I’d be willing to bet that if you asked the people of Nebraska what the most important political race in the state will be in November, most would say the race for governor, or possibly senator or congressman.

Those people would be wrong.

The most important race this November is for the Secretary of State.

Because if the wrong person gets elected to hold that post in November, it could jeopardize every other election in the future.

Donald Trump and the MAGA crowd seem to think that unless Trump or one of his endorsees wins, it’s a rigged election.

The Republican nominee for Secretary of State is one of those election deniers, even though he, like all the others, has not been able to show any proof.

Shortly after President Trump was first elected in 2016, he authorized a commission headed up by Kansas Republican Kris Kobach to investigate voter fraud. They were on a wild goose chase to find millions of invalid votes cast by people in the country illegally.

That search turned up nothing. Just like every other investigation, Trump and the Republicans have set up since then.

Scott Petersen is the Republican nominee for Secretary of State. He handedly defeated incumbent Bob Evnen. If the elections are as rigged as Petersen and others fear, Evnen did a piss poor job of rigging his own.

And I fear the Democrats don’t have a strong candidate to oppose Petersen. I’m sure Sarah Slattery is a very nice woman, and her heart is in the right place. But her resume doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in her ability to do the job. At least the important part of the job, overseeing elections.

So where does that leave us? Are we resigned to having an election denier in charge of our ballots? Will the Republican candidate win this race by default? I certainly hope not.

Enter Bob Krist. Bob Krist is a former Republican state senator who switched parties in 2024 to be the Democrat’s candidate for governor. Mr. Krist is currently registered as an independent and is considering a run for office. One of the positions he’s considering is Secretary of State.

I certainly hope he decides to run for that office. Krist has strong experience in state government and much better name recognition than Sarah Slattery. His Republican past can help bring in the 45% of traditional Republican primary voters who voted for Evnen. Plus, his short-lived connections to the Democratic Party in this state could generate some support from that party. He will also get the votes from a third of the state who are registered as Independents, who didn’t have a say in the primary election.

When it comes to elections, we need to continue to do what we’ve been doing all along. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” Of course, when he said that, he was referring to the Russians and nuclear disarmament. But the same policy applies to elections.

One of my biggest complaints about the Trump years and the MAGA voters is the distrust they’ve put in the foundations of our democracy, like our elections. In Nebraska, and I assume most other states, the governor appoints each county's election commissioner. The other party chooses someone to be the assistant commissioner. There are numerous eyes and ears on every aspect of the procedure.

I volunteered to work the election during the primary. I can tell you from my first-hand experience that there are plenty of checks and balances in place, and the workers take their responsibilities very seriously.

We need a Secretary of State who will take those checks and balances very seriously. A Secretary of State who will certify the results, even when and especially when his side loses.

I don’t believe Scott Petersen is that guy.

Maybe Sarah Slattery can raise enough money to put on a campaign to convince enough people to vote for her. Maybe Bob Krist or someone else will step up to the plate and run a successful campaign for that job.

I just fear that if Scott Petersen gets elected, we may see a major disruption in how our elections are handled, and it won’t be for the better.

And that’s why I believe the race for Secretary of State may be the most important one Nebraskans will face this November.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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