Alisha Shelton Lost Her Senate Race to a Misogynistic Sore Loser. Here’s What’s Next.
Her opponent refused to give up his seat even though his sexually inappropriate messages came to light
More than 25 years after relocating from New York City to Nebraska, Alisha Shelton stepped into politics for the first time, vying for a U.S. Senate seat to represent the Cornhusker State. After ending up in third place in the Democratic primary — her opponent, Chris Janicek, secured the nomination with 30.7% of the vote compared to Shelton’s 22.7% — she was prepared to move on from the race.
But then in June, the public learned about a text Janicek had sent to a group, including a female staffer. Janicek wrote that they needed to “get her laid” and implied that multiple men could get paid for having group sex with her, referencing the staffer, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Janicek called the text a “terrible mistake.” The Democratic Party asked him to drop out, said the message was “sexually inappropriate,” and officially backed Shelton for the nomination. Janicek had until September 1 to step down. Ultimately, he refused, telling voters, “If you won’t or can’t forgive me, then don’t vote for me.”
