Have Democrats Found Heineman’s Foe?
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***Update: According to the Nebraska Democratic Party Website, Mark Lakers officially filed to run for Governor on Friday, February 19th.
Nebraska Watchdog has learned that an Omaha businessman, who has apparently handed political contributions to both Barack
Obama and Republican Jon Bruning, is considering a run against Governor Dave Heineman (NE-R) in November.
Nebraska Watchdog has reached Mark Lakers by e-mail but Lakers would not comment on the Governor’s race. The filing deadline for candidates is March 1st.
Lakers is the President and Chief Executive Officer of two firms, Millenium Capital Advisors (MCA) and Agribusiness and Food Associates (AFA), according to records examined by Nebraska Watchdog.
According to Federal Election Commission documents in 2008 Lakers contributed at least $3,200 to Obama’s presidential campaign. In 2007 he contributed $1,500 to Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning’s short lived campaign for the U.S. Senate. Published reports examined by Nebraska Watchdog also list Lakers as a member of Bruning’s Senate finance committee.
Other contributions by Lakers include $3,500 to Senator Ben Nelson (NE-D), $1,000 to Senator Mike Johanns (NE-R), $1,950 to Democrat Jim Esch’s unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2008, and $1,250 to the Nebraska Democratic Party.
According to the Douglas County Election Commissioners Office, Lakers is a registered Democrat who last voted in the November, 2008 Presidential election. Election records also note that Lakers voted in the 2006 Nebraska Primary and 2006 General Election.
Records with the Sarpy County Election Commission indicate that in 1998 Lakers ran for the Gretna School board where he finished 11th, dead last, in an 11 person race.
Former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey (D) tells Nebraska Watchdog he’s never heard of Lakers.
Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle says he does know Lakers and tells Nebraska Watchdog he “respects Lakers’ intelligence.”
Suttle would not say if Lakers is planning to run for Governor, but did say Lakers has a wide variety of interests and is especially well versed in farming.
Lakers’ MCA web site notes several areas of Lakers’ expertise including “agribusiness banking and finance.”
According to published reports examined by Nebraska Watchdog, Lakers has been involved in several multi-million dollar agriculture deals.
In 2004 the Columbus Telegram reported that Lakers was a major player in the $57 million dollar purchase of one of the largest hog farms in Nebraska. The Omaha World-Herald said Lakers, “brokered the deal.”
Editor’s note: to subscribe free of charge to News Updates from Nebraska Watchdog click here.
Reported by Joe Jordan, joe@nebraskawatchdog.org
Posted under News, State Politics.
Tags: Ben Nelson, Bob Kerrey, Dave Heineman, Jim Esch, Jon Bruning, Mark Lakers, Mike Johanns
11:08 am on February 19th, 2010
Oh yeh, with that political record and the fact he’s a Democrat will get him elected,NOT! The only thing more the Dems could do is have Obama come here and stump for him. That would rally be the kiss of death.
With our state unemployment rate next to the lowest, why would we want anyone to come here and increase taxes that would put more people out of work?
12:37 pm on February 22nd, 2010
If he gave money to both Obama and Brunning that is two strikes against him.