2018 Nebraska elections

Summary

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Nebraska on November 6, 2018. All of Nebraska's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat, and all of Nebraska's three seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Governor and lieutenant governor edit

Incumbent Republican governor Pete Ricketts ran for re-election to a second term.[1] Republican state senator Bob Krist announced that he would give up his party affiliation and run for governor as a Democrat.[2]

Pete Ricketts defeated Bob Krist in the general election.

Attorney general edit

2018 Nebraska Attorney General election
 
← 2014 November 6, 2018 (2018-11-06) 2022 →
 
Nominee Doug Peterson
Party Republican
Popular vote 516,777
Percentage 100.00%

Attorney General before election

Doug Peterson
Republican

Elected Attorney General

Doug Peterson
Republican

Incumbent Republican attorney general Doug Peterson ran for re-election to a second term.[3]

Republican primary edit

Results edit

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Doug Peterson (incumbent) 140,675 100.00
Total votes 140,675 100.00

Democratic primary edit

  • Evangelos Argyrakis, Omaha Attorney general[5]

Results edit

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Evangelos Argyrakis 67,022 100.00
Total votes 67,022 100.00

General election edit

Withdrawal

Omaha Attorney Evangelos Argyrakis, ran in the Democratic primary. However, after being charged with felony strangulation following an altercation with his 82-year-old father on April 8, 2018, Nebraska Democratic Party called on him to step aside, which he did on June 25, 2018.[6] This left Peterson running unopposed in the general election.[7]

Results edit

General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Doug Peterson (incumbent) 516,777 100.00
Total votes 516,777 100.00
Republican hold

Secretary of state edit

2018 Nebraska Secretary of State election
 
← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →
     
Nominee Bob Evnen Spencer Danner
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 406,632 263,982
Percentage 60.6% 39.4%

 
Evnen:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Danner:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      50%
     No votes

Secretary of State before election

John A. Gale
Republican

Elected Secretary of State

Bob Evnen
Republican

Incumbent Republican secretary of state John Gale, who was appointed to the position in December 2000, has announced he will not run for re-election.[8]

Republican primary edit

Candidates edit

Declared
  • Bob Evnen, attorney and former member of the Nebraska State Board of Education[9]
  • Debra Perrell[10]
Potential
Declined

Results edit

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Evnen (incumbent) 81,371 58.5
Republican Debra Perrell 57,816 41.5
Total votes 139,187 100.00

Democratic primary edit

Candidates edit

Declared
  • Spencer Danner, former head of the City of Omaha's Human Rights and Relations Department. He opposes voter ID laws, stating that the state should focus instead on modernizing the election system.[14]
Declined

Results edit

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Spencer Danner 76,769 100.00
Total votes 76,769 100.00

General election edit

Governing magazine projected the race as "safe Republican".[15]

Results edit

General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Evnen 406,632 60.6
Democratic Spencer Danner 263,982 39.4
Total votes 670,614 100.00
Republican hold

State treasurer edit

Incumbent Republican Nebraska state treasurer Don Stenberg is term-limited and is not eligible to run for re-election to a third term.

Republican primary edit

State Senator John Murante ran for the Republican nomination.[13] He faced off against Taylor Royal in the Republican primary.[16]

John Murante defeated Taylor Royal in the Republican primary, and ran unopposed in the general election.[17][7]

Auditor of Public Accounts edit

Incumbent Republican Auditor of Public Accounts of Nebraska Charlie Janssen ran for re-election to a second term.[18]

State Board of Education edit

2018 Nebraska State Board of Education District 5 election
 
← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →
 
Nominee Patricia Timm Maris Bentley
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
Popular vote 38,800 22,713
Percentage 63.1% 36.9%

 
Timm:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Bentley:      50–60%

Board Member before election

Patricia Timm
Republican

Elected Board Member

Patricia Timm
Republican

District 5[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Patricia Timm 38,800 63.1
Nonpartisan Maris Bentley 22,713 36.9
Total votes 61,513 100.0
District 6[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Maureen Nickels 56,395 100.0
Total votes 56,395 100.0
District 7[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Robin Stevens 58,764 100.0
Total votes 58,764 100.0
District 8[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Deborah Neary 46,697 59.1
Nonpartisan Patrick McPherson (incumbent) 32,292 40.9
Total votes 78,989 100.0

Public Service Commission edit

District 1 edit

Nebraska Public Service Commission District 1 incumbent Republican Frank Landis, who was first elected in 1988, has not announced whether he will run for re-election to a sixth term.

District 3 edit

Nebraska Public Service Commission District 3 incumbent Republican Tim Schram, who was first elected in 2006, ran for re-election to a third term.[23]

State Legislature edit

Nebraska's state legislature is unique among American states in that it is unicameral, meaning that it is only one chamber. Consisting of 49 legislative districts, the Nebraska State Legislature had 24 seats up for election in 2018.

United States Senate edit

Incumbent Republican senator Deb Fischer ran for re-election to a second term.[24] She faced Democratic challenger Jane Raybould.[25] Fischer defeated Raybould in the general election.[7]

United States House of Representatives edit

All of Nebraska's three seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2018.

In District 2, Republican Incumbent Don Bacon ran for re-election. Kara Eastman defeated Brad Ashford, who held the seat prior to losing to Bacon in 2016, in the Democratic primary.[26]

Don Bacon defeated Kara Eastman in the general election.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ Walton, Don (April 21, 2016). "Ricketts ties conservative goals to two terms". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  2. ^ Young, JoAnne. "Omaha Sen. Bob Krist announces his independent run for governor". Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  3. ^ Duggan, Joe (August 30, 2017). "Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson announces run for re-election in 2018". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  4. ^ Duggan, Joe (August 30, 2017). "Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson announces run for re-election in 2018". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  5. ^ Walton, Don (December 18, 2017). "Omaha Democratic files for attorney general". Journal Star. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  6. ^ Moring, Roseann. "Attorney general candidate steps down amid strangulation charge; Democrats plan a replacement". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d "Election 2018: GOP sweeps Nebraska's top races; Lincoln voters term-limit Beutler; Medicaid expansion wins". Lincoln Journal Star. November 7, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  8. ^ Hammel, Paul (March 21, 2017). "Longtime Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale won't run for re-election". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  9. ^ Duggan, Joe (April 18, 2017). "Lincoln attorney Bob Evnen to run for Nebraska secretary of state, says he'd push for voter ID law". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  10. ^ Liewer, Steve (April 22, 2018). "Hershey woman challenging ex-Ed Board member in Republican sec. of state race". The North Platte Telegraph. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Walton, Don (March 20, 2017). "Senators may seek to succeed John Gale". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Schulte, Grant (March 20, 2017). "Nebraska Secretary of State Gale Will Not Seek Re-Election". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Walton, Don (July 24, 2017). "Murante will seek state treasurer post". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  14. ^ "Democrat Spencer Danner running for Nebraska Secretary of State". February 8, 2018. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  15. ^ Jacobson, Louis (June 4, 2018). "Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever". Governing. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  16. ^ Hammel, Paul (May 23, 2017). "Taylor Royal's website says he's running for state treasurer, but he says it's not official yet". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  17. ^ "Support of prominent Republicans carries Murante to victory over Royal in state treasurer's race". Scottsbluff Star-Herald. BH News Service. May 16, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  18. ^ Duggan, Joe (June 28, 2017). "Nebraska State Auditor Charlie Janssen plans to run for re-election in 2018". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  19. ^ "Nebraska State Board of Education election, 2018".
  20. ^ "Nebraska State Board of Education election, 2018".
  21. ^ "Nebraska State Board of Education election, 2018".
  22. ^ "Nebraska State Board of Education election, 2018".
  23. ^ Hammel, Paul (June 23, 2017). "Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Tim Schram running for re-election". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  24. ^ Klecker, Mara (June 24, 2017). "Deb Fischer announces re-election plans, says national security, transportation will be priorities". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  25. ^ Morling, Roseanne. "Jane Raybould, a Democrat from Lincoln, will challenge U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in 2018". Omaha World Herald.
  26. ^ "Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018 - Ballotpedia". Retrieved March 18, 2018.

External links edit

Official Attorney General campaign websites
  • Doug Peterson (R) for Attorney General
Official Secretary of State campaign websites
  • Spencer Danner (D) for Secretary of State
  • Bob Evnen (R) for Secretary of State
Official State Treasurer campaign websites
  • John Murante (R) for Treasurer
Official Auditor of Public Accounts campaign websites
  • Charlie Janssen (R) for Auditor
  • Jane Skinner (D) for Auditor
Official Public Service Commission district 1 campaign websites
  • Dan Watermeier (R) for Public Service Commissioner
  • Christa Yoakum (D) for Public Service Commissioner
Official Public Service Commission district 3 campaign websites
  • Mike Forsythe (D) for Public Service Commissioner
  • Tim Schram (R) for Public Service Commissioner