Nebraska State Senate elections, 2024
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| 2024 Nebraska Senate Elections | |
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| Primary | May 14, 2024 |
| General | November 5, 2024 |
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Elections for the Nebraska State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline for an incumbent was February 15, 2024. The filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates was March 1, 2024.
The Nebraska State Senate was one of 85 state legislative chambers with elections in 2024. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Democrats needed to gain one Senate seat to break the Republican legislative supermajority. Republicans needed to lose no Senate seats to maintain the Republican legislative supermajority.
Party control
| Nebraska State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 15 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | 33 | |
| Nonpartisan | 1 | 2 | |
| Total | 49 | 49 | |
Candidates
General election
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionPrimary
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Nebraska
General election race ratings
The table below displays race ratings for each race in this chamber from CNalysis.
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
Two incumbents lost in general elections. The average number of incumbents defeated each election from 2010 to 2022 was also two.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Raymond Aguilar |  Republican |
Senate District 35 |
| Jen Day (Nebraska) |  Democratic |
Senate District 49 |
Incumbents defeated in primaries
No incumbents lost in primaries. 2016 was the only year an incumbent lost a primary in Nebraska since Ballotpedia started tracking this figure in 2010.
Retiring incumbents
Fifteen incumbents did not file for re-election in 2024.[1] This was the most retirements in a single year since 2014, when 17 incumbents retired. Those incumbents were:
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Nebraska. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Nebraska in 2024. Information below was calculated on April 18, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
There were 25 legislative seats up for election this year in Nebraska's unicameral legislature. Fifteen incumbents (5 Democrats and 10 Republicans) did not run for re-election. This was the highest retirement rate since 2014, when 17 incumbents (8 Democrats, 8 Republicans, and one independent) retired. The average number of retirements each year from 2010 to 2022 was 10.
Nebraska legislators are limited to serving two four-year terms. Fourteen of the 15 retiring incumbents were term-limited. The other, Fred Meyer (R-41), was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2023 but said he would not seek a full term. Two other retiring incumbents, Carol Blood (D-3) and Tony Vargas (D-7), ran for Congress.
Elections for Nebraska's legislature are officially nonpartisan, and the candidates do not run with party labels. However, almost all legislators are affiliated with the state affiliate of either the Democratic or the Republican Party. Both parties explicitly endorse candidates for legislative seats. Ballotpedia collects information from numerous sources and cross-matches the information for each candidate to determine his or her political affiliation.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Nebraska State Senate from 2010 to 2024.[2]
| Open Seats in Nebraska State Senate elections: 2010 - 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2024 | 25 | 15 (60%) | 10 (40%) |
| 2022 | 24 | 13 (54%) | 11 (46%) |
| 2020 | 25 | 6 (24%) | 19 (76%) |
| 2018 | 24 | 8 (33%) | 16 (67%) |
| 2016 | 25 | 11 (44%) | 14 (56%) |
| 2014 | 25 | 17 (68%) | 8 (32%) |
| 2012 | 26 | 9 (35%) | 17 (65%) |
| 2010 | 24 | 3 (13%) | 21 (87%) |
Legislative referrals
- See also: Legislative referral
A legislative referral, or legislatively referred ballot measure, is a ballot measure that appears on the ballot due to a vote of the state legislature. A legislative referral can be a constitutional amendment, state statute, or bond issue.
As of the 2024 election, a 60% vote was required for the unicameral Nebraska State Senate to place a constitutional amendment on the next general election ballot that includes elections for members of the state legislature. That amounted to a minimum of 30 votes, assuming no vacancies. An 80% vote was required for the legislature to call a special statewide election. That amounted to a minimum 40 votes, assuming no vacancies. An amendment becomes part of the constitution if a majority of those voting on the measure vote for it and if it wins favorable votes from at least 35 percent of those voting in the election for any office.
At the time of the 2024 election, Republicans held a 33-15 majority in the Senate. Democrats needed to win 15 seats to be able to pass legislative referrals and 25 seats to call a special statewide election without Republican votes. Republicans needed to lose three seats to lose the ability to pass legislative referrals and gain seven seats to call a special statewide election without Democratic votes.
Process to become a candidate
For all candidates
According to the Nebraska Secretary of State, every prospective candidate must complete and submit a candidate filing form (which includes a candidate statement that must be signed) and provide for the payment of the filing fee. For state offices, the candidate must submit a statement of financial interests. A candidate for federal office must submit a financial statement according to Federal Election Commission instructions.[3]
Filing fees vary by office and are established by Chapter 32, Section 608, of the Nebraska Revised Statutes.[4][5]
| Filing fees | |
|---|---|
| Office sought | How the fee is determined |
| United States Senator or United States Representative | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| Governor | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| Secretary of state | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| State auditor | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| State treasurer | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| Attorney general | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| Public service commissioner | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| State senator | 1% of the office's annual salary |
If the office for which the candidate is filing pays only a per diem (i.e., an allowance for expenses incurred as a result of fulfilling an office's duties) or a salary of less than $500 per year, the filing fee is waived. In addition, no filing fee is required of any candidate who completes an affidavit requesting to file in forma pauperis (i.e., a person whose "income and other resources for maintenance are found to be insufficient for meeting the cost of his or her requirements and whose cash or other available resources do not exceed the maximum available resources that an eligible individual may own").[4]
For partisan candidates
See statutes: Chapter 32, Section 610 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes
To be eligible for inclusion on a partisan primary ballot, a candidate must be a registered voter of the party, if so required. A partisan candidate must complete the aforementioned paperwork and pay the filing fees required of all candidates.[6]
For independent candidates
See statutes: Chapter 32, Section 616 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes
Any registered voter who was not a candidate in the primary election and who was not registered to vote with a party affiliation on or before March 1 in the calendar year of the general election may have his or her name placed on the general election ballot either by petition or nomination by political party convention or committee. The number of signatures required for nominating petitions varies by office (see below table for more information).[7][8]
| Signature requirements | |
|---|---|
| Office sought | Number of signatures required |
| Nonpartisan office (including state legislators) filled by registered voters of a county or political subdivision | 10% of the total number of registered voters voting for governor or president at the most recent general election; not to exceed 2,000 |
| Partisan office | 4,000 signatures for candidates for statewide office of U.S. House |
For further information regarding petition requirements, see below.
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Nebraska Senate, a candidate must be:[9]
- At least 21 years of age
- 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
- Must not have ever been convicted of a felony
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[10] | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
When sworn in
Nebraska legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.[11]
Nebraska political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Nebraska Party Control: 1992-2024
Seven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Presidential politics in Nebraska
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Presidential election in Nebraska, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
58.5
|
556,846 | 4 | |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
39.4
|
374,583 | 1 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
2.1
|
20,283 | 0 | |
 |
Total votes: 951,712 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, Nebraska, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 33.7% | 284,494 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
58.7% | 495,961 | 4 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 4.6% | 38,946 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1% | 8,775 | 0 | |
| - | Other/Write-in | 1.9% | 16,051 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 844,227 | 4 | |||
| Election results via: Federal Election Commission | |||||
Nebraska presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 6 Democratic wins
- 27 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
See also
| Nebraska | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Statewide Candidate Filing Guide 2024," accessed January 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Chapter 32, Section 608," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Filing Fee Schedule for 2014," accessed December 2, 2013
- ↑ Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Chapter 32, Section 610," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Chapter 32, Section 616," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Chapter 32, Section 618," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑ Qualifications to serve in the Nebraska Legislature
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Nebraska Constitution, "Article III-10," accessed November 4, 2021
