WARNING: The D.C. Smear Playbook Is Coming to Nebraska

LINCOLN, NE – With just weeks until the May 12 primary, the Scott Petersen for Secretary of State campaign is warning Nebraskans to expect a familiar tactic from entrenched political insiders: a last-minute smear campaign designed to distract from the issues.

“Nebraskans have seen this before,” said Scott Petersen. “When the establishment can’t defend its record, it doesn’t answer questions, it attacks the challenger.”

In 2022, voters witnessed a coordinated, late-stage effort to derail a candidate who challenged the status quo. Today, similar warning signs are emerging again as momentum builds for real change.

Secretary of State Bob Evnen is facing growing questions about his involvement in international “labor mobility” agreements, alignment with certain Washington-style policies, and ongoing fiscal concerns previously raised by State Auditor Mike Foley.

Rather than addressing these issues head-on, outside consultants appear ready to shift the focus. Evnen’s campaign has paid significant fees to Maryland-based OnMessage Public Strategies, a firm that specializes in managing “reputational challenges” for corporate and political clients. These are not Nebraska voices. They represent a national political playbook.

“There’s a clear pattern,” Petersen said. “When they can’t win on the facts and the record, they manufacture distractions.”

The campaign also noted the role of out-of-state donor networks tied to national Republican establishment circles.

While Evnen’s campaign relies on consultants from Annapolis, Maryland and donor influence from outside Nebraska, the Petersen campaign is built the Nebraska way, showing up in counties across the state, earning genuine grassroots support, and answering tough questions directly from voters.

“This campaign isn’t being run from Annapolis or Washington,” Petersen said. “It’s being built in Nebraska, by Nebraskans."

“Expect the noise. Expect the attacks,” Petersen continued. “But don’t lose sight of what matters: secure elections, transparent government, and leadership that answers to the people of Nebraska, not political insiders.”