The Story:
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party, the wing that for two years now has been largely associated with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I), won an unexpected victory on Tuesday, May 15, when Kara Eastman won a party primary in Nebraska, becoming the Democratic candidate to represent that state’s 2nd Congressional District.
The Particulars:
Eastman, founder of the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance, ran on “Medicare for All,” which is the latest catchphrase for single-payer health care.
Her opponent, former Congressman Brad Ashford, had the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and has generally been considered a moderate on the national scene, in health care as in other matters.
The Thing to Know:
Eastman now faces Republican incumbent Don Bacon in the fall campaign. On health care, Bacon favors the repeal of Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. Republicans on the one hand and the Medicare-for-all advocates within the Democratic Party on the other hand that Obamacare is unacceptable, although they hold it to be so for mutually exclusive sets of reasons.
