Nebraska State Senate District 31
Nebraska State Senate District 31 is represented by Kathleen Kauth (R).
As of the 2020 Census, Nebraska state senators represented an average of 40,068 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 37,384 residents.
About the office
Members of the Nebraska State Senate serve four-year terms with term limits.[1] It is unique in that it is the only American state legislature that is unicameral. Half of the seats up for election every second year. Nebraska legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.[2]
Qualifications
A candidate for the Nebraska Legislature must meet the following qualifications:[3]
- Be registered to vote
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Be a resident of Nebraska, and specifically a resident of the legislative district he or she wishes to serve, for at least one year prior to the general election
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[4] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $12,000/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $55/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the capitol: $151/day. |
Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Nebraska State Senate is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Nebraska Term Limits Act in 2000. That initiative limited senators to terms of no more than two four-year terms.[1]
The first year that the term limits enacted in 2000 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2008.
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Nebraska State Legislature, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement. If the vacancy occurs after May 1 of the official's second year in office, the replacement must serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If the vacancy happens before that date, the replacement serves the remainder of the unfilled term before the next general election when a new representative is elected.[5]
See sources: Nebraska Rev. Stat. §32-566
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
On September 30, 2021, the Nebraska State Legislature approved a new state legislative map, 37-7. Gov. Pete Ricketts signed the map into law shortly afterwards.[6] This map took effect for Nebraska's 2022 legislative elections.
How does redistricting in Nebraska work? In Nebraska, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. A simple majority is required to approve a redistricting plan, which is subject to veto by the governor.[7]
The Nebraska Constitution requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous and compact, and they keep to county boundaries 'whenever practicable.'"[7][8]
On April 8, 2011, the state legislature approved the following redistricting guidelines:[7]
- Congressional districts should be held to the same aforementioned constitutional requirements as state legislative districts.
- Both congressional and state legislative districts should be "understandable to voters, preserve the cores of prior districts, and keep to boundaries of cities and villages when feasible."
- District boundaries "should not be established with the intention of favoring a political party, other group or any person."
The legislature is entitled to amend these guidelines at its discretion.[7]
Nebraska State Senate District 31
until January 3, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Nebraska State Senate District 31
starting January 4, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Nebraska State Senate District 31
Incumbent Kathleen Kauth defeated Mary Ann Folchert in the general election for Nebraska State Senate District 31 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kathleen Kauth (Nonpartisan)  | 54.1 | 10,664 |
 | Mary Ann Folchert (Nonpartisan) | 45.9 | 9,064 | |
| Total votes: 19,728 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Nebraska State Senate District 31
Incumbent Kathleen Kauth and Mary Ann Folchert advanced from the primary for Nebraska State Senate District 31 on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kathleen Kauth (Nonpartisan) | 59.1 | 4,680 |
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Folchert (Nonpartisan) | 40.9 | 3,235 |
| Total votes: 7,915 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2022
A special election for Nebraska State Senate District 31 was called for November 8, 2022. The candidate filing deadline was September 1, 2022.[9]
The seat became vacant after the death of Rich Pahls (R) on April 27, 2022.[10] Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) appointed Kathleen Kauth (R) to the state Senate on June 7, 2022, to replace Pahls.[11] Kauth and Tim Royers filed to run in the special election.[12]
General election
Special general election for Nebraska State Senate District 31
Incumbent Kathleen Kauth defeated Tim Royers in the special general election for Nebraska State Senate District 31 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kathleen Kauth (Nonpartisan) | 52.5 | 8,076 |
| Tim Royers (Nonpartisan) | 47.5 | 7,306 | ||
| Total votes: 15,382 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2020
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Nebraska State Senate District 31
Rich Pahls defeated Tim Royers in the general election for Nebraska State Senate District 31 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rich Pahls (Nonpartisan) | 52.8 | 10,727 |
| Tim Royers (Nonpartisan) | 47.2 | 9,608 | ||
| Total votes: 20,335 | |||
| = 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 31
Rich Pahls and Tim Royers defeated Melanie Williams, Mark Gruenewald, and Alexander Martin in the primary for Nebraska State Senate District 31 on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rich Pahls (Nonpartisan) | 37.9 | 4,156 |
| ✔ | Tim Royers (Nonpartisan) | 35.8 | 3,925 | |
| Melanie Williams (Nonpartisan) | 13.6 | 1,487 | ||
| Mark Gruenewald (Nonpartisan) | 9.7 | 1,069 | ||
| Alexander Martin (Nonpartisan) | 3.1 | 337 | ||
| Total votes: 10,974 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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.[13]
Incumbent Rick Kolowski defeated Ian Swanson in the Nebraska State Senate District 31 general election.[14][15]
| Nebraska State Senate, District 31 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Rick Kolowski Incumbent |
52.07% | 9,762 |
| Ian Swanson | 47.93% | 8,985 |
| Total Votes | 18,747 | |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State | ||
Ian Swanson and incumbent Rick Kolowski defeated Peter Mayberry in the Nebraska State Senate District 31 primary.[16][17]
| Nebraska State Senate, District 31 Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Ian Swanson |
49.65% | 2,911 |
| Rick Kolowski Incumbent |
41.45% | 2,430 |
| Peter Mayberry | 8.90% | 522 |
| Total Votes | 5,863 | |
2012
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Nebraska State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 15, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 1, 2012. Rick Kolowski defeated Acela Turco in the general election. Both candidates were unopposed in the May 15 Nonpartisan primary.[18][19][20] A total of $296,852 was raised by 2012 candidates in the district, with Turco outspending Kolowski by a margin of $149,969 to $146,883.[21]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Rick Kolowski |
52% | 9,121 | |
| Nonpartisan | Acela Turco | 48% | 8,413 | |
| Total Votes | 17,534 | |||
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Nebraska State Senate District 31 raised a total of $1,775,142. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $104,420 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Nebraska State Senate District 31 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $392,471 | 2 | $196,236 |
| 2022 | $292,177 | 2 | $146,089 |
| 2020 | $295,074 | 2 | $147,537 |
| 2016 | $296,450 | 3 | $98,817 |
| 2012 | $296,852 | 2 | $148,426 |
| 2008 | $55,250 | 1 | $55,250 |
| 2004 | $97,746 | 3 | $32,582 |
| 2000 | $49,121 | 2 | $24,561 |
| Total | $1,775,142 | 17 | $104,420 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 termlimits.org, "State Legislative Term Limits," accessed February 4, 2021 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "limits" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Nebraska Constitution, "Article III-10," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Qualifications," accessed May 22, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statutes," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statute 32.566)
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "LB3 - Set boundaries of legislative districts," accessed September 30, 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 All About Redistricting, "Nebraska," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ Nebraska State Constitution, "Article III-5," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ www.knopnews2.com, "Nebraskans pay tribute to State Sen. Rich Pahls," April 27, 2022
- ↑ Beaumont Enterprise, "Nebraska state Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha dies at 78," accessed April 29, 2022
- ↑ Office of Governor Pete Ricketts, "Gov. Ricketts Appoints Kathleen Kauth as Senator for Legislative District 31," June 7, 2022
- ↑ NCW Life Channel, "Two candidates make the ballot for Omaha legislative district," September 13, 2022
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "2012 Candidate List for the Primary Election," accessed December 4, 2013
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "2012 General Election Results," accessed December 4, 2013
- ↑ followthemoney.org, “Nebraska 2012 Senate Candidates," accessed November 27, 2013
