Allison Heimes

Allison Heimes ran for election to the Nebraska State Senate to represent District 39. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Heimes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Allison Heimes was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned a high school diploma from Lincoln Southeast High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2012, and a J.D. from Creighton University in 2016. Heimes' professional experience includes working as an immigration and criminal attorney. She has been associated with The Kim Foundation's Loss Team, the Democratic Party, and Relevant Church.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Tony Sorrentino defeated Allison Heimes in the general election for Nebraska State Senate District 39 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Sorrentino (Nonpartisan)	52.1	11,847
	Allison Heimes (Nonpartisan)	47.9	10,896

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,743
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Tony Sorrentino and Allison Heimes advanced from the primary for Nebraska State Senate District 39 on May 14, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Sorrentino (Nonpartisan)	51.1	3,881
✔	Allison Heimes (Nonpartisan)	48.9	3,712

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,593
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Heimes in this election.

2020

General election

General election for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Incumbent Lou Ann Linehan defeated Allison Heimes in the general election for Nebraska State Senate District 39 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lou Ann Linehan (Nonpartisan)	56.0	15,367
	Allison Heimes (Nonpartisan)	44.0	12,087

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,454
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Incumbent Lou Ann Linehan and Allison Heimes advanced from the primary for Nebraska State Senate District 39 on May 12, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lou Ann Linehan (Nonpartisan)	61.7	8,355
✔	Allison Heimes (Nonpartisan)	38.3	5,176

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,531
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Allison Heimes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Heimes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Allison is an immigration attorney, mom of 3 children under 9, military spouse, and mental health advocate.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Mental Health Reform
Supporting public education
Childcare affordability and parental leave policies

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

All of the above issues.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Accountability, availability, and ethical.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent the needs of a district through legislation that helps individuals with daily life and do so ethically. Read and draft legislation through gaining the lived experience testimony of those it will effect, the testimony of experts in the area, and careful consideration of bill language.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A legacy of empathy paired with critical thinking skills.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9/11 I was 10.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I have three children so the new Disney movie Wish has been playing non-stop. The soundtrack to that movie is running through my mind constantly.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

worker shortage, supporting public schools

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Transparency and accountability are absolutely necessary.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Allison Heimes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Heimes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a resident of Elkhorn Nebraska. I am an Immigration and Criminal Attorney out of the Omaha area. I am a military spouse and a mom of two boys. I am a strong supporter of public education and union labor. I am passionate about mental health reform and I consider healthcare a right not a privilege. I truly believe that if you aren't running for office to help families and the community, then you aren't running for the right reasons.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

My number one priority is to place families first.
I will always support public education.
I am committed to mental health reform.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I plan to implement childcare tax credits for the working class. I plan to enact a paid parental leave program for the state of Nebraska. I want to place mental health professionals in all grade schools and universities. I want to prioritize legislation that creates new sources of revenue so that we can fully fund public schools and relieve the emphasis property taxes have on funding public education. Beyond all of that, my very first bill will be a bill providing burial plaques to National Guard Service members in honor of my brother who served in the guard and passed away from suicide.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. She was brave enough to go to law school at a time women weren't attending law schools, she was ambitious enough to be recognized for her success, and she was smart enough to serve on the Supreme Court. I hope to demonstrate the same bravery, ambition, and intelligence in my work as a legislator.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Not one in particular. I have been inspired and motivated by many books, films, and essays. I am a moderate. I am motivated by facts and by ethics. The works of Immanuel Kant, Plato, Aristotle and John Locke inspired me early on when I was studying Political Science in college.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and most importantly empathy.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a very empathetic person. I think you must experience pain to understand pain and the loss of my brother caused my family immense pain. I also hear the stories of immigrants struggling to survive and support their families and those stories have given me the perspective I need to appreciate the blessings I have and it humbles me. I pride myself on my ability to turn worried chaos into positive action and work overtime to support others when necessary. While everyone is justifiably worrying about CoViD19, I am volunteering at the food bank, connecting constituents with community resources, making care baskets for nurses, donating blood, and staying up to date on every new news release from the CDC and WHO. We need leaders who are willing to put others before themselves, especially when it matters most.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The first and most important responsibility is to answer the messages received from constituents; actually answer the phone! I have many personal stories of attempting to contact my representatives and being ignored. I hear this often when I meet constituents as well. You can't represent the public if you won't hear them out.
The second priority is to adequately research each piece of legislation you are asked to vote on before you vote. Read it, research it, and THEN vote on it.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want people to say that everything I did was in service to the public. I want to walk into a local shop or restaurant and have people recognize me because they saw me at the food bank or they saw me volunteering at the school. I want them to know I am their representative because they met me two or three times, not just saw me on TV.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Well, obviously the Huskers winning the National Championship .in 1997. I was 7 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was when I was 15 years old. I worked for a coffee shop called Bagels and Joe. I worked there for probably about a year.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Princess Leia because I would get to be a princess but also a badass general who has force capabilities.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Into the Unknown - Frozen 2. I have 2 kids.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Losing my brother was the single greatest struggle I have ever experienced. Coming to terms with how he took his own life and the fact I had no idea he was suffering from depression. It has been very difficult, even today. I lost my brother, but I also lost a dear friend.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

The primary benefit is being able to serve the community and make the changes necessary to bring Nebraska into this century. The only drawback is that a position as a legislator is not designed to be a full-time job. It will take some getting used to in order to work my day job and also work on the legislature, but it is doable and I am excited for the opportunity.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think knowing the inner-workings of the government is helpful in the beginning, but I think learning the nuances of government comes quickly once placed into the position. I think knowing and studying the law is more crucial for serving in the Unicameral. Practicing law allows you to better understand the importance of how a law is written and the unintended consequences of poorly drafted legislation. Real life experience is how you gain perspective. If you have only ever worked in government and in politics, that doesn't leave a lot of room for perspective.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our greatest challenge is going to be revenue growth, especially now that the country is in economic crisis due to CoViD19. We will need to be creative in how we create new sources of revenue in order to support the need for services that will also grow due to our current economic situation.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Each legislator represents a district specific to them. The governor represents the whole state. The job of the governor should be to bring all of the legislators together for the good of the state as a whole. The governor also acts as a point of contact between the state and the national government. The governor and the state legislature should have a close working relationship.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Of coarse. Nothing would get done if we didn't work together.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would love to serve on the Education Committee. I strongly believe in the importance of supporting public education and acknowledging that our schools provide so much more for students beyond an education; schools are a second home for many. I have not settled on a second committee at the moment.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I am not interested in that at this time.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No, I do not have a particular legislator that I wish to model myself after. I hope to be my own person and work on legislation that benefits my constituents and the state as a whole. There are many legislators I admire for their tenacity and integrity. I hope to serve honorably and always with my constituents in mind.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Not at this time.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The stories I hear the most that touch me are stories of personal struggle with mental health. I often share the story of why I am running for office and that story starts with my brother dying by suicide. When I tell people that part of my story, they open up and share stories of personal struggle with thoughts of suicide or a family member struggling with thoughts of suicide. I am usually very touched by these stories and I have developed very good connections with constituents as a result. I will refrain from sharing those stories on this platform as they are quite personal.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Allison Heimes campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Nebraska State Senate District 39	Lost general	$65,768	$65,336
2020	Nebraska State Senate District 39	Lost general	$61,834	N/A**
Grand total			$127,602	$65,336
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Nebraska State Senate District 39

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 19, 2020
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 15, 2024

[show]

Current members of the Nebraska State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:John Arch

Senators

District 1

Robert Hallstrom (R)

District 2

Robert Clements (R)

District 3

Victor Rountree (N)

District 4

R. von Gillern (R)

District 5

Margo Juarez (D)

District 6

Machaela Cavanaugh (D)

District 7

Dunixi Guereca (D)

District 8

Megan Hunt (N)

District 9

John Cavanaugh (D)

District 10

Wendy DeBoer (D)

District 11

Terrell McKinney (D)

District 12

Merv Riepe (R)

District 13

Ashlei Spivey (D)

District 14

John Arch (R)

District 15

Dave Wordekemper (R)

District 16

Ben Hansen (R)

District 17

Glen Meyer (R)

District 18

Christy Armendariz (R)

District 19

Rob Dover (R)

District 20

John Fredrickson (D)

District 21

Beau Ballard (R)

District 22

Mike Moser (R)

District 23

Jared Storm (R)

District 24

Jana Hughes (R)

District 25

Carolyn Bosn (R)

District 26

George Dungan (D)

District 27

Jason Prokop (D)

District 28

Jane Raybould (D)

District 29

Eliot Bostar (D)

District 30

Myron Dorn (R)

District 31

Kathleen Kauth (R)

District 32

Tom Brandt (R)

District 33

Dan Lonowski (R)

District 34

Loren Lippincott (R)

District 35

Dan Quick (D)

District 36

Rick Holdcroft (R)

District 37

Stanley Clouse (R)

District 38

Dave Murman (R)

District 39

Tony Sorrentino (R)

District 40

Barry DeKay (R)

District 41

Daniel McKeon (R)

District 42

Michael Jacobson (R)

District 43

Tanya Storer (R)

District 44

Teresa Ibach (R)

District 45

Rita Sanders (R)

District 46

Danielle Conrad (D)

District 47

Paul Strommen (R)

District 48

Brian Hardin (R)

District 49

Bob Andersen (R)

Republican Party (33)

Democratic Party (14)

Nonpartisan (2)

[bio1-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 19, 2020

[bio2-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 15, 2024

[1]

[2]

	v • e State of Nebraska Lincoln (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Allison Heimes

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Endorsements

2020

General election

General election for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nebraska State Senate District 39

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION