Don Stenberg

Don Stenberg
Nebraska Treasurer
Incumbent
In office
2010 - Present
Term ends
2014
Years in position	3
Party	Republican
Predecessor	Shane Osborn (R)
Compensation
Base salary	$85,000
Elections and appointments
First elected	November 2, 2010
Campaign $	$100,404
Term limits	2 consecutive terms
Prior offices
Attorney General of Nebraska
1991 - 2003
Education
Bachelor's	University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Master's	Harvard Business School
J.D.	Harvard Law School
Websites
Office website

Don Stenberg is the current Republican Nebraska Treasurer. He was elected to the statewide position in 2010.

Stenberg ran for U.S. Senate in 2012, but he was defeated by Deb Fischer in the May 15, 2012 primary.

Biography

Stenberg was raised in Tekamah, Nebraska. His parents operated a small business out of their home. Before going to college, Stenberg worked on a farm, mowed lawns, and worked as a life guard. He attended the University of Nebraska and won an athletic scholarship to run track. He went on to earn both an MBA and JD from Harvard.

After graduating from law school, Stenberg entered private practice in Lincoln where he practiced until 1979, when he was named legal counsel to the Governor of Nebraska. He served in several capacities while working for the governor, including Director of the Governor's Policy Research Office, Assistant to the Governor, and Director of the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services. Stenberg served as the Attorney General of Nebraska from 1991 to 2003.

Education

• BA, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
• MBA, Harvard Business School
• JD, Harvard Law School

Political career

Nebraska Treasurer (2010 - Present)

Stenberg identifies seven principles that guide his actions as treasurer:

1. Economy and efficiency in government. I have directed my staff to use the latest technology, as it becomes available, to reduce the cost of doing business and to minimize the number of employees needed to perform our assigned duties.
2. Customer service. We work for you, the Nebraska taxpayer. I have instructed my staff to be responsive, helpful and courteous in responding to requests for service or information.
3. State finances should be an open book and should be easily accessible to the public online.
4. When it comes to state investments, safety of principal should be a very high priority.
5. We will make every effort to return unclaimed property to the Nebraskans to whom it belongs.
6. Because education is so important to the future of our state, we will do our best to make Nebraskans aware of the advantages of the Nebraska College Savings Program as a way to save for the college education of their children or grandchildren.
7. As State Treasurer I will be an advocate for sound financial management practices at both the state and federal level.

Attorney General of Nebraska (1991 - 2003)

As attorney general, Stenberg fought in the state legislature for "tough anti-crime legislation to protect Nebraska families" and in the state courts to "protect Nebraska's irrigation water." He also argued in front of the Supreme Court in favor of Nebraska's ban on partial birth abortion.

Elections

2014

See also: United States Senate elections in Nebraska, 2014 and Nebraska gubernatorial election, 2014

Stenberg is reportedly considering bids for Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senate in the 2014 elections. Gov. Dave Heineman is term-limited from running for re-election, and freshman Senator Mike Johanns plans to vacate his seat upon completion of his current term, leaving both seats open.

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Nebraska, 2012

Stenberg ran for U.S. Senate in 2012. He was defeated by Deb Fischer in the May 15, 2012 primary.

Primary results

The primary took place on June 5, 2012.

US Senate - Nebraska Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Deb Fischer	6.7%	79,941
Jon Bruning	58.6%	701,067
Don Stenberg	30.2%	361,727
Pat Flynn	4.3%	51,413
Spencer Zimmerman	0.1%	1,601
Sharyn Elander	0.1%	1,294
Total Votes		1,197,043

Personal finances

Media reports in January 2012 regard Don Stenberg and fellow Republican candidate Jon Bruning -- centered around their personal finances. Stenberg has criticized Bruning for becoming wealthy while in office as attorney general. Reports indicated that Stenberg is also a millionaire, but he says he earned his money in the private sector before taking office.

2010

Stenberg won election as state treasurer in the November 2010 election, defeating Democrat Mark Stoj.

Nebraska State Treasurer (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Don Stenberg (R)		345,661
Mark Stoj (D)		128,231

Issues

Campaign themes

2012

On his campaign website, Stenberg listed fourteen issues. They were:

• Cut federal spending

• On his website, Stenberg says, "I have a proven record of restraining government spending. As Nebraska’s State Treasurer, I asked the Nebraska Legislature to cut my budget by 13% for each of the next two fiscal years. When I was Nebraska’s Attorney General, I operated the Nebraska Attorney General’s office on the third smallest budget in the nation."

• No new taxes

• On his website, Stenberg says, "If we want a stronger economy and more jobs, then we need to make the Bush tax cuts permanent and consider additional tax cuts to strengthen the economy and create jobs."

• Repeal Obamacare

• On his website, Stenberg says, "Senator Nelson continues to defend his vote in favor of Obamacare even though it violates the Constitution of the United States, is an unaffordable new entitlement, and is opposed by a majority of the Nebraskans who Senator Nelson is supposed to represent. As Nebraska’s next United States senator I will vote to repeal Obamacare!"

• No earmarks

• On his website, Stenberg says, "The wheeler dealers in Washington like earmarks. Even my GOP opponent has supported them. But they are fundamentally wrong. They lead to scandals, as Senators seek earmarks for their friends and cronies. They are used to buy votes for bad legislation and grease the skids for vast deficit spending. As Nebraska’s next United States Senator I will not seek any earmarks and will oppose all earmarks sought by others."

• Develop our domestic energy resources

• On his website, Stenberg says, "We urgently need a common sense national energy policy that will open parts of Alaska and offshore to oil and gas development, that will promote the construction of needed oil refineries, and promote renewable fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel that we can produce right here in Nebraska."

• Defeat Cap and Trade

• On his website, Stenberg says, "Imposing massive tax increases on energy consumption or limiting our energy development through cap and trade, will further depress our economy and increase unemployment. This is far too high a price to pay in response to an unproven theory of what might cause the climate of the earth to change in the future."

• Secure our Borders

• On his website, Stenberg says, "We need to greatly strengthen our border security to prevent terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, and illegal immigrants from entering the United States. And we should provide for levels of legal immigration that will meet our economic needs, and be consistent with the social needs of our country."

• Defend the 2nd Amendment, Life and Religious Freedom

• On his website, Stenberg says, "I firmly believe that a just God will not forever allow his innocent children to be slaughtered. And I look forward to the day when the Supreme Court of the United States will say that our Constitution, which was written to, “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” does not authorize the killing of the very posterity it was written to protect. I pray that that day will come soon."

• No bailouts

• On his website, Stenberg says, "I am opposed to all bailouts. Your tax dollars should not be used to bailout mismanaged companies."

• Uphold the Constitution

• On his website, Stenberg says, "The Constitution of the United States was written to limit the power of the federal government and protect the rights of individual citizens. I firmly believe in the doctrine of original intent. I will take my oath to uphold the Constitution very seriously."

• Balanced Budget Amendment

• On his website, Stenberg says, "The vast federal budget deficits of recent years are a serious threat to the economic future of our nation. It has to stop!"

• Term Limits

• On his website, Stenberg says, "When elected officials spend too much time in Washington they often lose touch with the American people. That is why as Nebraska’s next United States senator I will support a constitutional amendment to limit the terms of Senators and members of Congress. Whether that amendment passes or not, if the people of Nebraska send me to the United States Senate, I will voluntarily limit my service to two terms. I want to go to Washington to serve my country, not climb the political power ladder."

• Repeal Obama regulations

• On his website, Stenberg says, "As Nebraska’s next United States Senator I will offer legislation to repeal every rule and regulation adopted by the Obama administration. Any that are truly needed can then be submitted by the bureaucrats to Congress for a vote."

• Take power away from bureaucrats

• On his website, Stenberg says, "Heavy-handed federal regulations are severely damaging our economy. The time has come to take the power out of the hands of the bureaucrats. As Nebraska’s next United State Senator I will support legislation that will require the approval of the Congress of the United States before any new major federal rule or regulation can go into effect."

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Stenberg is available dating back to 2010. Based on available campaign finance records, Stenberg raised a total of $100,404 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 23, 2013.

Don Stenberg's Campaign Contribution History
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2012	Nebraska Treasurer		$120
2010	Nebraska Treasurer		$100,284
Grand Total Raised			$100,404

2010

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Don Stenberg's donors each year. Click [show] for more information.

Don Stenberg's Campaign Contributions
	2010 Nebraska Treasurer
Total Raised	$100,284
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$13,614
Top 5 contributors	Don Stenberg	$28,150
	Kenneth Morrison	$10,000
	Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer	$4,000
	Jeff Dinklage Agri-Business Inc.	$3,900
	Deryl Hamann	$3,000
Individuals	$42,800
Institutions	$21,550
In-state donations	$85,500
Out-of-state donations	$8,000

Recent news

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Don Stenberg News Feed

• Treasurer Don Stenberg recognizes essay winners - Beatrice Daily Sun
• New web-based financial literacy program available to students - Grant Tribune Sentinel
• Nebraska Judge allows Keystone XL lawsuit to proceed - Sioux City Journal
• A reset in the Nebraska Senate race - Washington Post (blog)
• Most top NE officials escaped governor's cuts, except auditor - Kansas Watchdog
• Nebraska Bill Signed Allowing Increased Deduction for College Savings ... - Business Wire (press release)
• Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman says he won't run for US Senate - Sioux Falls Argus Leader
• Climbing costs make college savings more important than ever - McCook Daily Gazette
• Senate rundown: Hagan gets first GOP opponent - MSNBC
• NRSC prebuts a Nunn candidacy in GeorgiaWho would Hillary hire for 16Va ... - Politico (blog)

Personal

Stenberg and his wife, Sue, have four children.

Contact info

Capitol Address:
Nebraska State Treasurer
Room 2005, State Capitol
PO Box 94788
Lincoln, NE 68509-4788

Phone: (402) 471 - 2455
Fax 1: (402) 471 - 4390
Fax 2 (402) 471 - 0816

See Also

• Nebraska Treasurer

External links

Suggest a link

• Don Stenberg for Senate campaign website
• Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg
• Project Vote Smart biography
• Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010
• Senate Conservatives Page on Stenberg
• Club for Growth Profile
• The Hill article about Stenberg's office

References

Political offices
Preceded by Shane Osborn (R)	Nebraska Treasurer 2010 – present	Succeeded by NA