Thireena Yuki Connely

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Thireena Yuki Connely

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Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 10, 2022

Personal

Religion

Protestant

Profession

Author, curriculum developer

Contact

Campaign website

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Personal website

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Thireena Yuki Connely (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Nebraska's 1st Congressional District. She lost in the Republican primary on May 10, 2022.

Yuki Connely completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Thireena Yuki Connely was born in Karatsu, Japan. Her career experience includes working as an author and in curriculum development.

Elections

2022

See also: Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Incumbent Mike Flood defeated Patty Pansing Brooks in the general election for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Flood (R)	57.9	129,236
		Patty Pansing Brooks (D)	42.1	93,929

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 223,165
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Patty Pansing Brooks defeated Jazari Kual Zakaria in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patty Pansing Brooks	86.5	31,808
		Jazari Kual Zakaria	13.5	4,944

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,752
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Incumbent Mike Flood defeated Jeffrey Fortenberry (Unofficially withdrew), John Glen Weaver, Thireena Yuki Connely, and Curtis Huffman in the Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Flood	73.9	61,265
		Jeffrey Fortenberry (Unofficially withdrew)	11.8	9,807
		John Glen Weaver	6.6	5,470
	Submit photo	Thireena Yuki Connely	4.0	3,353
		Curtis Huffman	3.7	3,062

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 82,957
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Thireena Yuki Connely completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Yuki Connely's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a homeschool mother and a writer. I was born to a Nebraskan marine and a Japanese teacher. I write school curricula and am also a published author. Throughout the week, I teach dance, gymnastics, and group fitness. As a patriot and a Constitutionalist, I want America to get back on track to what the founding fathers had envisioned for us.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I want to get American spending in check
• Our children deserve education, not indoctrination
• We need to ensure that our rights won't be chipped away

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

First and Second Amendment rights, fiscal policy, education, government overreach, immigratioin

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I have always looked up to Ted Cruz and Rand Paul since I was young. I see them standing up for our freedoms and the common people which is something that we need in government. I have also been following Ron DeSantis and applaud him on his recent bills even with backlash and harsh critisism.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Arguing with Idiots - Glenn Beck

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think values are the most powerful of all. Someone who has specific values should always stick to what they think is right, even in the face of strong opinions. I also would want transparency. I know that things may require a security clearance, but the people always deserve to easily obtain any information that is pertinent to them.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a strong opinion and if you talk to me one on one, you'll see that I won't water it down. I'll always stand for what I believe in.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To fight for the people. Without a fight, the government would soon overrun the country.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would love to see the country get back to faith, freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I would want to be the one known to offend and step on people's toes to get that done.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the buzz around the Unabomber, but I would say that the first major event that really shook me was 9/11. I started becoming more aware of the world and politics after that event.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked in the accounting department of my high school when I was fourteen. I worked there for three years while I was attending school.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Alice in Wonderland is a classic I always wander back to. The way that L. Frank Baum can convey Alice's thought process is incredible.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For obvious reasons.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Uh-Oh - (G)I-DLE

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Compromises, although I would see it as a strength in Congress.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The US House of Representatives is unique in the fact that it's chosen by district. People in the same district or area tend to think similarly so it is easier to represent the people you are familiar with.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes and No to an extent. I know I'm not a strong candidate in the fact that I don't have years of experience under my belt, but I also think that it's better in a sense that you aren't getting too comfortable or complacent because you are going with the flow.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

I think that we are in a state where we are fiscally irresponsible and we won't be able to bounce back from it. I also think that many policies are for only appeasing some people while negatively impacting our future. Without our economy stabilized, more things in our society will collapse.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Agriculture, Education and Labor, Budget, Ethics, Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Veterans Affairs, Foreign Affairs

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I believe that it may be too short for my liking only because I see a lot of campaigning for more than half a year before their term is over. Instead of campaigning for re-election, I would rather see Congress working for the people.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I am on the fence about term limits. I do think that we don't need more career politicians but I also am a strong supporter of some politicians who continue to do good when it comes to government policies. I do think that the people have more power than they think and they could easily vote someone out.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I was always impressed by the frankness and logic of Ted Gowdy and would want to follow in his footsteps. I also would like to compare myself with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I think the most impactful story I have heard is actually one of the reasons that pushed me towards running. I was talking to a man during our state fair and he was telling the GOP booth about when he went to fill up with gas at a station he frequents, but this time a couple of miles down the road, his truck broke down. It turns out that the gasoline was tainted with water. Even though he has proof that he bought the gasoline there, his hands were tied because apparently there is no specific regulation on the ratio of gasoline. I was thinking that it was crazy to even think that situations like this would even arise.

Tell us your favorite joke.

What do you call a cow with no legs?
Ground Beef

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I am not a strong advocate in comprising, especially depending on the situation. I think that every decision should be for the good of the people but compromises can ruin reasonable effort. When it comes to compromising, I see the atrocities being passed in omnibus bills and wish that it wouldn't be an all-or-nothing situation. Unfortunately, there may be two polar opposites, and comprise doesn't always happen in the middle

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

As an average citizen, I know what it's like to have tax burdens. First, I would focus on less spending because that's where the need for funds originates. After that is lowered, it would benefit Americans by lowing the amount that the government needs to tax.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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U.S. House Nebraska District 1

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Footnotes

[show]

Nebraska's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Deb Fischer (R)

Pete Ricketts (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mike Flood (R)

District 2

Don Bacon (R)

District 3

Adrian Smith (R)

Republican Party (5)