Pancakes, Parades, and Politics: Independence Day ushers in another campaign season in Omaha
For 249 years, Independence Day has been celebrated with food, family, and fireworks. As John Adams wrote on July 3, 1776, it would be “solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
In Omaha, Independence Day also marked the start of another campaign season, with candidates gearing up for elections still more than a year away. And now with the House seat in District 2 up for grabs, the race is quickly intensifying.
Pancake Pavilion at Elmwood Park
The Elmwood Park pavilion has hosted the Douglas County Republican Party (DCRP) pancake breakfast since 1978. Last year, the event was the scene of some drama after a grassroots takeover of the county party, nearly leading to its cancellation when someone from the outgoing faction called Omaha Parks and Recreation to cancel the pavilion reservation.
The drama seemed largely resolved this year, with attendance growing from 300 to over 400 guests and a new slate of candidates preparing for 2026. Jay Jackson and Bill Bowes, both running for state legislature in LD14, handed out orange juice and pats of butter, while Secretary of State Bob Evnen served sausage links. Attorney General Mike Hilgers took a shift later in the morning, as did State Senators Rick Holdcroft and Bob Andersen.
The breakfast was also voters’ first chance to meet Brinker Harding after announcing his congressional candidacy on Tuesday. He and his wife, Rebecca, worked the crowd alongside a dozen or more volunteers in matching campaign T-shirts. One staffer captured video footage of Harding speaking with guests using a DSLR camera, which was edited into a campaign video and shared online before the pancake breakfast was even over. Harding’s campaign was remarkably well-organized and funded, despite launching just days earlier, suggesting preparations began well before Don Bacon officially announced his retirement.
Several individuals working the breakfast counter were widely expected to run for office soon but had not yet officially announced their candidacies. Charles Herbster, rumored for months to be preparing a primary challenge against Governor Jim Pillen, was a headline sponsor of the event. Brett Lindstrom, long expected to launch a congressional campaign in District 2, also worked the crowd.
Democrats, meanwhile, marked the Fourth with protests rather than pancakes. In Omaha, protests were held at the Memorial Park bridge at 10 a.m., the Leavenworth Street I-480 overpass at 3 p.m., and 10th & Douglas at 7:30 p.m. A protest was also held in Lincoln at 11 a.m. on O Street between 48th and Gateway Mall.
Two protesters passed by the Elmwood Park pavilion during the pancake breakfast. A guest asked them, “What are you protesting? Free pancakes?” One protester held a sign reading ‘No Kings,’ prompting the guest to quip, “We haven’t had one of those since 1776.”
Campaigns on Parade
After the pancake breakfast, political campaigning continued. At 1:00 p.m., Ralston held its annual Independence Day parade, the largest and oldest in Nebraska, now in its 65th year, attracting thousands of spectators annually.
Walking this year for the first time as congressional candidates were Democrats John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell, both vying for the District 2 seat in 2026. Brinker Harding was also present with his team, walking the route wearing a DJI lavalier microphone with a wind muff to capture audio for another campaign video. State Senator Merv Riepe also walked in the parade, as did Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who attended between a luncheon with Ralston Mayor Don Groesser and a cookout and second parade in Seward afterward.
Pete Ricketts, a regular participant in the Ralston parade as both governor and now U.S. Senator, marched once again. Dan Osborn, who performed surprisingly well last year running a stealth campaign against Deb Fischer as an independent rather than a Democrat, is expected to challenge Ricketts for Senate again in 2026. Democrats are likely to refrain from nominating their own candidate to avoid splitting the vote.
This year, one of the walkers with Team Ricketts in the Ralston parade was Brett Lindstrom. In 2022, Ricketts supported Governor Jim Pillen over both Herbster and Lindstrom in a contentious gubernatorial race. During that campaign, Lindstrom faced attack ads from Conservative Nebraska, a group largely funded by Ricketts. If Lindstrom and Ricketts have reconciled to form an alliance, it would mark a significant shift in Nebraska’s GOP, especially since Nebraska’s other U.S. Senator, Deb Fischer, has already endorsed Brinker Harding.
Sparks of enthusiasm amidst the fireworks
The enthusiasm of some participants is notable. Former Sarpy GOP Chair Nora Sandine, 76, walked the Ralston parade route twice—first with Pete Ricketts and then with Bob Evnen, switching campaign shirts between walks.
With the 2026 midterms still 16 months away, the campaign season feels relentless, with numerous races heating up in an off-year. Between the parades and pancake breakfasts, however, many participants are enjoying the process as a festive event, even as internal party fireworks continue to spark.