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Fischer: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Osborn: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Nebraska |
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Government |
The 2024 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Nebraska. [1] Republican incumbent Deb Fischer was re-elected to a third term, defeating independent union leader Dan Osborn. [2] This was the first time since 1954 when both of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats were concurrently up for election due to a special election for Nebraska's other Senate seat.
Traditionally a safe Republican seat, the race in Nebraska was described as unusually competitive and was also potentially important for determining partisan control of the Senate after the 2024 election cycle. [3]
Despite her win, Fischer's overall performance was the worst an incumbent Republican performed in a Nebraska Senate race since 1970. Osborn's performance was the best for an Independent candidate in a Nebraska Senate race, even outperforming George W. Norris who won as in Independent in 1936.
Campaign finance reports as of April 24, 2024 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Deb Fischer (R) | $5,694,779 | $3,512,236 | $2,694,160 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [6] |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Deb Fischer (incumbent) | 174,820 | 79.77% | |
Republican | Arron Kowalski | 44,334 | 20.23% | |
Total votes | 219,154 | 100.0% |
Due to Dan Osborn's independent candidacy, the Nebraska Democratic Party had originally not intended to field a candidate, planning to endorse Osborn on May 18. However, on May 15, Osborn stated that he would not accept the help of any political party. [8] This led to a condemnation by state party chair Jane Kleeb, who said that Osborn had previously promised to work with them in exchange for them not running a candidate. Due to Osborn's announcement taking place the day after the state's primary, Kleeb announced that they would be looking for a write-in candidate to run under the party banner in November. [9] However, they ultimately decided not to run a write-in candidate. [10]
Campaign finance reports as of April 24, 2024 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Dan Osborn (I) | $812,114 | $427,220 | $384,894 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [6] |
The Legal Marijuana NOW primary attracted controversy, with one candidate, Kerry Eddy, admitting that she supported independent candidate Dan Osborn. Eddy, who was a registered Democrat until March 2024, feared that the Legal Marijuana NOW Party's nominee could pull votes away from Osborn, who supports legalizing marijuana. Eddy was recruited to run by political blogger Julia Schleck, who had outlined a plan to run a candidate who would "sweep the Legal Marijuana NOW primary and then take their name off the ballot and endorse Osborn, throwing their votes his way." Eddy denied that her intention was to drop out of the race after securing the nomination, though she said she would consider it. [12]
Party chair Mark Elworth Jr. denounced Eddy's plan as "shenangians." The party instead supported Ken Peterson, who had been recruited to run by Elworth. Peterson alleged that supporters of Osborn had repeatedly urged him to drop out of the race. Osborn's campaign denied having any involvement in the Legal Marijuana NOW primary, though a pro-Osborn super PAC spent over $30,000 supporting Eddy's campaign. [12]
Campaign finance reports as of April 24, 2024 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Kerry Eddy (LMN) | $16,384 | $922 | $15,462 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [6] |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Legal Marijuana NOW | Kerry Eddy | 743 | 70.83% | |
Legal Marijuana NOW | Ken Peterson | 306 | 29.17% | |
Total votes | 1,049 | 100.0% |
After Kerry Eddy won the May primary by a wide margin, she said she was still evaluating whether or not to drop out of the race. Complicating Eddy's plan was that if she rejected the Legal Marijuana NOW Party's nomination, the party could simply name a replacement nominee. Mark Elworth Jr. pledged to seek the party's nomination for Senate if Eddy dropped out. [14] It was also suggested that Elworth could use the party's ballot line to nominate a Democrat. [8]
Eddy dropped out of the race on July 30 and endorsed Osborn, though she maintained that this had not been her intention from the start. The party had until September 3 to name a replacement nominee. [13] On August 14, the party held a convention to determine whether or not a new nominee should be named and who that nominee would be. Supporters of Eddy and Osborn were barred from participating in the convention. In response, Eddy's campaign treasurer sent a letter to party leadership arguing that they had broken the law and that if they tried to name a replacement nominee, a lawsuit could be filed. [10]
The party ultimately did not put forward a candidate. Elworth said the party did not have the resources to fight a lawsuit and that "we don’t want to deal with it." Unnamed members of the party alleged that Osborn and Eddy's supporters had taken it over in order to ensure it would not place a candidate on the ballot. Elworth called Osborn "dishonest" and said he would be voting for incumbent Deb Fischer, who opposes legalizing marijuana. [10]
In March 2024, independent candidate Dan Osborn sought the support of the Nebraska Libertarian Party. However, he decided against this, instead running as an independent without any party's support. [8]
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report [15] | Lean R | October 21, 2024 |
Inside Elections [16] | Lean R | October 18, 2024 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball [17] | Lean R | September 25, 2024 |
Decision Desk HQ/The Hill [18] | Likely R | October 30, 2024 |
Elections Daily [19] | Likely R | November 4, 2024 |
CNalysis [20] | Tilt R | November 4, 2024 |
RealClearPolitics [21] | Lean R | October 15, 2024 |
Split Ticket [22] | Lean R | October 29, 2024 |
538 [23] | Likely R | October 23, 2024 |
Campaign finance reports as of October 16, 2024 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Deb Fischer (R) | $7,993,392 | $7,922,195 | $582,814 |
Dan Osborn (I) | $7,962,610 | $6,827,048 | $1,135,561 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [6] |
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Aggregate polls
Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Dates updated | Deb Fischer (R) | Dan Osborn (I) | Undecided [b] | Margin |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
538 [39] | through October 31, 2024 | November 1, 2024 | 46.6% | 44.2% | 9.2% | Fischer +2.4 |
TheHill/DDHQ [40] | through October 31, 2024 | November 1, 2024 | 48.3% | 47.0% | 4.7% | Fischer +1.3 |
Race to the WH [41] | through October 28, 2024 | October 30, 2024 | 47.0% | 46.0% | 7.0% | Fischer +1.0 |
Average | 47.3% | 45.7% | 6.7% | Fischer +1.6 |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [c] | Margin of error | Deb Fischer (R) | Dan Osborn (I) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research (D) [42] [A] | October 30–31, 2024 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 47% | 47% | 5% |
Torchlight Strategies (R) [43] [B] | October 25–28, 2024 | 605 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 51% | 44% | 5% |
Economist/YouGov [44] | October 21–28, 2024 | 1,202 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 50% | 43% | 7% [d] |
NYT/Siena College [45] | October 23–26, 2024 | 1,194 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 48% | 46% | 5% |
1,194 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 46% | 47% | 6% | ||
Change Research (D) [46] [A] | October 18–21, 2024 | 815 (LV) | – | 46% | 48% | 6% |
Torchlight Strategies (R) [47] [B] | October 12–15, 2024 | 625 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 51% | 45% | 4% |
SurveyUSA [48] [A] | October 9–12, 2024 | 563 (LV) | ± 4.7% | 44% | 50% | 6% |
Torchlight Strategies (R) [49] [B] | October 5–8, 2024 | 800 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 48% | 42% | 10% |
Change Research (D) [50] [A] | October 3–8, 2024 | 895 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 43% | 46% | 11% |
Impact Research (D) [51] [A] | October 1–3, 2024 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 46% | 48% | 6% |
The Bullfinch Group [52] [C] | September 27 – October 1, 2024 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 42% | 47% | 10% |
SurveyUSA [53] [A] | September 20–23, 2024 | 558 (LV) | ± 4.8% | 44% | 45% | 11% |
Global Strategy Group (D) [54] [D] | August 26–29, 2024 | 600 (LV) | – | 43% | 42% | 15% |
SurveyUSA [55] [E] | August 23–27, 2024 | 1,293 (RV) | ± 3.6% | 39% | 38% | 23% |
YouGov [56] [A] | July 31 – August 12, 2024 | 500 (RV) | ± 5.2% | 43% | 41% | 16% |
Red Wave Strategy Group/ Impact Research [57] [A] | July 8–11, 2024 | 500 (RV) | – | 42% | 42% | 16% |
Global Strategy Group (D) [54] [D] | June 3–5, 2024 | 600 (LV) | – | 49% | 36% | 15% |
Public Policy Polling (D) [58] [A] | April 24–25, 2024 | 737 (RV) | ± 3.6% | 37% | 33% | 30% |
Change Research (D) [59] [F] | November 13–16, 2023 | 1,048 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 38% | 40% | 22% |
Deb Fischer vs. Dan Osborn vs. Kerry Eddy
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [c] | Margin of error | Deb Fischer (R) | Dan Osborn (I) | Kerry Eddy (LMN) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Torchlight Strategies (R) [60] [B] | July 8–11, 2024 | 698 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 50% | 24% | 9% | 17% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Deb Fischer (incumbent) | 499,124 | 53.19% | −4.50% | |
Independent | Dan Osborn | 436,493 | 46.52% | N/A | |
Write-in | 2,719 | 0.29% | +0.22% | ||
Total votes | 938,336 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Republican hold |
Despite losing the state, Osborn won 2 of 3 congressional districts, both of which elected Republicans. [62]
District | Fischer | Osborn | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 49.6% | 50.4% | Mike Flood |
2nd | 44% | 56% | Don Bacon |
3rd | 67% | 33% | Adrian Smith |
Partisan clients
Debra Lynelle Fischer is an American politician and former educator serving as the senior United States senator from Nebraska, a seat she has held since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Fischer is the third woman to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate and the first to be reelected.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2014 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Republican Senator Mike Johanns did not run for re-election to a second term. Republican nominee Ben Sasse defeated Democratic nominee David Domina to succeed him.
The Legal Marijuana Now Party (LMN) is a political third party in the United States. The party's platform includes abolishing the Drug Enforcement Administration and legalizing hemp and marijuana. As of 2024, the party has ballot access in Minnesota and Nebraska.
The 2020 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Alaska, concurrently with the nationwide presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan won re-election to a second term in office, defeating Democratic nominee Al Gross, the son of Avrum Gross, who ran as an independent candidate. John Wayne Howe, the nominee of the Alaskan Independence Party, was also on the ballot and finished a distant third.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Nebraska. Incumbent Republican Deb Fischer was re-elected to a second term against Lincoln city councilwoman Jane Raybould and Libertarian candidate Jim Schultz.
Mark Gerald Elworth Jr. is an American freelance musician, businessman, cannabis rights activist, perennial candidate for public office, and rockhound. Elworth was the Libertarian Party candidate for Governor of Nebraska in 2014 and was the Legal Marijuana Now candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2016.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the state of Nebraska, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.
Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW is a political third party in the U.S. state of Nebraska established in 2016 as the state affiliate of the Legal Marijuana Now Party.
The 2024 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Nevada. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Sam Brown. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump carried Nevada on the same ballot. Primary elections took place on June 11, 2024.
The 2024 United States Senate election in Ohio was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Ohio. Incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown lost re-election to a fourth term, being defeated by Republican nominee Bernie Moreno by 3.6 percent. Primary elections took place on March 19, 2024.
The 2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next governor of Nebraska. Incumbent Republican governor Pete Ricketts was term-limited and unable to seek a third term. In the general election, Republican Jim Pillen won the gubernatorial election by a 23-point margin.
The 2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Nebraska. Incumbent Republican senator Pete Ricketts was appointed to the seat in 2023 after the resignation of Ben Sasse, and won a 2024 special election to serve out the remaining two years of Sasse's term with 62.6% of the vote. Ricketts is running for a full term in office.
The 2024 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as part of the 2024 United States presidential election in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. Nebraska voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote. Nebraska has five electoral votes.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the state of Nebraska, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections coincided with the Nebraska gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate, and various state and local elections.
The 2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the Class 2 member of the United States Senate from Nebraska, to complete the term of Ben Sasse, who resigned on January 8, 2023, to become the president of the University of Florida. On January 12, 2023, Governor Jim Pillen appointed Republican former governor Pete Ricketts to fill the seat until the election. Ricketts won the special election, defeating Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr. with about 63% of the vote. This was the first time since 1954 where both of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats were concurrently up for election. Primary elections took place on May 14, 2024.
The 2023 Lincoln, Nebraska mayoral election was held on May 2, 2023, to determine the mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was preceded by a primary election on April 4 where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advanced to the general election. Incumbent Democratic mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird ran for reelection to a second term in office, and was re-elected. The election was officially nonpartisan.
The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska were held on November 5, 2024, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the State of Nebraska, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The Primary elections were held on May 14, 2024.
The 2025 Omaha mayoral election will take place on May 15, 2025. The Republican incumbent mayor is Jean Stothert. The position of mayor in Omaha is officially a non-partisan position and a blanket primary will be held on April 1, 2025. The top two finishers in the primary will move on to the general election which will be held on May 13, 2025. Stothert will be running for a record fourth term as Omaha mayor.
Dan Osborn is a U.S. Navy veteran, industrial mechanic, former labor union leader and independent politician.
Official campaign websites