{"id":51659,"date":"2026-08-21T10:37:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T15:37:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nebraskademocrats.org\/?page_id=51659"},"modified":"2026-08-21T20:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T01:09:16","slug":"2026-nelson-gala-award-winners","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nebraskademocrats.org\/vi\/2026-nelson-gala-award-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Nelson Gala Award Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2026 Ben Nelson Gala Awards<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Frank LaMere Hall of Fame Award<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Frank LaMere Hall of Fame Award, <\/b>Ryan Griffin<\/p>

Ryan was born in Ireland and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago, where he became a U.S. citizen. After working on President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, he moved to Nebraska in 2014 to work for Chuck Hassebrook for Governor and decided to make Nebraska his home, serving his local Scotts Bluff County Party. Ryan believes in the power of community organizing, which motivates him to champion our county parties across the state. Ryan currently serves as chair of the Scotts Bluff Democrats and the NDP Vice-Chair of County Parties.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng Ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecbch \u0110\u1ea3ng c\u1ee7a Nh\u00e0 n\u01b0\u1edbc<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0The State Party Chair Award,<\/span>\u00a0Cynthia “Thia” Hartley<\/div>
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\u00a0A lifelong commitment to fairness and public service has guided Thia Hartley’s work and volunteerism. While serving for 43 years with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, she also documented Nebraska’s political and civic life through photography, capturing testimony, protests, rallies, town halls, parades, and community events. She expanded that work to social media, using humor, honesty, and a little sass to encourage civic engagement and help people feel seen and heard. She believes every movement deserves a witness – and every important moment deserves a photograph.<\/div>
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\u00a0The State Party Chair Award,<\/span>\u00a0Karin Wagoner<\/div>
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\u00a0Karin Waggoner is a fierce Nebraska organizer and advocate devoted to holding lawmakers accountable, fighting injustice, and standing up for people too often shut out of power. Her tireless fight for justice is sustained by the friendship, courage, and solidarity of the brave Democrats who stand beside her. She loves Nebraska fiercely, believes democracy is worth fighting for, and is happiest when that fight ends with Democrats winning elections.<\/div>
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng v\u1ec1 l\u00f2ng d\u0169ng c\u1ea3m c\u1ee7a th\u01b0\u1ee3ng ngh\u1ecb s\u0129 bang Brad Ashford<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng D\u0169ng c\u1ea3m Th\u01b0\u1ee3ng ngh\u1ecb s\u0129 bang Brad Ashford,<\/span>\u00a0Senator Terrell McKinney<\/p>

Senator Terrell McKinney, a North Omaha native and father, represents District 11 in the Nebraska State Legislature, where he chairs the Urban Affairs Committee and serves on the Business & Labor and Judiciary Committees, as well as the Legislature’s Executive Board. A lifelong advocate for his community, he works as a community organizer, wrestling coach, and Land Justice Director for Bold Alliance, advancing environmental justice and economic opportunity. During his time in the legislature, Senator McKinney has passed historic economic recovery funding for North and South Omaha, established the first Innovation Hub program in the state, enacted policy to end hair discrimination in workplaces and schools, and championed reforms for the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. He has also advanced curriculum changes in financial literacy, computer science, and technology, and as chair of the Urban Affairs Committee, introduced housing policy to address the housing crisis and increase accountability for the Omaha Housing Authority.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng t\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng T\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr. CD1,<\/span>\u00a0Annie Salvatori<\/div>
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Annie was a fierce champion for transgender and LGBTQ+ communities, immigrant rights, and those whose voices too often go unheard. She believed deeply in the power of community and worked tirelessly to create spaces where people felt seen, valued, and supported. Her advocacy was rooted not only in priniple but in genuine care for people, and that care left a lasting mark on countless lives. Annie was co-chair of the Madison County Dems.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng T\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr. CD1,<\/span>\u00a0Jean Sanders<\/div>
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Jean Sanders is a writer, musician, and consultant in creativity. She was the author of “Notable Nebraskans,” a 1998 book containing biographies of twenty-five Nebraskans significant for their deeds and impact on the state’s history. She is a past member of the International Training in Communication, and has served on the Nebraska Library Commission. Jean is a longtime member of the Lancaster County Democratic Party, and serves as the editor of that County Party’s newsletter, always looking for people who would be interesting to her readers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng T\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr. CD2,<\/span>\u00a0Sarah Dragon<\/div>
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Sarah has dedicated the past 19 years to the field of education, serving as a first-grade teacher, program director, and school counselor. Beyond her professional work, she serves on the Nebraska State Education Association Board of Directors, as Treasurer of the NDP Latino Caucus, and in several other community leadership roles. She recognizes that she stands on the shoulders of the giants who came before her, and she credits her passion for serving others to her grandmother, whose lifelong commitment to the South Omaha community inspired her to follow in her footsteps.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng T\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr. CD2,<\/span>\u00a0Jacob Carmichael<\/div>
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Jacob Carmichael currently serves as CD2 Chair for the Nebraska Young Dems and sits on the State Central Committee. He started his political career on the Brad Ashford campaign in 2016 and has been politically involved since, earning a degree in linguistics and working in politics in NYC from 2017 to 2022. He’s passionate about addressing economic inequality, public transportation, court reform, and collaborating with our international partners to share effective progressive legislation and address our pressing global issues.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng T\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr. CD3,<\/span>\u00a0Heidi Smith<\/div>
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Heidi has volunteered on various boards and events throughout her life. When she got involved with the Medical Cannabis Ballot Campaign, she learned what true advocacy was. This led Heidi to connect with folks in southeast Nebraska by organizing protests, coordinating petition signing events, and working and planning events with Democrats from several counties. Heidi\u2019s goal is to be visible so that liberal neighbors in conservative counties do not feel alone. She is proud to live her life with advocates who inspire her to \u201cjust show up\u201d and \u201chelp as many people as you can, as much as you can, for as long as you can.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng T\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean Preston Love Jr. CD3,<\/span>\u00a0Thomas Kielian

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Thomas Kielian has been many things in his life. He farmed for 7 years in Colorado. He also drove a semi, was a farmhand, and hauled crude oil until 2014. Tom is currently the chair of Kimball County Democrats, stepping up when no one else would. He works hand in hand with the western Nebraska Democrats, especially the Scotts Bluff Dems. Tom is also a part of the rural council leadership team and is involved in Platform and Resolution. In the short time that Tom has been active, he has gotten involved in everything he can to better his community. He is a powerful voice and advocate for rural communities and agriculture!<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng t\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean c\u1ee7a \u0110\u1ea3ng h\u1ea1t Schimek Quirk<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng t\u00ecnh nguy\u1ec7n vi\u00ean c\u1ee7a \u0110\u1ea3ng h\u1ea1t Schimek Quirk,<\/span>\u00a0Sarpy County Chair Leah Kuester<\/p>

Leah has served as Chair of the Sarpy County Democrats for more than two years. She is passionate about empowering grassroots volunteers and building strong community connections. Through her leadership, Leah works to help elect Democrats at every level of the ballot in Sarpy County.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Anne Boyle Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng \u0111\u1ea3ng vi\u00ean D\u00e2n ch\u1ee7 tr\u1ebb tu\u1ed5i<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Anne Boyle Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng \u0111\u1ea3ng vi\u00ean D\u00e2n ch\u1ee7 tr\u1ebb tu\u1ed5i,<\/span>\u00a0Cale Johnson<\/div>
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Cale Johnson is a 21-year-old Democrat who has been actively involved with the Democratic Party and our candidates for more than six years. Since moving to Omaha from Kearney in 2024, he has worked to advance Democratic values and support Democratic candidates across Nebraska’s Blue Dot and beyond. Through organizing volunteers, mobilizing young voters, and strengthening Democratic organizations, Johnson has become a dedicated advocate for civic engagement. He currently serves as Vice President of the Nebraska Young Democrats and President of the Maverick Young Democrats.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng \u0110\u1ed9i tr\u01b0\u1edfng Kh\u1ed1i Mike Fahey<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gi\u1ea3i th\u01b0\u1edfng \u0110\u1ed9i tr\u01b0\u1edfng Kh\u1ed1i Mike Fahey,<\/span>\u00a0Christine Clerc<\/p>

Christine Clerc is a trained Physician Assistant, mother of two, and dedicated volunteer for her local school, the Nebraska PTA, and the Nebraska Democratic Party. She believes in the power of government to serve and answer to its citizens. She is hopeful that promoting Democratic values will improve the lives of everyday people and lead to a better future for all.<\/div>
\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2026 Ben Nelson Gala Awards Frank LaMere Hall of Fame Award Frank LaMere Hall of Fame Award, Ryan Griffin Ryan was born in Ireland and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago, where he became a U.S. citizen. 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