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Clearing the Air on the “Nebraska Working People Party” - Omaha DSA Statement - DECLINE TO SIGN

Omaha DSA Steering Committee 7/2/2026

Good Morning Comrades,

Some of you may have seen petitions circling this past weekend from a group calling themselves the “Nebraska Working People Party”, soliciting signatures to get their party on the ballot for November.

Omaha DSA does not endorse signing of the “Nebraska Working People Party” petition at this time.

At time of writing this statement, here is what we know;

• Starting the weekend of June 26th, members began seeing petitioners around Omaha at the Memorial Park Concert and Fireworks Show, local Farmers Markets, and at our Central Library, soliciting signatures to get the “Nebraska Working People Party” onto the ballot in November.

• Several news outlets, including the Nebraska Examiner, Courier Nebraska, and Omaha World Herald have covered this petition over the last two days.

• The petition is sponsored by Robin Richards, a registered Democrat, who lost a write-in campaign for State Legislature earlier this year, then went on to endorse Republican candidate Merv Riepe for the general election.

• The National Working Families Party is in no way affiliated with this new Nebraska Working People Party, and has issued a statement to Nebraska Public Media that they are considering legal action and “forcefully denounce the use of [their] name and reputation, which grassroots volunteers and members have spent decades building, by a cynical spoiler party.”

• In a statement to Courier Nebraska, Mike Gage, president and secretary/treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO, said the petition effort is not affiliated with or supported by the state AFL-CIO, the Omaha Federation of Labor, the Lincoln Central Labor Union, Midwest Nebraska Central Labor Council or Nebraska Building and Trades—a collection of some of the state’s most prominent labor unions. They are “urging [their] folks not to sign” the petition.

• Omaha DSA is not affiliated with the “Nebraska Working People Party” in any way.

• There are currently no announced candidates, platform, or other information available for the “Nebraska Working People Party”.

The timing here is no coincidence. This new “party” has taken notice of Socialism’s rising wave of support and momentum over this last week, and is trying to co-opt our grassroots movement to fit their own ends. Regardless of what those ends may be, the late submission for party status, the lack of transparency, and the lack of publicly available information has made it impossible to assess whether or not this effort is being done in good faith with the best interests of the working class at heart.

Omaha DSA Steering Committee’s recommendation is that If approached by these petitioners, DECLINE TO SIGN.

Omaha DSA is actively working to find out more about this issue. As more information becomes available, or should our recommendation change, we will reach out with an update.

In Solidarity,

🌹Omaha DSA Steering Committee🌹