Kate Bolz
Kate Bolz (Democratic Party) was a member of the Nebraska State Senate, representing District 29. She assumed office on January 9, 2013. She left office on January 6, 2021.
Bolz (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Nebraska's 1st Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Biography
Bolz earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and her master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan. Her professional experience includes working as an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Committee assignments
2019-2020
Bolz was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Nebraska committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Natural Resources |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Bolz served on the following committees:
| Nebraska committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Bolz served on the following committees:
| Nebraska committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills sponsored by this legislator. Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills sponsored by this person, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2020
Congressional election
See also: Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (May 12 Democratic primary)
Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (May 12 Republican primary)
General election for U.S. House Nebraska District 1
Incumbent Jeffrey Fortenberry defeated Kate Bolz and Dennis Grace in the general election for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Jeffrey Fortenberry (R) |
59.5
|
189,006 |
|
|
Kate Bolz (D) |
37.7
|
119,622 | |
|
|
Dennis Grace (L) 
|
2.8
|
8,938 | |
|
Total votes: 317,566 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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||||
Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1
Kate Bolz defeated Barbara Ramsey in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 12, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Kate Bolz |
77.6
|
43,400 |
|
|
Barbara Ramsey
|
22.4
|
12,497 | |
|
Total votes: 55,897 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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||||
Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1
Incumbent Jeffrey Fortenberry advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 12, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Jeffrey Fortenberry |
100.0
|
84,017 |
|
Total votes: 84,017 | |||
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||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Nicholas Oviatt (R)
Libertarian primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1
Dennis Grace advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 12, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Dennis Grace
|
100.0
|
1,047 |
|
Total votes: 1,047 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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||||
State legislative election
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2020
Bolz was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2016
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Nebraska State Senate were held in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 16, 2016, for incumbents. Challengers were required to file by March 1, 2016.[1]
Incumbent Kate Bolz defeated Melody Vaccaro in the Nebraska State Senate District 29 general election.[2][3]
| Nebraska State Senate, District 29 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kate Bolz Incumbent |
82.95% | 14,281 |
| Melody Vaccaro | 17.05% | 2,936 |
| Total Votes | 17,217 | |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State | ||
Incumbent Kate Bolz and Melody Vaccaro were unopposed in the Nebraska State Senate District 29 primary.[4][5]
| Nebraska State Senate, District 29 Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Kate Bolz Incumbent | ||
| Melody Vaccaro | ||
2012
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2012
Bolz won election in the 2012 election for Nebraska State Senate District 29. Bolz advanced past the May 15 primary election and defeated Larry Zimmerman in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[6][7]
| Nebraska State Senate, District 29, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Kate Bolz |
50.9% | 9,073 | |
| Nonpartisan | Larry Zimmerman | 49.1% | 8,750 | |
| Total Votes | 17,823 | |||
| Nebraska State Senate District 29 Nonpartisan Primary, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|
Kate Bolz |
30.5% | 2,377 |
| Larry Zimmerman |
25.8% | 2,013 |
| Susan Scott | 19.3% | 1,502 |
| Mike Smith | 15.8% | 1,231 |
| Don Mayhew | 8.6% | 670 |
| Total Votes | 7,793 | |
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kate Bolz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Bolz's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
|
” |
| —Kate Bolz[9] | ||
2012
Bolz's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[10]
Family Security
- Excerpt: "I will work to promote tax fairness for all Nebraskans. We can no longer allow for an unbalanced tax burden on middle class families and small businesses who can afford it the least. I will fight for fiscal transparency and accountability to ensure your dollars are working for you."
Quality Education
- Excerpt: "School funding is imbalanced and pushing up our property taxes. With a growing student population in our schools, we cannot stand to receive less support as we have under the current funding formula. I will advocate for a better formula which will reduce the dependence on already escalating property taxes. I will fight to protect both education and your taxes by finding common sense solutions to adjusting the current funding formula."
Jobs
- Excerpt: "It is imperative that we invest to make our state more competitive. As your senator, I will support businesses and workers. Nebraska businesses cite a “skills gap” in our workforce as a barrier to economic growth. By developing initiatives that train workers for key industries such as health care and manufacturing, we can both build opportunity for workers and create economic growth in the state."
Campaign donors
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.
| Kate Bolz campaign contribution history | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions |
| 2016 | Nebraska State Senate, District 29 | ✔ | $129,252 |
| 2012 | Nebraska State Senate, District 29 | ✔ | $144,469 |
| Grand total raised | $273,721 | ||
|
Source: Follow the Money |
|||
2016
Bolz won re-election to the Nebraska State Senate in 2016. During that election cycle, Bolz raised a total of $129,252.
| Nebraska State Senate 2016 election - campaign contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top contributors to Kate Bolz's campaign in 2016 | ||||
| Nebraska State Education Association | $11,925 | |||
| Associated General Contractors Nebraska Chapter | $4,500 | |||
| Nebraska Bankers Association | $4,350 | |||
| Nebraska Association Of Trial Attorneys | $4,000 | |||
| Nebraska Realtors Association | $3,500 | |||
| Total raised in 2016 | $129,252 | |||
| Source: Follow the Money | ||||
2012
Bolz won election to the Nebraska State Senate in 2012. During that election cycle, Bolz raised a total of $144,469.
| Nebraska State Senate 2012 election - campaign contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top contributors to Kate Bolz's campaign in 2012 | ||||
| Nebraska State Education Association | $27,122 | |||
| Ne Hospital Association Pac | $8,000 | |||
| Bolz, Craig | $6,500 | |||
| Nebraska State Legislative Board United Transportation Union | $5,500 | |||
| Nebraska AFL-CIO | $4,150 | |||
| Total raised in 2012 | $144,469 | |||
| Source: Follow the Money | ||||
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Nebraska scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 107th Legislature, 1st session from January 9 through May 31.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 106th Legislature, 2nd session from January 3 to April 18.
|
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 105th Legislature, 1st session from January 4 to May 23.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 104th Legislature, 2nd session from January 6 to April 20.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 104th Legislature, 1st session from January 7 to May 29.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 103rd Legislature, 2nd session from January 8 to April 17.[11]
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature was in its 103rd Legislature, 1st session from January 9 to June 5.
|
Endorsements
2016
In 2016, Bolz's endorsements included the following:[12]
- Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
- Lincoln Education Association
- Nebraska Chamber of Commerce
- Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA)
- Associated General Contractors – Highway Improvement
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainsmen
- Carpenters Union Local 1306
- Lincoln Firefighters
- Chiropractors of Nebraska
- Communication Workers of America
- Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
See also
2020 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Official campaign website
- Profile from Open States
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Kate Bolz on Facebook
- Kate Bolz on Twitter
- Kate Bolz on LinkedIn
- Campaign contributions via Follow the Money
Footnotes
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Official Election Calendar," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Statewide Candidate List for general election," accessed August 19, 2016
- ↑ Nebraska Secetary of State, "General election results, 2016," accessed December 21, 2016
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Statewide Candidate List," accessed May 16, 2016
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Primary Election May 10, 2016," accessed October 14, 2016
- ↑ journalstar.com, "Second candidate declares in Lincoln's District 29," accessed November 28, 2011
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Official Report of The Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska - Primary Election, May 15, 2012," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Kate Bolz, "Issues," accessed September 29, 2016
- ↑ katebolz.com, "On the Issues," accessed May 13, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "2014 Legislative Session," accessed June 27, 2014
- ↑ Kate Bolz, "Supporters and Endorsements," accessed September 29, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tony Fulton |
Nebraska State Senate District 29 2013–2021 |
Succeeded by Eliot Bostar (D) |
