Independent-minded Jenkins makes campaign stop in Sidney

The only Independent currently running for a Nebraska seat in the U.S. Senate race thinks the two party system is hobbled by partisanship.

Jim Jenkins is a 5th generation Nebraska rancher who believes he can better relate to Nebraskans than anyone running for either major party.

"I've had the great opportunity to work from one end of the state to the other," said Jenkins, who stopped in Sidney on a campaign swing Tuesday.

Jenkins served on various statewide organizations including the Nebraska Ethanol Board. He was elected the president of the Nebraska Restaurant Association in 2004.

"I've done work in the wind development arena as well for a number of years," Jenkins said. "So I have a fairly diverse perspective, I think I probably understand Nebraska as well as any candidate in the race, I would hope so given all the things I've done."

Jenkins lives on a ranch in Callaway that's been in his family since 1876. Although Jenkins grew up in Nebraska, he spent 20 years outside the state, living in Boston, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio while working in business. He moved back to Nebraska to raise his family.

Jenkins was involved in the restaurant business in the past, opening many steakhouses and barbeque restaurants across the state, including Whiskey Creek Steakhouse.

In the past Jenkins was a registered Democrat, but the candidate claims he's always been independent-minded, voting for both Republicans and Democrats depending on who he believed was the better candidate.

"Several years ago, as I looked at the party system, I became very disillusioned with all the fighting," Jenkins said. "It seemed that the power of the parties had now evolved to a point where they spend most of the time fighting one another, posturing and are really not focused on what we elected them to do, which is to govern."

The parties refuse to make permanent decisions concerning any of the major issues facing this country, including the Farm Bill, tax reform, immigration reform and fixing the debt, he added.

Neither party is showing any leadership and the country's debt continues to accumulate, Jenkins said.

"They've kicked the can down the road another three months while the rest of us are out here busting our butts trying to start businesses and go to work every day," Jenkins said.

Both parties will have to make sacrifices to remedy the nation's debt crisis, in Jenkins' opinion.

"What I support is a comprehensive, everything on the table plan for looking at our debt," Jenkins said. "If you're not looking at everything, then I don't think we have any hope."

Congress needs to reform both entitlements and military spending, he added.

Democrats and Republicans should take responsibility for their actions, in Jenkins' opinion.

"It's both parties," Jenkins said. "They are, in my mind, equally complicit in engaging in this poor behavior."

Jenkins thinks that most Nebraskans and Americans lie somewhere in middle of the political spectrum, which isn't represented by the hard right or hard left politicians in Congress. The only way for Jenkins to represent his centrist beliefs was to run as an Independent so he wasn't beholden to the partisan interests that tie down both main parties.

In his mind, the citizens should be able to vote for whoever they think is the best candidate, regardless of party.

"We ought to all be able to participate in the primaries," he said.

Because he's an Independent, Jenkins must obtain 4,000 signatures in order to be included on the primary ballot. He believes this requirement is undemocratic.

"Basically I'm treated like a second class citizen," Jenkins said.

If more independents were elected to congress, they could change the way congress works, Jenkins thinks.

"My candidacy is a threat to the status quo which does absolutely not work," Jenkins said.

Funding is a major challenge Jenkins faces as an Independent. The majority of funding for Democrats and Republicans running for Congress in this state will come from PACs stationed outside the state, Jenkins commented. This money will come from those on the east and west coasts who don't care about Nebraska issues or the people here. These large, partisan PACs attempt to buy congressional seats, he added. Jenkins doesn't think there are any moderate groups out there with the same level of funding.

"The amount of money coming against me is going to be horrific," Jenkins said.

Congressional dysfunction is one of the biggest concerns for Nebraskans, Jenkins thinks. Other worries are a burdensome tax code and maintaining infrastructure. This state relies heavily on good roads and bridges as well as public schools and Nebraska Public Power, Jenkins said. When resources are squandered in other areas, the country doesn't have as much money to spend on these basics.

As a former businessman who worked with both wind energy and ethanol businesses, Jenkins is a proponent of renewable energy.

"Energy is critical to our economy," Jenkins said. "So I'm really an all of the above kind of guy. What we really need is a diverse portfolio."

He believes the country as a whole needs to work toward energy independence.

Although Jenkins describes himself as pro-life, he is not focused on social issues.

"In general I think social issues are often used to drive us apart," he said. "I'm not going to be prioritizing social issues in my campaign."

Jenkins thinks it's unfortunate that the border remains unsecured and that there are so many undocumented workers in the country, but he doesn't think there's a clear solution without clearing a pathway for citizenship.

As an Independent, Jenkins could choose to caucus with either of the major parties, but said he will not.

"I've decided that because I'm running as an independent and I wanna run as a true independent I've decided not to caucus with either party," Jenkins said.

If Jenkins wins the Nebraska seat he promises to advocate for a fairer rules structure in the Senate in which the minority party won't so often be locked out of the legislative process.