Nebraska Democratic Party: Fahey: I'm Considering It

Fahey: I'm Considering It

Feb 11, 02:31 AM CST

From today’s Omaha World Herald, a story that you might find of interest:

D.C. chat has Fahey considering Senate bid
BY C. DAVID KOTOK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Mayor Mike Fahey knew what was coming when he agreed recently to meet with two of the nation’s top Democrats – a pitch for him to run for the U.S. Senate.

In the past, Fahey quickly blunted any speculation that he was interested in running for higher office. That has changed, with Fahey now saying he will consider a Senate race if Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel doesn’t seek re-election in 2008.

Late last month, Fahey was in Washington, D.C., for a mayors conference when he was asked to meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

“They talked to me about the Senate race, and they were very complimentary,” Fahey said. “They said all the right things.”

In an interview with The World-Herald, Fahey said that at this point he is still more interested in seeking a third term as Omaha’s mayor than in running for the Senate.

But the Senate is attractive, he said.

“You’d be a member of the 100 Club,” Fahey said. “You can do great things there. It’s one of the highest honors a person could have.”

The Senate could use more mayors with first-hand experience managing a local budget under the strain of unfunded federal mandates, Fahey said.

Senators “have no concept of controlling spending,” Fahey said. “Of course, it’s easier to spend when you can just print more money.”

If he were to run and win, Fahey would leave the Mayor’s Office five months before his current term is set to expire in June 2009. Even so, Fahey’s 71/2 years in office would make him the longest-serving mayor since the current form of city government was adopted in 1957.

Fahey fits the mold of recent Nebraska Democrats elected to the Senate – Edward Zorinsky in 1976, J.J. Exon in 1978, Bob Kerrey in 1988 and Ben Nelson in 2000. All held elected executive positions prior to going to Washington: Zorinsky was mayor of Omaha when elected, and Exon, Kerrey and Nelson had served as governor.

Each first made his mark in business, as Fahey did by founding a title insurance company.

“Obviously, he would bring many of the key elements that have worked for other Democrats in Nebraska,” said Paul Johnson, who managed Fahey’s two campaigns for mayor and the four winning Senate campaigns for Kerrey and Nelson.

“He’s a fiscal conservative,” Johnson said of Fahey. “He has a nice, outgoing personality. He certainly knows how to raise money.”

Fahey’s easygoing style belies his hard work and discipline as a candidate, Johnson said.

At age 63, Fahey is not too old to run for Senate, Johnson said. Voters value and reward experience, he said.

During his discussion with Reid and Schumer, Fahey made a very favorable impression, said U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

Nelson has long encouraged Fahey to consider a Senate race with or without Hagel running for re-election. “There are no safe seats anymore,” Nelson said.

Fahey would be particularly strong if he were competing for an open seat with no incumbent, Nelson said.

Fahey would not challenge Hagel if he seeks re-election, said Paul Landow, the mayor’s chief of staff, out of Fahey’s respect for Hagel and because of the practical difficulty of beating an elected incumbent senator. It’s something that hasn’t happened in Nebraska since 1942.

If Fahey runs, Nelson said, he would find a re-energized Democratic Party in the state as a result of the 2006 election. The national party pumped $3 million into Nebraska last year in a coordinated effort to help Nelson and other candidates.

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in the state by more than 200,000 voters. Nelson was able to overcome that partisan registration advantage and trounce Republican Pete Ricketts by more than 164,000 votes in November.

The involvement of Reid and Schumer indicates the national party’s willingness to support Fahey. Hearing from the leadership is “a major part of any decision,” Nelson said. “You can’t run and win without financing from the national level.”

The prospect of a Fahey candidacy delighted Nebraska Democratic leaders and caught Republicans by surprise.

“You certainly can’t discount him as a formidable factor,” said GOP State Chairman Mark Quandahl of Omaha.

He noted that Fahey would have a base of Omaha support but is less well-known in the rest of the state. Quandahl said he remains confident the Republicans can win the Senate seat, no matter who ends up running.

The other Democrat most often mentioned as a 2008 candidate is Scott Kleeb, who made a favorable impression in his losing race against Republican Adrian Smith in the 3rd Congressional District.

Mike Meister of Scottsbluff, who holds a top spot in the state Democratic Party, said he was among a group of people who approached Fahey a year ago about running and came away with no positive vibes. “He told us, ‘I’m the mayor of Omaha,’” Meister said.

State Democratic Chairman Steve Achelpohl met the prospect of a Fahey candidacy with exuberance: “The Nebraska Democratic Party would be tickled if he ran.”

Fahey said that if he decides to run for the Senate, he would have to begin raising money and assembling a team this year. A decision to run for a third term as mayor could be put off until next year, he said.

Fahey said he knows that if Hagel announces for president or says he won’t run for Senate, his phone would ring and ring. And Fahey would have to face his future.

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