Maybe this time the voters will like him?

Congressman Hal Daub challenged sitting U.S. Senator David Karnes in the Republican Primary in 1988. Karnes, who was appointed by unpopular governor Kay Orr after the death of Ed Zorinsky, won the nomination and then proceeded to get thrashed by - who else? - former Governor Bob Kerrey in the general election.

In 1990, Daub was back at it, challenging popular Democratic Senator Jim Exon, losing that election as well.

After a brief time away from the spotlight, he returned when Omaha Mayor P.J. Morgan decided he didn’t want to be mayor of Omaha anymore. Daub won the special election against Brenda Council in 1994, by a slim margin. In 1997, the margin was even slimmer, one of the closest elections in city history, as Daub defeated Council by a few hundred votes.

By 2001, though, Daub’s personality had grated the citizens of Omaha to the point where they not only threw him out - they took half the city council with him. It was another close election, Democrat Mike Fahey won by another slim margin, but the change in attitude at city hall was apparent. The era of divisiveness in Omaha was over. And as 2005’s election confirmed, Omaha responded to Mike Fahey.

Daub is asking the voters of Nebraska to give him another chance. He has yet to prove his worth of the first chance, and the voters of Nebraska roundly rejected him twice, already. Perhaps the third time is the charm for Daub? I’ve learned to never count out the willingness of Nebraska Republicans to nominate an unsuitable candidate for office, but a mayor of Omaha who even Omahans don’t like?