Macey Budke has been a resident of Nebraska’s 3rd District since she was 3 months old.
Her decision to run for the 3rd District’s House seat, however, is much more recent. She announced in mid-February, and said the decision is due to feeling unrepresented by the status quo, despite her lifelong residency.
“After a while you realize that if you really want to see things change, you’ve got to step up yourself and take a crack at it, see where it goes,” she told Nebraska Public Media.
The North Platte resident said the voters she’s talked to are tired of a lack of transparency in Washington and feeling left out of conversations that directly affect them.
“People want straight answers to things, and they want to understand why a vote was cast and not just receive some party talking point,” she said.
Budke is taking on Smith as the second Independent in the race because she wants to represent the district as a person, not a party.
“As an Independent, I can look at issues clearly and ask myself one simple question: is this going to work for District 3?” she said.
Though running against him, Budke agrees with Representative Smith’s support of year-round E15 access, saying that it benefits the district’s farmers. However, she said, he hasn’t done enough when it comes to health care.
“We have multiple health care deserts, maternity deserts, and a lot of clinics and hospitals that are working on very thin margins right now,” she said.
Health care is Budke’s specialty; she holds a graduate degree in organizational psychology and health care administration and currently works in private psychiatry.
She said that if policy trends continue in Washington, the district’s health care situation could deteriorate further.
“My concern is the yearly reduction in Medicaid funding from the federal government. Rural hospitals rely on those dollars to remain operational.”
She also believes that ongoing tariffs and trade disputes are adversely affecting the district’s farmers.
“I know that there can be some use and purpose for them, but our ag producers have definitely felt it,” she said. “Exports are tightening, inputs are climbing and that puts a lot of stress on our farmers.”
Fundamentally, though, Budke thinks that just being present in the district could go a long way to addressing ongoing concerns, something she feels isn’t happening.
“I feel that it is absolutely critical to be present in communities,” she said. “Congress has a lot of recesses, and representatives spend a lot of time at home. Being able to listen to your constituents is a big part of leadership. You need to be listening to what people are telling you.”
