OWH: Terry ignores GOP challenger, prepares to battle White

Robynn Tysver, Omaha World-Herald
April 19, 2010

U.S. Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska got a scare in 2006 when a young and cash-strapped candidate named Jim Esch came within 10 points of unseating him.

Since then, Terry, a Republican, has taken no challenger for granted.

Not in the primary, and not in the general election.

Terry has been shoring up his base this primary season and is expected to survive a challenge from Republican Matt Sakalosky, a long shot who is a supporter of the tea party movement.

Terry also has been raising cash in anticipation of what could be a tough re-election fight against a well-financed Democratic challenger, Tom White.

White may be one of the strongest challengers to try unseating Terry as the representative of the 2nd Congressional District, although White faces a national political climate that observers say could be tough for any Democrat.

The Nebraska primary is May 11. The winner of the Terry-Sakalosky contest will face White, a state senator, in November. White is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Terry, who has barely acknowledged Sakalosky in public and refused to debate the newcomer, has been busy attending several campaign functions each week. He also has been wooing tea party supporters at rallies and forums.

In addition, Terry has been targeting Republican voters with direct mail.

Sakalosky also has been busy, going door to door in neighborhoods on weekends.

Still, with three weeks left in the campaign, the Omaha business consultant has little time left to build name recognition. He does not appear to have the cash for either mail or TV ads.

Sakalosky had raised about $21,000 and had $189 in the bank as of March 31. Terry had raised more than $1 million and had $633,000 in the bank.

“We're going straight to the voters. We're not going to buy their vote,” Sakalosky said.

Having a challenger has forced Terry to spend cash in the primary when he would have preferred to save it for the race against White, said Doug Parrott, a GOP political observer.

“It would have been easier, when you're an incumbent, not to have to worry about anyone in the primary,” Parrott said.

David Boomer, Terry's campaign manager, declined to say how much the campaign expects to spend in the primary but said Terry will have plenty of money left to compete against White.

Terry and White have been busy building war chests over the past six months.

As of March 31, White had $460,000 in the bank.

For the most part, Terry and White have kept their powder dry. That is expected to change soon.

The general election race is expected to be competitive, with both candidates tied to what is going on in Washington, D.C.

Terry will portray White as a generic Democrat who would go to Congress and fall in line behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama.

“Why would someone vote for someone who is going to enable Nancy Pelosi?” Terry asked.

White countered that a fresh face is needed in Washington and said it is time to send Terry home after six terms.

He said the frustration many people express with politicians today is directed at incumbents such as Terry and not merely at the Democrats, who have majorities in both houses of Congress.

He also argued that any attempt to brand him as a liberal will fail.

“I'm never afraid to take on people in my own party if I think they're wrong,” said White, who recently battled Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, a fellow Democrat, over a sales tax proposal involving Omaha sewer bills.

Copyright ©2010 Omaha World-Herald®.