OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford reversed course Thursday and announced that he won't run as a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate, just days after Nebraska Democrats endorsed him to try to thwart the candidacy of their scandal-plagued nominee.

Ashford said in a statement that he doesn't have the “time or resources to run such a campaign" for the Senate seat.

He said he also felt that running would be disrespectful to Alisha Shelton, an Omaha mental health practitioner who stepped up to run after the Nebraska Democratic Party disavowed its nominee, Chris Janicek.

Shelton was defeated in the party's May primary, and Nebraska's “sore loser” rule prevents her from running as a write-in candidate while Janicek remains on the ballot. She would only qualify if Janicek surrenders the nomination by a Tuesday filing deadline, and that isn't likely to happen. Under state law, the party can't remove Janicek from the ballot.

Ashford is eligible because he wasn't a primary candidate.

Janicek, an Omaha cupcake bakery owner, has repeatedly refused to withdraw from the race despite intense pressure from the state party. Party officials pulled their support and publicly condemned him after a female campaign employee revealed that Janicek had sent sexually offensive messages about her in a group text.

Janicek is making a long-shot attempt to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse. Even before the text message upset, Janicek wasn't likely to win in GOP-dominated Nebraska.

Ashford, a former state lawmaker, served in the U.S. House from 2015 to 2017 as a Democrat. He lost the 2nd Congressional District seat to U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican.

Ashford has changed his party affiliation several times over the years, identifying himself at times as a Republican and an independent. His wife, Ann Ashford, ran unsuccessfully this year for the Democratic nomination in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.

In a statement, Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb noted that party officials confronted Janicek about his behavior as soon as it came to their attention and are trying to get him out of the race.

“We don't put our head in the sand like Ben Sasse and Don Bacon do when it comes to inappropriate behavior of a candidate,” said Kleeb, who has previously decried state Republicans for not criticizing President Donald Trump’s inflammatory comments. “We take destructive behavior head on and continue to work hard to end the one-party rule in our state.”

Ashford's announcement comes as the party struggles to gain traction in Nebraska and attract more voters to try to offset the GOP's enormous registration advantage. Nebraska Republicans have made fun of the party, calling the Janicek scandal a “dumpster fire."

In a statement Tuesday after Nebraska Democrats announced their endorsement of Ashford, Sasse campaign spokeswoman Taylor Silva referred to the party as a “clown car” and said Sasse was looking forward to a scheduled debate with Janicek on Sept. 4.

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