Convicted murderer endorses Republican

Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) needs all the support he can as he battles for his House seat, but his latest endorsement from a convicted murderer might not be the bump he’s looking for.

{mosads}Earlier this month, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) aired an ad alleging that state Sen. Brad Ashford failed to strengthen criminal sentencing laws after Nikko Jenkins left prison early and killed four people. In a bizarre twist, Jenkins praised Terry during a court appearance Wednesday.

“Vote Lee Terry guys, greatest Republican ever,” Jenkins shouted, according to Nebraska’s KMTV. “He’s a great guy.” 

Ashford’s campaign, along with former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, condemned the ad, but the NRCC stuck by it. The Terry campaign won’t specifically use Jenkins by name, but it has also launched more general ads hitting Ashford on the issue.

In response, Ashford has aggressively fundraised on the slew of negative ads, and his campaign manager told The Hill last week that the campaign raised more than $20,000 in the week after the ad launched.