family feud

Nebraska’s first lady gives middle finger to her husband, endorses pro-LGBTQ Dem over his antigay GOP pick

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We’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Nebraska Governor’s Mansion right now.

Susanne Shore, wife of Nebraska’s Republican governor Pete Ricketts, just endorsed the pro-LGBTQ Democrat seeking to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District over the pro-Trump, anti-LGBTQ Republican her husband endorsed earlier this year.

Shore just released a video throwing her “wholehearted support” behind Democrat Patty Pansing Brooks for U.S. House, citing Brooks’ passion for serving others, especially children, as her main reason for doing so.

“During my time as your first lady,” she says, “one legislator has proven that she will always use her voice to fight for not only those kids and their families, but all Nebraskans–that’s Patty Pansing Brooks.”

Pansing Brooks’ opponent, incumbent Mike Flood, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in June of this year after his Republican predecessor, Jeff Fortenberry, resigned in disgrace following a felony conviction for lying to the FBI about accepting an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

Gov. Ricketts endorsed Flood in January, calling him a “strong conservative who will fight for Nebraska’s interests and push back against the Far Left in Washington.”

The 47-year-old is about as anti-LGBTQ as Republicans come. He voted against codifying same-sex marriage into federal law and supports homophobic “religious freedom” laws. He also opposes trans athletes competing in school sports and doesn’t think sex ed should include any mention of LGBTQ people.

Following her opponent’s vote against same-sex marriage over the summer, Pansing Brooks, who previously ran against Flood in June’s special election, issued a statement saying, “I believe love is love, and I will always vote accordingly when I am in Congress. In addition, with our state’s workforce development needs, we can’t afford to send any signals to the LGBTQ+ community that they aren’t welcome here.”

She added, “Unfortunately, the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against a right to privacy has suddenly put many freedoms in jeopardy, not only marriage equality but also in vitro fertilization, birth control and others.”

According to FEC filings, in addition to endorsing Pansing Brooks, Shore has donated $4,100 to her campaign this year, giving $1,200 in January and $2,900 in June. Meanwhile, Ricketts has given $11,600 to Flood–with four separate donations of $2,900 each, twice in March and twice in April.

Related: John Fredrickson on his historic candidacy in Nebraska, his love of Dunkaroos, and playing elf dress up

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