FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2026
CONTACT: Campaign@BackNebraska.com 

Lincoln, NE — Tonight, in the first and only debate in Nebraska’s First District, Democratic nominee Chris Backemeyer showed voters he’s the change candidate who will get things done in Congress — while incumbent Mike Flood proved once again that he’s just another career politician too afraid to step out of President Trump’s shadow.

With the campaign entering its final stretch, voters tuned in to a competitive race to see who Nebraskans trust most to actually deliver results and fight for their future. Backemeyer laid out a clear mission: lower costs, end the Iran War, and stop putting billionaires ahead of Nebraskans.

“The choice in this race couldn’t be more clear: Chris will fight for Nebraska farmers and families, while Mike Flood will continue to hide in President Trump’s shadow, too afraid to stand up to the failed policies that hurt Nebraskans. We are in an economic crisis, and the stakes are too high for Nebraskans to put their faith in a career politician who is more concerned about bowing down to Trump than fighting for Nebraskans,” said Meg Mandy, senior advisor to the Backemeyer campaign.

Backemeyer called out Flood on a number of key issues, including:

• Voting six times for Trump’s reckless trade war, which has raised costs for Nebraska farmers and closed their export markets
• Voting six times to continue the war in Iran, unquestioningly, despite a complete lack of rationale or strategy from the White House
• Voting for the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and hurt rural hospitals to give billionaires a tax break, and voting to raise premiums for Nebraskans who get healthcare through the Affordable Care Act

For more than two decades, Chris served at the highest levels of national security and economic policy at the U.S. Department of State and the White House National Security Council. Now, he’s running for Congress to serve the state that shaped him — fighting for working families, expanding opportunity, and building a better future for all Nebraskans.

To learn more about Chris and his campaign, please visit www.BackNebraska.com.

For a high-resolution headshot of Chris, please click here.