Asked about those reports, Flood said: "No comment."

Flood, a former Speaker of the Legislature, returned to the Legislature in 2021 after being term-limited out of office upon completing two consecutive terms in 2013. He was speaker for six years beginning in 2007.

Although the timing may not have been connected to reports circulating about the polling that may be underway, Fortenberry announced his candidacy for reelection in a YouTube video message Monday. 

Fortenberry is currently under indictment in Los Angeles for allegedly misleading federal authorities who were investigating illegal foreign contributions to his reelection campaign in 2016.

The Lincoln congressman was first elected to eastern Nebraska's 1st District House seat in 2004. 

Flood, a Norfolk attorney, owns and operates a network of radio and television stations that combine into a statewide media network called "News Channel Nebraska."

Meanwhile, Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, a Democratic candidate for the House seat, announced that she raised $209,777 from 954 donors in the last six weeks of the final 2021 quarter after entering the race Nov. 15.

"People are clearly eager to invest in this movement to grow our economy, support our communities, increase access to health care, build and expand our infrastructure and recruit and retain a workforce for the future," she said.

"It's time to get beyond the partisanship and divisions and actually listen to the people."

Pansing Brooks, who is completing her second term in the nonpartisan Legislature and will be term-limited out of office at the end of the year, said she believes that "it's time to get beyond the partisanship and divisions and actually listen to the people."