2020 Nebraska elections

2020 Nebraska elections
Elections in Nebraska
Federal offices
Presidential elections
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House of Representatives elections
State government
State elections
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
Secretary of State elections
Attorney General elections
State Treasurer elections
State Legislature elections
Ballot measures
2000
2008
2024
Bellevue
Mayoral elections
Grand Island
Mayoral elections
Lincoln
Mayoral elections
Omaha
Mayoral elections
City council
Government

The 2020 Nebraska elections were held on November 3, 2020. In addition to the U.S. presidential race, Nebraska voters elected the Class II U.S. Senator from Nebraska, one of its Public Service Commissioners, two of eight voting members on the Nebraska University Board of Regents, four of eight seats on the Nebraska State Board of Education, all of its seats to the House of Representatives, two of seven seats on the Nebraska Supreme Court, two of six seats on the Nebraska Court of Appeals, and 25 of 49 seats in the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Six ballot measures were also voted on.

United States Senate

Main article: 2020 United States Senate election in Nebraska

Incumbent Republican Senator Ben Sasse ran for re-election to a second term. He faced Chris Janicek, the Democratic nominee, in the general election, but following allegations of sexual misconduct by Janicek, the Nebraska Democratic Party supported write-in candidate Preston Love Jr. in the general election.

2020 United States Senate election in Nebraska[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Ben Sasse (inc.) 583,507 62.74% −1.60%
Democratic Chris Janicek 227,191 24.43% −7.06%
Democratic Preston Love Jr. (write-in) 58,411 6.28% —
Libertarian Gene Siadek 55,115 5.93% —
Write-in 5,788 0.62% —
Majority 356,316 38.31% +5.46%
Total votes 930,012 100.0%
Republican hold

United States House of Representatives

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska

All three of Nebraska's members in the United States House of Representatives ran for re-election. All three won re-election.

District Republican Democratic Others Total Result
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
District 1 189,006 59.52% 119,622 37.67% 8,938 2.81% 317,566 100.0% Republican hold
District 2 171,071 50.77% 155,706 46.21% 10,185 3.02% 336,962 100.0% Republican hold
District 3 225,157 78.51% 50,690 17.68% 10,923 3.81% 286,770 100.0% Republican hold
Total 585,234 62.17% 326,018 34.63% 30,046 3.19% 941,298 100.0%


Public Service Commission

District 2

Incumbent Public Service Commissioner Crystal Rhoades, a Democrat, ran for re-election to a second term. Tim Davis, a restaurant server, won the Republican primary to challenge Rhoades. Rhoades defeated Davis in a landslide, winning 63% of the vote. Two years into her term, however, Rhoades was elected Douglas County Clerk of the District Court and resigned her position.

Democratic primary

Candidates
Results
Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Crystal Rhoades (inc.) 37,913 100.00%
Total votes 37,913 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates
  • Tim Davis, restaurant server[3]
  • Krystal Gabel, cybersecurity technical writer and business analyst[4]
Results
Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Davis 11,537 55.81%
Republican Krystal Gabel 9,131 44.19%
Total votes 20,668 100.00%

General election

2020 Nebraska Public Service Commission, District 2 election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Crystal Rhoades (inc.) 95,119 62.67%
Republican Tim Davis 56,698 37.33%
Total votes 151,817 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing {{{swing}}}

State Board of Education

District 1

Incumbent Board member Patsy Koch Johns was unopposed for re-election.

Candidates

  • Patsy Koch Johns, incumbent Board member

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Patsy Koch Johns (inc.) 51,460 100.00%
Total votes 51,460 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Patsy Koch Johns (inc.) 93,015 100.00%
Total votes 93,015 100.00%

District 2

Incumbent Board member Lisa Fricke ran for re-election to a second term. She was challenged by Robert Anthony, a real estate agent. Though the race was formally nonpartisan, Fricke was a Democrat and Anthony was a Republican.[5] Fricke ended up defeating Anthony in a landslide, winning 65% of the vote.

Candidates

  • Lisa Fricke, incumbent Board member
  • Robert Anthony, real estate agent

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Lisa Fricke (inc.) 39,330 70.42%
Nonpartisan Robert Anthony 16,516 29.58%
Total votes 55,846 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Lisa Fricke (inc.) 71,932 64.64%
Nonpartisan Robert Anthony 39,335 35.36%
Total votes 111,267 100.00%

District 3

Incumbent Board member Rachel Wise declined to seek another term. To replace her, Norfolk Public School Board member Patti Gubbels and Columbus Public School Board member Mike Goos ran.[6] Gubbels defeated Goos in a landslide, winning 66% of the vote.

Candidates

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Patti S. Gubbels 32,050 69.75%
Nonpartisan Mike Goos 13,895 30.25%
Total votes 45,945 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Patti S. Gubbels 54,199 66.11%
Nonpartisan Mike Goos 27,796 33.89%
Total votes 81,995 100.00%

District 4

Incumbent Board member John Witzel declined to seek another term. Tax attorney Jacquelyn Morrison and Midland University professor Adrian Petrescu, who held several positions in the Romanian government in the 1990s, ran to succeed him.[7] Morrison defeated Petrescu in a landslide, winning 74% of the vote.

Candidates

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jacquelyn Morrison 26,474 74.64%
Nonpartisan Adrian Petrescu 8,988 25.36%
Total votes 35,462 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jacquelyn Morrison 53,839 74.08%
Nonpartisan Adrian Petrescu 18,847 25.92%
Total votes 72,686 100.00%

Board of Regents

District 1

Incumbent Regent Tim Clare was unopposed for re-election and won his third term uncontested.

Candidates

  • Tim Clare, incumbent Regent

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Tim Clare (inc.) 52,973 100.00%
Total votes 52,973 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Tim Clare (inc.) 94,646 100.00%
Total votes 94,646 100.00%

District 2

Incumbent Regent Howard Hawks declined to seek re-election. Psychologist Jack Stark, Millard Public School Board member MiKe Kennedy, and nonprofit manager Viv Ewing ran to replace him.[8] At the nonpartisan primary, Kennedy placed first, winning 35% of the vote, and Stark narrowly edged out Ewing to advance to the general election, winning 34% to Ewing's 32%. However, several months into the general election campaign, Kennedy withdrew from the race, citing a need to focus on his existing service commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] Though Ewing contemplated a write-in campaign,[9] she ultimately declined to do so and Stark was elected unopposed.

Candidates

Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Mike Kennedy 20,129 34.91%
Nonpartisan Jack A. Stark 19,567 33.96%
Nonpartisan Viv Ewing 18,285 31.72%
Total votes 57,981 100.00%

General election results

Nonpartisan primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jack A. Stark 101,098 100.00%
Total votes 101,098 100.00%

State judiciary

Justices Lindsey Miller-Lerman and Jeffrey J. Funke of the Nebraska Supreme Court; Judges Michael W. Pirtle and David Arterburn of the Nebraska Court of Appeals; and Judges Thomas E. Stine and Dirk V. Block of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court ran for retention. All were retained.

Nebraska Supreme Court

District 2

Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman
Choice Votes %
Yes 93,025 74.20
No 32,350 25.80
Total votes 125,375 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State[1]

District 5

Justice Jeffrey J. Funke
Choice Votes %
Yes 93,418 78.34
No 25,152 21.66
Total votes 118,570 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State[1]

Nebraska Court of Appeals

District 2

Judge Michael W. Pirtle
Choice Votes %
Yes 84,466 68.55
No 38,560 31.45
Total votes 123,026 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State[1]

District 4

Judge David K. Arterburn
Choice Votes %
Yes 94,754 72.05
No 36,517 27.95
Total votes 131,271 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State[1]

Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court

Judge David K. Arterburn
Choice Votes %
Yes 94,754 72.05
No 36,517 27.95
Total votes 131,271 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State[1]
Judge Thomas E. Stine
Choice Votes %
Yes 564,633 75.50
No 182,366 24.50
Total votes 747,000 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State[1]

State legislature

25 of 49 seats in the Nebraska State Legislature were up for election. Although officially nonpartisan, before the election, its de facto composition was:

Party # of seats
Republican 30
Democratic 18
Independent 1
Total 49

Ballot measures

Initiative 428

Nebraska Initiative 428 would cap the annual interest for payday loans at 36%. As of September 2020, the Nebraskan average was 400% APR.[10] Vote for 428, an organisation campaigning for the initiative's passage, released a poll by Benenson Group Strategies which showed support for the measure (among Nebraskan voters) at 67%. It was conducted in August.[10]

Initiative 428
Choice Votes %
Yes 723,521 82.80
No 150,330 17.20
Total votes 873,851 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State [1]

Initiative 429

Nebraska Initiative 429
November 3, 2020
Initiative 429
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 588,405 65.04%
No 316,298 34.96%
Total votes 904,703 100.00%
Yes      50%–60%      60%–70%      70%–80%
No      50%–60%
     Tie

Nebraska Initiative 429 would allow gambling at licensed racetracks.[1]

Initiative 429
Choice Votes %
Yes 588,405 65.04
No 316,298 34.96
Total votes 904,703 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State [1]

Initiative 430

Nebraska Initiative 430
November 3, 2020
Initiative 430
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 591,086 65.01%
No 318,094 34.99%
Total votes 909,180 100.00%
Yes      50%–60%      60%–70%      70%–80%
No      50%–60%

Nebraska Initiative 430 would establish the governing commission for racetrack gambling.[1]

Initiative 430
Choice Votes %
Yes 591,086 65.01
No 318,094 34.99
Total votes 909,180 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State [1]

Initiative 431

Nebraska Initiative 431
November 3, 2020
Initiative 431
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 620,835 68.71%
No 282,703 31.29%
Total votes 903,538 100.00%
Yes      50%–60%      60%–70%      70%–80%
No      50%–60%
     Tie

Nebraska Initiative 431 would enact taxes on gambling at racetracks.[1]

Initiative 431
Choice Votes %
Yes 620,835 68.71
No 282,703 31.29
Total votes 903,538 100.00
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State [1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Robert B. Evnen. Official Report of the Nebraska Board of Canvassers, General Election, November 3, 2020 (PDF).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Evnen, Robert B. (2024). The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Official Report, Primary Election, May 12, 2020 (PDF).
  3. ^ Hammel, Paul (October 21, 2020). "First-time candidate seeks to unseat Democrat in Nebraska Public Service Commission race". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  4. ^ League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha (2020). "Douglas County Voters' Guide: Statewide Primary Election 2020" (PDF). Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  5. ^ Dejka, Joe (November 3, 2020). "Lisa Fricke, Jacquelyn Morrison win seats on Nebraska State Board of Education". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  6. ^ Wagner, Lauren (October 10, 2020). "Two running for state board of education". Norfolk Daily News. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  7. ^ Dejka, Joe (October 6, 2020). "Nebraska State Board of Education candidates field questions on COVID-19, school discipline". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  8. ^ Dunker, Chris (May 12, 2020). "Contest set for longtime regent's seat". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Ruggles, Rick (September 6, 2020). "Mike Kennedy withdraws from University of Nebraska Board of Regents race". Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  10. ^ a b James, Karla (September 30, 2020). "Poll Shows Nebraskans Support Payday Lending Reform". KLIN News Talk. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.