2016 Nebraska Legislature election

Last updated

2016 Nebraska Legislature election
Flag of Nebraska.svg
← 2014
November 8, 2016
Officially nonpartisan
2018  →
25 out of 49 seats in the Nebraska Legislature
25 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  3x4.svg 3x4.svg Ernie Chambers - Nebraska Senator for District 11.jpg
Leader Galen Hadley
(term-limited)		None Ernie Chambers
(de facto)
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Leader sinceJanuary 7, 2015January 9, 2013
Leader's seatDistrict 37District 11
Last election35131
Seats after31161
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 4Increase2.svg 3Steady2.svg
 Fourth party
  Laura Ebke by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Leader Laura Ebke
(de facto)
Party Libertarian
Leader sinceJanuary 7, 2015
Leader's seatDistrict 32
Last election0
Seats after1 [a]
Seat changeSteady2.svg
Speaker before election

Galen Hadley
Republican

Elected Speaker

Jim Scheer
Republican

The 2016 Nebraska Legislature election was held on November 8, 2016, to determine which party would control the Nebraska Legislature for the following two years in the 105th Nebraska legislature. The 25 odd-numbered seats out of 49 seats in the Nebraska Legislature were up for election and the primary was held on May 10, 2016. Prior to the election, 35 seats were held by Republicans, 13 seats were held by Democrats and 1 seat was held by an Independent. The general election saw Democrats gaining 3 seats, this however meant that Republicans maintained their majority in the State Legislature. [1] [2]

Contents

Retirements

Democrats

  1. District 5: Heath Mello was term-limited.
  2. District 13: Tanya Cook was term-limited.
  3. District 21: Ken Haar was term-limited.
  4. District 41: Kate Sullivan was term-limited.

Republicans

  1. District 17: Dave Bloomfield was term-limited.
  2. District 25: Kathy Campbell was term-limited.
  3. District 27: Colby Coash was term-limited.
  4. District 35: Mike Gloor was term-limited.
  5. District 37: Galen Hadley was term-limited.
  6. District 39: Beau McCoy was term-limited.
  7. District 47: Ken Schilz was term-limited.

Defeated incumbents

In primary

Republicans

  1. District 7: Nicole Fox lost the primary to Democrats Tony Vargas and John Synowiecki.

In general

Republicans

  1. District 3: Tommy Garrett lost re-election to Democrat Carol Blood.
  2. District 15: David Schnoor lost re-election to Democrat Lynne Walz.
  3. District 23: Jerry Johnson lost re-election to fellow Republican Bruce Bostelman.
  4. District 33: Les Seiler lost re-election to fellow Republican Steve Halloran.
  5. District 43: Al Davis lost re-election to fellow Republican Tom Brewer.

Closest races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. District 35, 0.66% (gain)
  2. District 13, 2.32%
  3. District 15, 2.78% (gain)
  4. District 3, 3.12% (gain)
  5. District 31, 4.14%
  6. District 43, 4.52%
  7. District 37, 6.52%
  8. District 39, 9.74%

Results [b]

District 1

District 1 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dan Watermeier (incumbent) 13,916 100.0%
Total votes13,916 100.0%
Republican hold

District 3

District 3 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Carol Blood 7,959 51.56%
Republican Tommy Garrett (incumbent)7,47648.44%
Total votes15,435 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 5

District 5 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mike McDonnell 7,120 70.16%
Republican Gilbert Ayala3,02829.84%
Total votes10,148 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 7

District 7 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Tony Vargas 5,244 61.75%
Democratic John Synowiecki 3,24838.25%
Total votes8,492 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 9

District 9 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Sara Howard (incumbent) 10,552 79.19%
Nonpartisan Larry Roland2,77320.81%
Total votes13,325 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 11

District 11 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Ernie Chambers (incumbent) 7,763 81.81%
Nonpartisan John Sciara1,72618.19%
Total votes9,489 100.0%
Independent hold

District 13

District 13 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Justin Wayne 6,920 51.16%
Nonpartisan Jill Brown6,60548.84%
Total votes13,525 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 15

District 15 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Lynne Walz 7,601 51.39%
Republican David Schnoor (incumbent)7,18948.61%
Total votes14,790 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 17

District 17 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Joni Albrecht 6,825 60.53%
Nonpartisan Ardel Bengtson4,45139.47%
Total votes11,276 100.0%
Republican hold

District 19

District 19 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jim Scheer (incumbent) 12,908 100.0%
Total votes12,908 100.0%
Republican hold

District 21

District 21 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mike Hilgers 8,588 56.67%
Nonpartisan Larry Scherer6,56743.33%
Total votes15,155 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 23

District 23 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bruce Bostelman 8,693 55.57%
Republican Jerry Johnson (incumbent)6,95044.43%
Total votes15,643 100.0%
Republican hold

District 25

District 25 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Suzanne Geist 12,899 55.70%
Democratic Jim Gordon10,25844.30%
Total votes23,157 100.0%
Republican hold

District 27

District 27 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Anna Wishart 9,930 74.93%
Nonpartisan Dick Clark3,65725.07%
Total votes14,587 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 29

District 29 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kate Bolz (incumbent) 14,281 82.95%
Nonpartisan Melody Vaccaro2,93617.05%
Total votes17,217 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 31

District 31 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Rick Kolowski (incumbent) 9,762 52.07%
Nonpartisan Ian Swanson8,98547.93%
Total votes18,747 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 33

District 33 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Steve Halloran 9,164 60.22%
Republican Les Seiler (incumbent)6,05339.78%
Total votes15,217 100.0%
Republican hold

District 35

District 35 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Dan Quick 5,743 50.33%
Nonpartisan Gregg Neuhaus5,66849.67%
Total votes11,411 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 37

District 37 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John Lowe 8,600 53.26%
Nonpartisan Bob Lammers7,54746.74%
Total votes16,147 100.0%
Republican hold

District 39

District 39 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Lou Ann Linehan 11,729 54.87%
Nonpartisan Bill Armbrust9,64645.13%
Total votes21,375 100.0%
Republican hold

District 41

District 41 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tom Briese 14,080 100.0%
Total votes14,080 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 43

District 43 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tom Brewer 9,169 52.26%
Republican Al Davis (incumbent)8,37647.74%
Total votes17,545 100.0%
Republican hold

District 45

District 45 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Sue Crawford (incumbent) 8,774 56.58%
Nonpartisan Michael Cook6,73443.42%
Total votes15,508 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 47

District 47 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Steve Erdman 10,739 67.25%
Nonpartisan Karl Elmshaeuser5,23032.75%
Total votes15,969 100.0%
Republican hold

District 49

District 49 election, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John Murante (incumbent) 15,137 100.0%
Total votes15,137 100.0%
Republican hold

Notes

  1. ↑ Switched from Republican to Libertarian in 2016.
  2. ↑ All Nebraska state legislative elections are technically non-partisan; therefore, parties listed here are from candidates' websites and official party endorsement lists. Candidates all appear on the ballot without party labels..

References

  1. ↑ "Nebraska State Senate elections, 2016". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  2. ↑ "General 2016 Canvass Book" (PDF). sos.nebraska.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
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