Eric Moyer is running against Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood. (Courtesy of Alyson Edie Photography)
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Democrats have their man in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District: Eric Moyer is running against Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood.
The bid by Moyer, who works in the renewable energy industry, comes shortly after Flood’s town hall in Lincoln, which drew national headlines and attention on social media for Democratic frustration with him.
Moyer said he is running because the district isn’t getting “adequate representation.” He is formally announcing his bid Thursday evening in Lincoln.
“I think folks are hungry for an alternative to the status quo,” Moyer told the Examiner.
Economic focus
Moyer is running as an outsider, on a platform that focuses on building an economy that works for all Nebraskans, pushing back against trickle-down economics, advocating for affordable healthcare as a right and exploring alternative energy sources.
The 1st District comprises 12 Nebraska counties, including Lancaster County, home to Lincoln, the state’s second-most populous. But Lincoln’s heavily Democratic area is drowned out by more conservative rural and suburban regions, including Flood’s home turf of northeast Nebraska.
The seat is considered safely Republican by the nonpartisan Center for Politics, The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections. Flood has won his past two elections by 20 and 16 percentage points. But Moyer said he is confident that he has a path to victory.
“Nebraska is a challenging state to develop renewable energy projects. I’ve been doing it for eight years,” Moyer said. “Don’t tell me I can’t do something.”
‘Secret Sauce’
Moyer won’t reveal the “secret sauce” of campaign strategy he plans to use, but points to the current political climate surrounding President Donald Trump’s budget and tax bill that passed earlier this summer, the one the president calls “big” and “beautiful.”
Republicans in Congress are currently trying to sell Trump’s domestic agenda to constituents, which polling indicates is unpopular among Americans. Flood faced jeers as he defended voting for the Trump mega bill, which may have helped his standing with Republicans. Moyer called Flood’s vote “tone deaf.”
“He’s doubled down on policies that do not meet the expectations of voters,” Moyer said. “By voting against the interests of the people of this district, it’s pretty doggone clear that he is not representing the needs of the folks in Lancaster County or the other 11, for that matter.”
Trump’s performance will likely be a main focus of the 2026 midterms. State and national Republican strategists said focusing on specific provisions could help improve the public’s perception of the law, as they bank on the idea that long-term messaging about the bill could turn around public perception.
“Nebraska can lead the way,” Moyer said. “We have the ability to do so much more as a state and have so much more of a voice in national politics, and I hope to give us that.”
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