Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016
2018 →
← 2014
|
 |
November 8, 2016 |
May 10, 2016 |
Adrian Smith  |
Adrian Smith |
 |
Cook Political Report: Solid R[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe R[2] Rothenberg & Gonzales: Safe R[3] |
 |
The 3rd Congressional District of Nebraska held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Adrian Smith faced no opposition in the general election on November 8, 2016. No Democratic candidates filed to run in 2016. Smith also faced no primary opponent on May 10, 2016.[4]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Nebraska, participation rules for primaries vary by the office up for election. State legislative primaries use a nonpartisan top-two primary system in which any voter can participate. Congressional primaries are partisan, but any voter may vote in the congressional primary of their choice. For all other statewide offices, a state party can determine if it will allow unaffiliated voters to vote their primary ballot.
As of September 2025, the Democratic Party held a semi-closed primary in which registered party members and unaffiliated voters could participate, and the Republican Party held a closed primary in which only registered party members could participate.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Adrian Smith (R), who was first elected in 2006.
Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District is located in the western portion of the state and includes Adams, Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Cedar, chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Clay, Custer, Dakota, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dundy, Fillmore, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Jefferson, Johnson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Morrill, Nance, Nemaha, Nuckolls, Pawnee, Perkins, Phelps, Pierce, Red Willow, Richardson, Rock, Saline, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thayer, Thomas, Valley, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, and York counties. Parts of Dixon and Merrick counties also lie within the district.[5]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Adrian Smith Incumbent |
100% | 226,720 | |
| Total Votes | 226,720 | |||
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State | ||||
Candidates
|
General election candidates: Adrian Smith  |
|
Primary candidates:[6] |
|
Democratic |
Republican |
District history
2014
The 3rd Congressional District of Nebraska held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Adrian Smith (R) defeated Mark Sullivan (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adrian Smith Incumbent |
75.4% | 139,440 | |
| Democratic | Mark Sullivan | 24.6% | 45,524 | |
| Total Votes | 184,964 | |||
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 3rd Congressional District of Nebraska held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Adrian Smith won re-election in the district.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark Sullivan | 25.8% | 65,266 | |
| Republican | Adrian Smith Incumbent |
74.2% | 187,423 | |
| Total Votes | 252,689 | |||
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: Nebraska elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Nebraska in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| December 1, 2015 | Ballot access | Filing period for both incumbents and non-incumbents running in the primary election opens | |
| December 1, 2015 | Ballot access | Filing period for both incumbents and non-incumbents running in the general election opens | |
| February 16, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period for incumbents running in the primary election closes | |
| March 1, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period for non-incumbents running in the primary election closes | |
| April 11, 2016 | Campaign finance | First primary statement due | |
| May 2, 2016 | Campaign finance | Second primary statement due | |
| May 10, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| June 20, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-primary statement due | |
| July 15, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period for incumbents running in the general election closes | |
| August 1, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period for non-incumbents running in the general election closes | |
| October 10, 2016 | Campaign finance | First general statement due | |
| October 31, 2016 | Campaign finance | Second general statement due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| January 17, 2017 | Campaign finance | Post-general statement due | |
| Sources: Nebraska Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings Information – 2016 Election," accessed July 1, 2015 Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, "2016 Election Year – Candidate Brochure," June 2015 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Statewide Candidate List," March 2, 2016
- ↑ Nebraska Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed August 29, 2012
- ↑ Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Statewide Candidate List," March 2, 2016
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
