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Labor Day marks unofficial start of campaign season

Posted at 4:16 PM, Sep 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-03 17:16:14-04

While the candidates have been out campaigning for months, Labor Day is considered by many as the unofficial start to campaign season and several seeking election fought the rain to shake hands this morning in Omaha.

Even though it was wet outside, the Septemberfest parade brought many in the metro to downtown Omaha and candidates running for office made sure to make their presence known. 

"I just try to work hard every day since I've been elected, mainly on the official side but my job is to serve this district and of course yeah we are in campaign season so I appreciate the support of the many unions," says Don Bacon (R), congressman, 2nd district. 

With midterm elections approaching, campaigns are kicking into high gear. Elected officials such as Governor Pete Ricketts and challengers like Senate candidate Jane Raybould both were at the parade. Raybould says she's been in campaign mode for quite a while.

"We have been quickening our pace, but we have been running at break-neck speed for about the last year because we knew that are job is a tough one so we've been reaching out to as many Nebraskans as we possibly can, so we've been zig-zagging across the state," Jane Raybould, US Senate candidate.

On the House of Representatives side, Rep. Don Bacon knows his race could be tight and says he's not taking re-election for granted. 

"I have no doubt I'll be working 14 hour days, six, seven days a week and my job is to meet as many people as I can, hear the feedback. You know we did three festivals yesterday as an example," says Bacon.

Both Raybould and Bacon used the holiday to gather support from organized labor, with both candidates marching alongside unions at the Labor Day parade.