NORFOLK, Neb. (KMTV) — Rep. Mike Flood held his first town hall of 2026 Tuesday night in his hometown of Norfolk, drawing a crowd of voters with strong opinions on both sides.
Some attendees cheered and applauded Flood's responses to written and in-person questions, while others returned to their seats visibly unhappy.
Neighbors asked questions about topics including affordability, medical marijuana, the war in Iran, and the DOJ's anti-weaponization fund and more.
Kim Stabbe of Fremont asked the first question of the night, focused on the Epstein files.
"Why do you continue to protect the pedophiles and Trump's DOJ as they continue to break the law," Stabbe asked.
Before the event, I spoke with Stabbe about what she hoped to address – asking which question in her printed notes she was most eager to ask.
"Oh honey, they're all number one," Stabbe said.
The town hall comes as voters are focused on key issues heading into the midterm election season. One thing that Stabbe and another neighbor told me before the meeting was despite differences, they appreciated Flood holding an in person opportunity to hear from constituents.
I also spoke with Flood and his opponent who recently won the democratic primary, Chris Backemeyer, about what they are expecting in the race for Nebraska's 1st Congressional District.
Backemeyer pointed to economic concerns as a driving force among voters.
"I've heard lots of concerns about things a lot of it comes down to affordability a lot of people are frustrated at the high prices that are driven by the tariffs they are frustrated at the high gas prices that are driven by the war in Iran," Backemeyer said.
Flood expressed confidence that ongoing diplomatic efforts could bring relief to voters.
"Once we do get the strait opened I think it's going to be a month or two before we're able to get the traffic in there to bring down the prices that people in this room care about so much but I think we're in the right direction," Flood said.
Flood was referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's discussions with Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Flood also said he hopes other members of Congress will vote to replenish munitions to help end the war.
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