With less than a month to go before Nebraska Republicans choose a nominee for governor, scandalous charges of sexual harassment are taking their toll on one contender, businessman Charles Herbster.
Though Herbster carried the endorsement of Donald Trump, nearly every Republican woman in elective office throughout the Cornhusker State has called on the multimillionaire to quit the May 10 primary.
In addition, outgoing popular Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts — who supports University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen in the race — called on Herbster to withdraw.
Herbster, CEO of Kansas City, Missouri-based Conklin Co. was hit hard Thursday by charges from no less than seven women alleging he had groped them.
Among them was state Sen. Julie Slama, one of the most-watched of up-and-coming Republicans. Slama told reporters that Herbster had not only touched her inappropriately at a Douglas County Lincoln Day dinner in 2019, but that she witnessed another young woman experience a similar touching by Herbster at the same event.
Six other women at the dinner told reporters they also were touched inappropriately by the candidate.
Ellen Keast, Herbster's campaign manager, characterized the accusations as “100% false.”
She noted that Herbster “has a lifelong record of empowering women to lead.”
Herbster has likened the charges against him to the never-proven accusations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings in 2018.
A former executive director of the state Republican Party told Newsmax: “I believe these charges have hurt his campaign.
"I have seen Herbster’s response where he talks to the camera and defends himself. I think it’s a good spot but I don’t know that it’s enough to counter the impact of the charges.”
Neither Trump nor South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, another endorser of Herbster, have shown any signs of backing away from the embattled candidate.
But even before the charges against Herbster broke, there were signs of slippage for the long-presumed favorite.
A 3D Strategic Research poll released two days before the charges broke and conducted for fellow gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Brett Lindstrom showed Lindstrom and Jim Pillen tied at 27% each, and Herbster at 23%.
A month earlier, Herbster topped the same poll with 30% of the vote.
“I believe that the charges have hurt Herbster,” former state GOP Chair Dave Kramer told Newsmax, “But I don’t know that they will affect his voters. Certainly they present a problem for the undecideds [12%, according to 3D Strategic Research]. Given how tight the race appears to be it may well affect the outcome.”
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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