Black Lives Matter activist Morgann Freeman has become the third Democrat to declare her candidacy to unseat Republican Rep. Don Bacon in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

The seat has been under Republican control for 18 of the past 20 years, and with the growing backlash of the party's control of the seat, Democrats are more confident in their ability to win.

Freeman, whose LinkedIn page says she formerly worked at Nebraska Appleseed and United Way of the Midlands, describes herself as a freelance communications consultant. Freeman is also credited with organizing a 2016 Black Lives Matter rally in Omaha.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, she has cited health care, flood repair and “never-ending war” as her top issues. She issued a statement to the paper regarding her candidacy, in which she explained the reasoning behind her announcement.

“I’m running because I believe we deserve representation that truly serves everyone in the district, and that we should put the power of governance back into the voters’ hands,” she said in the statement. “I’m different because I’m not a career politician — I believe in fairness and humility and integrity in public service.”

She is set to face Ann Ferlic Ashford, an attorney and wife to former Rep. Brad Ashford, and Kara Eastman, a former nonprofit executive, in the primary. Eastman won the nomination in 2018 after she won the primary election over Brad Ashford, the Democrat who held the seat from 2015 to 2017.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb told the Ohama World-Herald that she expects to see more people enter the congressional race.

Morgann-Freeman

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