this republican leads a furious fight

To respond to the Democratic “bue dots” who invaded the lawns of her city of Omaha, Republican Theresa Thibodeau found an equally graphic way to intimidate them. A huge red state of Nebraska, on a white background, to remind them that they “don’t exist”. We met her.

marine brunner, omaha (nebraska)

It was in a brown office lit by neon lights and with shabby carpet, lost in a building where a lawyer’s office, a land register and a real estate agency coexist, that Theresa Thibodeau arranged to meet us.

A tornado in a beige trench coat and blonde hair soon appears at the end of the corridor. Quick and energetic approach, coffee in hand. As if to make up for the time that is flying, a few hours before the end of the electoral campaign. The president of “Red State Nebraska” arrives right on time. Which doesn’t stop him from apologizing for his lateness.

The colorful battle

Proof that time is running out, Theresa Thibodeau is not offering us a seat somewhere at the table, between the boxes of leaflets and the rows of electoral signs.

This office, located in an industrial area of ​​the city of Omaha, Nebraska, Theresa Thibodeau has occupied it since July. More precisely, since the creation of “Red State Nebraska”, a committee founded with two other Republican colleagues. Their goal? Mobilize voters and ensure that their state retains the bright red hue that characterizes it. “This committee arrived at the right time, since it was more or less born when we saw the first blue dots appear in Omaha,” begins Theresa Thibodeau.

The blue dots. A rallying sign for the Democrats in this district and a sign of support for Kamala Harris. Thousands of signs displaying the “blue dot”, a blue circle on a white background, are now planted on the city’s lawns.

To respond to them and let them know that they don’t scare her, Theresa Thibodeau came up with an equally graphic response: the Nebraska red, on white background. “A simple motive, a simple message,” she sums up. To signify that Nebraska is, and will continue to be, a Republican state.”

A personal creation, of which this 49-year-old mother is not a little proud, even if she had to remove her own panel from her garden. The fault is the very scrupulous neighborhood regulations of his neighborhood, a clean residential area where houses cost around a million dollars and where the lawn must not exceed a millimeter.

So this summer his committee ordered 500 copies of “Red State Nebraska.” Then 500 more. And another 500. Nearly 3,000 were distributed in total. “And then, finally, we abandoned the idea of ​​the panels,” specifies the president of the committee. We preferred to use these funds in other, more concrete strategies to reach voters, such as sending SMS messages and going door to door.”

On the lawns of the Dundee neighborhood of Omaha, the “Red State” signs compete as best they can with the “Blue Dots”. watson

Which explains why the blue dots give the impression of overwhelmingly dominating the gardens of Omaha, a few hours before the election. Theresa Thibodeau assures that she doesn’t even see them anymore. “It doesn’t really bother me,” she swears. It kind of makes me roll my eyes. But it’s an excellent thing that people are mobilizing and wanting to make their voices heard.”

In 2020, Joe Biden won this district with a narrow majority of less than 23,000 votes. The goal of Theresa Thibodeau and her comrades is to prevent candidate Kamala Harris from repeating this feat this year. “Red will come back,” swears the former state senator from Omaha. Although she barely mentions Donald Trump’s name during our meeting, this lifelong Republican says she is convinced that the former president will “fare better than in 2020” and win the Omaha area’s 2nd District again.

The race for the White House is not the only one to be contested in the region. The election is also being played out at the House of Representatives level, where Republican candidate Don Bacon is leading a tight race against his Democratic opponent, Tony Vargas. As well as in the Senate, where the seat is between Dan Osborn, a union leader and independent candidate, and Republican Senator Deb Fischer.

Rep. Don Bacon’s seat is under threat from his Democratic opponent, Tony Vargas.watson

A family story

With these words, Theresa Thibodeau is interrupted by the ringing of her phone. “Sorry, I have to take this call… Hi dad!”

A long-time politician and self-confessed hyperactive, Theresa Thibodeau has been leading a fierce campaign for months to reclaim Nebraska’s 2nd District from the Democrats.watson

For the Sandersons – her maiden name – politics is a family affair. His father is also very involved in this campaign. “I started getting involved about 30 years ago, when my sister ran for Omaha City Council. Since then, it has never left me,” explains the one who failed in the primaries, in 2022, for the post of governor of Nebraska.

A passion shared by his three children? “Indeed, we talk a lot about politics at home. My eldest daughter is the most interested, obviously, since she is studying to become a diplomat, smiles Theresa Thibodeau with a burst of pride. My youngest daughter, 16, also asks a lot of questions. As for my youngest son, who is 19 years old, he helped me distribute leaflets and ring doorbells.

After weeks of bombarding potential voters with text messages and emails, hanging small red plastic bags in front of thousands of doors and handing out Republican campaign brochures, the former cross-country champion is preparing to start the final sprint. “There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that voters, with a low propensity to vote, will go to the polls,” she asserts.

Don’t let Theresa Thibodeau worry. If the yard signs are any indicator, the turnout in Omaha is shaping up to be nothing short of huge. All that remains is to know what color the tidal wave will be.