- Democratic candidates in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District are in the final sprint of the primary race, with top contenders Crystal Rhoades, John Cavanaugh, and Denise Powell vying for the nomination against Republican Brinker Harding.
OMAHA — Hours before a live forum this month, Democratic candidate Crystal Rhoades did what she has done with her downtime for months. She knocked on voters’ doors in Nebraska’s most populous city.
Rhoades — and her husband, Ben Onkka — mapped out which doors to knock using a program on their phones — choosing those occupied by people likely to vote in the upcoming Democratic primary.
More often than not, over a few hours with the Examiner, she placed a campaign flyer by the door because no one opened it. But when someone answered, she typically left with confirmation that the person was voting for her or deciding between her and another contender, political action committee co-founder Denise Powell. Some asked Rhoades for a yard sign…