need to collect 6,728 signatures from registered in-state voters. This number represents 1% of the votes cast for Governor in the most recent election, in each of the state’s three Congressional Districts. The signature breakdown is as follows:
- Congressional District #1 – 2,262 signatures required
- Congressional District #2 – 2,200 signatures required
- Congressional District #3 – 2,266 signatures required
The turn-in deadline, if this new campaign intends to place candidates on the ballot this November, is July 15—a little more than two weeks from now. Meeting this standard would bypass a party’s typical primary election and the Nebraska Working People Party could then nominate candidates for this year’s US Senate and House races.
The name game
The name of this proposed new party indeed calls to mind the nationally known “Working Families Party” (WFP), a progressive minor political party founded in 1998 which has risen in prominence through backing several progressive heavyweights, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), US Sen. Chris Murphy (CT), and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Despite the familiar parlance, however, the effort in Nebraska is not connected to WFP at all.
In a statement to Courier Nebraska, Ravi Mangla, the WFP’s national press secretary, strongly rejected any ties to the petition effort.
“We forcefully denounce the use of our name and reputation, which grassroots volunteers and members have spent decades building, by a cynical spoiler party. The Working Families Party is a coalition-based party that rejects playing the role of spoiler in elections,” Mangla said. “WFP is considering its legal options.”
State political observers believe the campaign’s true intentions are clear.
Creating chaos?
The Nebraska Democratic Party (NDP) posted over the weekend on social media, alerting voters to the effort and alleging that the campaign is being backed by groups aligned with US Senator Pete Ricketts, who is currently running for reelection in November against Independent challenger Dan Osborn, a former union leader from Omaha with a working class platform.
“Billionaire Pete Ricketts is at it again,” NDP Chair Jane Kleeb said in a statement. “Nebraska Democrats are building a coalition to end one-party Republican rule—and with 128 days left before the election, there’s only one reason to launch a new party this late—divide the vote and create chaos. Voters see through spoiler games funded by billionaires. They are calling themselves the Nebraska Working People Party but their real name is ‘Working for Ricketts Party.’”
The party is asking voters to avoid signing the petition. Further, NDP is asking voters to take video of signature collectors, ask them about the petition, and see if they read the full petition purpose—as required by state law. They are asking that video be sent via email to info@nebraskademocrats.org.
Who’s involved?
Based on its name and left-of-center allusion, some have also asked if this petition is backed by prominent state labor organizations.
In a statement to Courier Nebraska, Mike Gage, president and secretary/treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO, said the petition effort is not affiliated with or supported by the state AFL-CIO, the Omaha Federation of Labor, the Lincoln Central Labor Union, Midwest Nebraska Central Labor Council or Nebraska Building and Trades—a collection of some of the state’s most prominent labor unions.
“We are urging our folks to not sign their petition,” Gage said, adding that the petition group has had zero contact with organized labor groups for help with securing signatures. “If this was a good faith effort that would have been their first step.”
Again, the group’s name could also be interpreted as in-line with the increasingly prominent socialist political organization: Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
While Nebraska does not have a statewide DSA structure, it does have two citywide chapters: one in Omaha and one in Lincoln.
Omaha’s DSA chapter confirmed to Courier Nebraska that neither are affiliated with this effort to form a new political party in the state, echoing suspicions of involvement from Ricketts.
“It seems like they’re trying to harm DSA’s momentum in Nebraska,” the Omaha chapter said.
The Nebraska Republican Party also reacted to the new party on social media, telling voters “DO NOT sign,” adding “Socialism has no place in Nebraska. Republicans are THE party of working people. Don’t be fooled by the Democrats’ disarray!”
The NEGOP post featured a distant photo of two petition circulators at a signing table, adorned with posters of left-of-center slogans like “Trump is the symptom. Capitalism is the disease.”
Nebraska Socialist Alternative, a in-state offshoot of the national socialist organization, responded online saying the photo was of their members, but they were not collecting signatures for the “Nebraska Working People Party” and the group, too, is unaffiliated with the effort.
Mystery solved?
So who is behind this perplexing new petition effort?
The petition’s official sponsor is listed as Robin Richards.
Richards is a sitting member and treasurer of the Ralston Public Schools board. She ran unsuccessfully for the Nebraska Legislature this year, coming in fourth place via write-in during the May 12 primary race to represent District 12. The seat is currently held by State Senator Merv Riepe. Richards is a registered Democrat.
Richards also challenged Riepe for the seat in 2020 and 2022. Following her roughly 5-point loss to Riepe in 2022, Richards posted on Facebook thanking voters for their support. She also thanked Cerberus Strategies, an Omaha-based political consulting and campaign management firm led by Benjamin Onkka and Crystal Rhoades.
Rhoades, the sitting Clerk of the District Court of Douglas County, came in third place during May’s heated race to represent the Omaha-based U.S. House seat, dubbed the “Blue Dot” (NE-02).
Courier Nebraska reached out to Rhoades and Cerberus Strategies, asking if either were offering any consulting services for this new party’s signature collecting effort. No response was received by the time of this publication.
Rhoades told Nebraska Public Media News that she was “unaware of the new political party.”
Richards’ recent legislative campaign was largely financed by a $60,000 donation from the Omaha-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 22, according to campaign disclosures. Despite Osborn’s working class platform, IBEW Local 22 has notably not endorsed the industrial mechanic’s US Senate bid.
Ahead of the May primary, the union also declined to endorse US Senate candidate Cindy Burbank, who is now the Democratic nominee and has said she plans to withdraw, clearing the way for a one-on-one matchup between Osborn and Ricketts in November.
IBEW Local 22 did, however, endorse Richards in her long-shot write-in campaign this year.
Following her 2026 primary loss, Richards endorsed incumbent state Sen. Merv Riepe, a registered Republican with a history of bucking his own party in Nebraska’s technically nonpartisan one-house legislature, over her party’s nominee Christy Knorr.
As far as different signature collection firms involved with the effort, several rumors have been circulating.
Sources familiar with the matter tell Courier Nebraska that Groundgame Political Solutions, a national ballot initiative firm founded by Meghan Cox, may be involved. Other sources pointed towards a Michigan-based signature collection firm named Ballot Solutions playing a role with the last ditch petition effort.
Requests for comment sent to Groundgame and Ballot Solutions have not been returned at this time.
Reporting over the weekend from the Omaha World-Herald suggested that some petition circulators pointed to a private firm named Let the Voters Decide as being involved.
Reached by Courier Nebraska on Monday, a spokesperson for this firm denied the group’s involvement in this signature gathering effort. The group had previously been involved in Nebraska’s 2020 petition campaign to legalize medical marijuana.
A ‘real alternative’
With allegations of foul play being slung, Courier Nebraska reached out to the Ricketts for Senate campaign for comment. The campaign had not responded by the time of publication.
In a statement, the proposed party in question said “Nebraska deserves a real alternative” to the state’s two-party dominant system.
“That is exactly what we are building,” the Nebraska Working People Party told Courier Nebraska. The group did not respond to follow-up questions about which offices they were eyeing and the names of any signature collection and strategic firms assisting in the effort.
The Osborn for Senate campaign said they had no comment on this petition effort at this time.
See the Nebraska Working People Party’s filing affidavit and sample petition below.
