Nebraska’s two major political parties have filed separate appeals asking the Nebraska Supreme Court to stop two newly formed political parties from participating in the November election.
The Nebraska Democratic Party is challenging the Nebraska Working People Party, while the Nebraska Republican Party is challenging the America First Party.
According to the Nebraska Examiner, both appeals were filed Thursday morning after Lancaster County District Court Judge Darla Ideus rejected the parties’ challenges earlier this week. As of Thursday afternoon, the Nebraska Supreme Court had not indicated whether it would accept the cases.
Democrats contend the Nebraska Working People Party’s name is too similar to the national Working Families Party. Ideus ruled that the Nebraska Democratic Party and Working Families Party filed their objections too late.
In the separate Republican case, the GOP argued that the America First Party’s name could confuse voters because the phrase is closely associated with Republican politics. Ideus ruled that state law does not address the type of voter confusion alleged by Republicans.
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said the ruling “doesn’t end this fight” and confirmed the party’s appeal. Kleeb characterized the Nebraska Working People Party as a “spoiler party,” an allegation its organizers have disputed.
An emergency injunction temporarily delaying certification of the new parties was lifted Wednesday.
The Secretary of State’s Office told the Examiner that the Nebraska Working People Party has submitted organizational documents to become an official state party. The America First Party had not yet submitted comparable documents.
The deadline for political parties to name candidates for the November 3 general election is September 1.