LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Republican Party Chair Eric Underwood will not pursue another term after his wing of the party was able to seize control of the party from its establishment.
Underwood has served as party chair for three years. He came to power in a revolt against the GOP leadership team favored by former Gov. and current U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts. The party will choose its next chair at its State Central Committee meeting in Kearney this Saturday
Under Underwood’s leadership, the party has seen turbulence with its funding and continued infighting. But in the same breath, it has rebuilt its network of county parties, grown its number of grassroots activists and won a supermajority in the Legislature.
In his emailed announcement to party members about his decision not to run again, he endorsed Mary Jane Truemper, the current vice chair, as the next chair of the state’s dominant political party. He said, “We both share the long-term success of the NEGOP as our primary goal.”
Truemper said more needs to be done, such as getting more Republicans elected in down-ballot races and building better relationships with officeholders.
“All these efforts will ensure the long-term success of the NEGOP,” Truemper said.
During the 2024 election season, the NEGOP didn’t endorse any of Nebraska’s congressional incumbents in the primary election but supported the delegation after the primary. Truemper was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon’s primary challenger, Dan Frei.
She previously managed Bacon’s campaign in 2018. Truemper said she has gathered suggestions from party members on improving the party’s endorsement policy and would be “the first to admit that the NEGOP endorsement process has much room for improvement.”
“Politics is about building relationships,” Truemper told the Examiner. “I am confident we will have a much better experience in the future for all candidates.”
The state party had previously defaulted to endorsing incumbents in primaries but moved away from that approach after Underwood and his team took over. He and others tied to the new regime said the party should encourage robust primaries to boost party energy and interest.
The other known candidate for party chair is the state party’s treasurer, Dave Plond. He told the Examiner that under his leadership, the party would continue Underwood’s agenda.
He pointed to the party’s goal of shifting how Nebraska awards Electoral College votes in presidential races to winner-take-all from awarding some to the winner in each congressional district. He said he wants to help more Republicans get elected to school boards and city councils.
“We need more Republicans on our bench in those areas,” Plond said.
A longtime donor to President Donald Trump and former gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, who backed the 2022 state GOP takeover and helped the new party fund events but has reduced his giving, endorsed Plond for party chair Friday. Herbster called Plond “America First and Nebraska First” and said he “has the tools needed to bring major donors back to the NEGOP.”
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Aaron Sanderford for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.