2024 Nebraska elections

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2024 Nebraska elections
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The 2024 Nebraska elections were held on November 5, 2024. Voters in Nebraska elected both of the state's members of the United States Senate, all three members of the United States House of Representatives, half of the seats in the state legislature, and seats on the Public Service Commission, State Board of Education, and Board of Regents.

Contents

United States Senate

Class I Senate seat

Incumbent Republican Senator Deb Fischer ran for re-election to a third term in the Senate. She did not face any major-party opposition, and was instead challenged by independent Dan Osborn, who had the support of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Fischer narrowly defeated Osborn to win re-election.

2024 United States Senate election in Nebraska [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Deb Fischer (inc.) 499,124 53.19% −4.50%
Independent Dan Osborn 436,49346.52%—
Write-in 2,7190.29%—
Majority62,6316.67%−12.39%
Total votes938,336 100.00%
Republican hold

Class II Senate seat

In 2023, Senator Ben Sasse resigned to become the President of the University of Florida, and Governor Jim Pillen appointed outgoing Governor Pete Ricketts as Sasse's successor and called a special election in 2024 to fill out the remaining two years of Sasse's term. Ricketts ran for re-election and faced Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr. in the general election. Ricketts defeated Love in a landslide to win re-election.

2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Pete Ricketts (inc.) 585,103 62.58% −0.16%
Democratic Preston Love Jr. 349,90237.42%+12.99%
Majority235,20125.16%−13.15%
Total votes935,005 100.0%
Republican hold

United States House of Representatives

All three incumbent members of the House of Representatives ran for re-election, and all three were re-elected.

District Republican Democratic OthersTotalResult
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
District 1 187,55960.10%124,49839.90%00.00%312,057100%Republican hold
District 2 160,19850.93%154,36949.07%00.00%314,567100%Republican hold
District 3 243,48180.42%59,28719.58%00.00%302,768100%Republican hold
Total591,23863.62%338,15436.38%00.00%929,392100%

Public Service Commission

District 1

Incumbent Commissioner Dan Watermeier ran for re-election to a second term and faced no opposition.

Republican primary

Candidates
Results
District 1 results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dan Watermeier (inc.) 32,590 100.00%
Total votes32,590 100.00%

General election

2024 District 1 election [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dan Watermeier (inc.) 137,263 100.00%
Total votes137,263 100.00%
Republican hold

District 3

Incumbent Republican Commissioner Tim Schram ran for re-election to a fourth term. He was re-elected unopposed.

Republican primary

Candidates
Results
District 3 results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tim Schram (inc.) 33,306 100.00%
Total votes33,306 100.00%

General election

2024 District 1 election [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tim Schram (inc.) 162,613 100.00%
Total votes162,613 100.00%
Republican hold

State Board of Education

Following gains by social conservatives on the State Board of Education in 2022, conservative challengers sought to gain control of the State Board in the 2024 elections. [4] The Protect Nebraska Children political action committee endorsed socially conservative candidates, while the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) supported moderate and liberal candidates. [5] Following the election, after conservative-aligned candidate Lisa Schonhoff was elected to succeed moderate Patti Gubbels in the 3rd district, control of the Board flipped to conservatives. [4]

District 1

Incumbent Board member Patsy Koch John declined to seek re-election. Kristin Christensen, a former teacher who worked for a literacy nonprofit, and Liz Davids, a homeschooling advocate, ran to replace her. [4] Christensen was supported by the Nebraska State Education Association and Davids ran with the support of Protect Nebraska Children. [5] Christensen defeated Davids by a wide margin in the general election, winning 58% of the vote.

Candidates

  • Kristin Christensen, former teacher
  • Liz Davids, homeschooling advocate

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Kristin Christensen 22,079 61.07%
Nonpartisan Liz Davids 14,078 38.93%
Total votes36,157 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Kristin Christensen 51,497 58.33%
Nonpartisan Liz Davids36,79041.67%
Total votes88,287 100.00%

District 2

Incumbent Board member Lisa Fricke declined to seek re-election. One Republican, former clinical psychology professor Linda Vermooten, and two Democrats, retired teachers Maggie Douglas and Karen Morgan, ran to succeed her. [6] Vermooten, who was supported by Protect Nebraska Children, and Douglas, who was endorsed by the NSEA, both advanced to the general election. In the general election, Douglas narrowly defeated Vermooten.

Candidates

  • Maggie Douglas, former teacher
  • Linda Vermooten, former Grace University clinical psychology professor
  • Karen Morgan, former teacher

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Linda Vermooten 14,112 42.79%
Nonpartisan Maggie Douglas 10,915 33.09%
Nonpartisan Karen Morgan6,26924.12%
Total votes31,296 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Maggie Douglas 42,156 53.93%
Nonpartisan Linda Vermooten36,02846.07%
Total votes78,184 100.00%

District 3

Incumbent Board member Patti Gubbels declined to seek re-election. Two Republicans, former teacher Lisa Schonhoff and former school administrator Bill McAllister, ran to succeed her. Schonhoff won the endorsement of the Nebraska Republican Party, [4] and defeated McAllister by a wide margin.

Candidates

  • Lisa Schonhoff, former teacher
  • Bill McAllister, former school administrator

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Lisa Schonhoff 23,884 59.91%
Nonpartisan Bill McAllister 15,989 40.09%
Total votes39,873 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Lisa Schonhoff 66,822 63.08%
Nonpartisan Bill McAllister39,08036.92%
Total votes105,902 100.00%

District 4

Incumbent Board member Jacquelyn Morrison declined to seek re-election and resigned in October 2024, leaving the seat vacant at the time of the election. Writer and producer Liz Renner, who produced documentaries about the state's public schools, ran to succeed her, along with administrator Stacy Matula and homeschool advocate LeDonna Griffin. [7] Renner placed first in the primary, winning 45% of the vote, while Griffin narrowly edged out Matula, who was endorsed by Protect Nebraska Children, winning 28% of the vote to Matula's 27%. In the general election, Renner defeated Griffin in a landslide, winning 63% of the vote.

Candidates

  • Liz Renner, documentarian
  • LeDonna White Griffin, homeschool advocate
  • Stacy Matula, administrator

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Liz Renner 11,296 45.35%
Nonpartisan LeDonna White Griffin 6,900 27.71%
Nonpartisan Stacy Matula5,84226.94%
Total votes24,038 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Liz Renner 42,609 62.86%
Nonpartisan LeDonna White Griffin25,18537.14%
Total votes67,794 100.00%

University of Nebraska Board of Regents

District 3

Incumbent Regent Jim Scheer, who was appointed to the Board of Regents in 2023, ran for re-election to a full term. He was unopposed and won re-election uncontested.

Candidates

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Jim Scheer (inc.) 34,840 100.00%
Total votes34,840 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Jim Scheer (inc.) 83,560 100.00%
Total votes83,560 100.00%

District 4

Incumbent Regent Elizabeth O'Connor ran for re-election to a second term. She was challenged by Jim Rogers, a retired mathematics professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha. [8]

Candidates

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Elizabeth R. O'Connor (inc.) 15,031 66.70%
Nonpartisan Jim Rogers 7,505 33.30%
Total votes22,536 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Elizabeth R. O'Connor (inc.) 42,320 67.14%
Nonpartisan Jim Rogers20,69232.86%
Total votes63,012 100.00%

District 5

Incumbent Regent Rob Schafer, the Chair of the Board, ran for re-election. He was challenged by Gary Rogge, a retired farmer, and Jerome Wohleb, a retired hospital administrator. [9] Schafer placed first in the primary with 48% of the vote and advanced to the general election against Rogge, who won 22%. Schafer ultimately defeated Rogge in a landslide, winning 63% of the vote.

Candidates

  • Rob Schafer, incumbent Regent
  • Gary L. Rogge, retired farmer
  • Jerome Wohleb, retired hospital administrator

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Rob Schafer (inc.) 22,606 47.83%
Nonpartisan Gary L. Rogge 10,562 22.36%
Nonpartisan Jerome Wohleb7,87316.63%
Total votes41,041 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Rob Schafer (inc.) 61,916 63.49%
Nonpartisan Gary L. Rogge35,60336.51%
Total votes97,519 100.00%

District 8

Incumbent Regent Barbara Weitz ran for re-election to a second term. She was challenged by Zach Mellender, an IT technician at the Omaha Zoo. [8] She ended up defeating Mellender in a landslide, winning 64% of the vote.

Candidates

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Barbara Weitz (inc.) 24,173 66.00%
Nonpartisan Zachary Mellender 12,464 34.00%
Total votes36,637 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan general results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Barbara Weitz (inc.) 61,544 63.54%
Nonpartisan Zachary Mellender35,35736.46%
Total votes96,901 100.00%

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Evnen, Robert B. (2024). The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Official Report, General Election, November 5, 2024 (PDF).
  2. ↑ Evnen, Robert B. (2024). The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Official Report, General Election, November 5, 2024 (PDF).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Evnen, Robert B. (2024). The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Official Report, Primary Election, May 14, 2024 (PDF).
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wendling, Zach (November 6, 2024). "Republicans likely to pick up key seat on Nebraska State Board of Education". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "State Board of Education field set for general election". Nebraska Public Media. May 14, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  6. ↑ Wendling, Zach (May 10, 2024). "Southeast Nebraska state school board race highlights mental health, teacher retention". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  7. ↑ Hegarty, Aaron (May 9, 2024). "Two Nebraska Board of Education candidates won't advance from Tuesday primary". KETV. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Wendling, Zach (November 6, 2024). "All four incumbent University of Nebraska regents maintain leads in Tuesday election". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  9. ↑ Osaka, Andrew (May 2, 2024). "Three candidates vie for NU Regent District 5". KETV. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
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