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Nebraska election preview, 2024

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Last updated: Oct. 2, 2024

Thousands of general elections are taking place across the United States on Nov. 5, 2024. Those elections include offices at the federal, state, and local levels. This is one of 50 pages in which Ballotpedia previews the elections happening in each state as part of the Daily Brew’s 50 states in 25 days series.

This page provides an overview of all elections happening in Nebraska within our coverage scope on Nov. 5, 2024. Those elections include offices for three U.S. Representatives, two U.S. Senators, four members of the Board of Regents, four members of the State Board of Education, and two Public Service Commissioners, 25 state Senators, and one State Supreme Court Justice. Additionally there are six statewide ballot measures on the ballot in Nebraska. On this page, you will also find information regarding:

Voting information

See also: Voting in Nebraska

Election information in Nebraska: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 25, 2024
  • By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 18, 2024
  • Online: Oct. 18, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 25, 2024
  • By mail: Received by Oct. 25, 2024
  • Online: Oct. 25, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
  • By mail: Received by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 7, 2024 to Nov. 4, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CST)


What's on the ballot?

2024 elections

See also: Nebraska elections, 2024

Nebraska voters will elect one U.S. Senator and three U.S. Representatives. Additionally there will be a special election to fill the last two years of the six-year term that Ben Sasse (R) was elected to in 2020. Pete Ricketts (R), who Gov. Jim Pillen (R) appointed to fill the vacant left by Sasse's resignation, is running for election. All five incumbents are running for re-election.

There are four seats on the Board of Regents, four seats on the State Board of Education, and two seats on the Public Service Commission up for election. Incumbents are running for re-election for all seats on the Board of Regents and the Public Service Commission. All seats on the State Board of Education are open.

Twenty-five seats in the state Senate are up for election. Fifteen seats are open because an incumbent is not running for re-election.

One seat on the state supreme court is up for election. Nebraska is one of 20 states that use retention elections. In Nebraska, justices must run in a yes-no retention election during the first general election occurring after they have been on the court for three years. Subsequent terms last six years.

There are 22 seats across seven school boards up for election in Nebraska. The districts these boards represent are part of the 475 school districts included in Ballotpedia's coverage of school board elections. This includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Municipal elections will be held in three counties across Nebraska. Those counties are part of the 80 counties included in Ballotpedia's coverage of municipal elections.

Below is a list of Nebraska elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2024. Click the links to learn more about each type:

Nebraska elections, 2024
Office Elections? More information
U.S. Senate Click here
U.S. House Click here
Congress special election Click here
Governor
Other state executive Click here
State Senate Click here
State House
Special state legislative
State Supreme Court Click here
Intermediate appellate courts
School boards Click here
Municipal government Click here
Recalls Click here
Ballot measures Click here
Local ballot measures Click here

Legend: election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope

Your ballot

See also: Sample Ballot Lookup

Noteworthy elections

As of Oct. 2, 2024, Ballotpedia has identified two elections as battleground races. Those are the races that we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling.

Ballot measures

See also: Nebraska 2024 ballot measures

There are six statewide ballot measures on the ballot in Nebraska.

Type Title Subject Description Result Yes Votes No Votes

CICA

Initiative 434 Abortion Prohibit abortion after the first trimester, except in cases of medical emergencies or if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest

Approveda

509,288 (55%)

417,624 (45%)

CISS

Initiative 436 Sick leave Require employers to provide earned paid sick leave for employees

Approveda

662,348 (75%)

225,974 (25%)

CISS

Initiative 437 Marijuana Legalize the medical use of marijuana in the state

Approveda

637,126 (71%)

259,643 (29%)

CISS

Initiative 438 Marijuana Establish the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate the state's medical marijuana program

Approveda

600,481 (67%)

291,867 (33%)

CICA

Initiative 439 Constitutional rights; Abortion Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability

Defeated

455,184 (49%)

473,652 (51%)

VR

Referendum 435 School choice Uphold the law providing for an education scholarship program for students to attend accredited private schools

Defeated

382,921 (43%)

508,140 (57%)


There were 106 ballot measures on the ballot in Nebraska from 1985 to 2022. Voters approved 65 measures and defeated 41.

State analysis

Partisan balance

Republicans represent all three districts in Nebraska's U.S. House delegation. In the U.S. House, Republicans have a 220-212 majority with three vacancies.

Both of Nebraska's U.S. Senators are Republicans. Democrats have a majority in the U.S. Senate. There are 47 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and four independents. Three independents caucus with the Democratic Party, and one other counts towards the Democratic majority for committee purposes.

There are no formal party alignments or groups within the Nebraska State Senate. Coalitions tend to form issue-by-issue based on a member's philosophy of government, geographic background, and constituency. To learn more about how Ballotpedia determined the partisan affiliation for state senators, click here. Republicans have a 33-15 majority with one nonpartisan member in the state Senate. Republicans won a majority in the state Senate in 1999.

Because the governor is a Republican, Nebraska is one of 23 Republican trifectas. Nebraska's legislature does not have a lower chamber. It has held this status since 1999, when the state's Democratic trifecta was replaced by a Republican trifecta.

Nebraska's attorney general and secretary of state are also Republicans. This makes Nebraska one of 25 states with a Republican triplex. It has held this status since 2018, when a Democratic triplex replaced the state's Republican triplex. It has held this status since 1999, when Gov. Mike Johnson (R) assumed office.

Past presidential election results in Nebraska

See also: Presidential election in Nebraska, 2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2020 presidential election, 53.4% of Nebraskans lived in one of the state's 90 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 46.2% lived in one of two Trending Democratic counties: Douglas and Lancaster. Overall, Nebraska was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Nebraska following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

State legislative competitiveness

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 14, 2024

According to Ballotpedia's annual state legislative competitiveness report, Nebraska had a Competitiveness Index of 62.0, ranking it first of the 44 states that held elections.

  • 15 of the 25 seats up for election were open (60%)
  • Five of the 10 incumbents who ran for re-election faced contested primaries (50%)
  • 19 of the 25 seats up for election were contested by both major parties (76%)

2010-2024

Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.

State Legislative Competitiveness Index in Nebraska, 2010-2024
Year Open seats Incs. in contested primaries Major party competition Competitiveness Index Rank
2010 12.5% 28.6% 37.5% 26.2 35 / 44
2012 36.0% 25.0% 52.0% 37.7 18 / 44
2014 70.8% 14.3% 33.3% 39.5 8 / 44
2016 44.0% 28.6% 44.0% 38.9 12 / 44
2018 33.3% 31.3% 54.2% 39.6 17 / 44
2020 24.0% 10.5% 56.0% 30.2 30 / 44
2022 54.2% 54.5% 45.8% 51.5 4 / 44
2024 60.0% 50.0% 76.0% 62.0 1 / 44

In 2024

Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents. Click on headings for more state-specific information.

State Legislative Competitiveness Index in Nebraska, 2024
Chamber Open seats Incs. in contested primaries Major party competition Competitiveness Index
House N/A
Senate 60.0% 50.0% 76.0% 62.0
Total 60.0% 50.0% 76.0% 62.0

List of candidates

Federal Candidates
candidateofficepartystatus
Pete Ricketts
Pete Ricketts Incumbent
U.S. Senate Nebraska (Special election)
Republican
Won General
U.S. Senate Nebraska (Special election)
Republican
Lost Primary
U.S. Senate Nebraska (Special election)
Republican
Lost Primary
U.S. Senate Nebraska (Special election)
Democratic
Lost General
Deb Fischer
Deb Fischer Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Republican
Lost Primary
Legal Marijuana Now Party
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Legal Marijuana Now Party
Withdrew General
Mike Flood
Mike Flood Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Republican
Lost Primary
Democratic
Lost General
Don Bacon
Don Bacon Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Republican
Lost Primary
Democratic
Lost General
Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Republican
Lost Primary
Republican
Lost Primary
Democratic
Lost General
Democratic
Lost Primary

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

State Candidates
candidateofficepartystatus
Dan Watermeier
Dan Watermeier Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Tim Schram
Tim Schram Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Jim Scheer
Jim Scheer Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Robert Schafer
Robert Schafer Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Barbara Weitz
Barbara Weitz Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
John Cavanaugh
John Cavanaugh Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Withdrew General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Rob Dover
Rob Dover Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Beau Ballard
Beau Ballard Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Carolyn Bosn
Carolyn Bosn Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Eliot Bostar
Eliot Bostar Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Kathleen Kauth
Kathleen KauthCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Raymond Aguilar
Raymond Aguilar Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Rita Sanders
Rita Sanders Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Jen Day
Jen Day Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Stephanie Stacy
Stephanie Stacy Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Julie Martin Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Local Candidates
candidateofficepartystatus
Daniel Esch Incumbent
Democratic
Won General
Thomas Riley Incumbent
Democratic
Won General
Roger Garcia
Roger Garcia Incumbent
Democratic
Won General
Chris Rodgers
Chris Rodgers Incumbent
Democratic
Won General
Democratic
Won General
Republican
Lost Primary
Republican
Lost General
Mike Friend Incumbent
Republican
Won General
Christa Yoakum
Christa Yoakum Incumbent
Democratic
Won General
Republican
Lost General
Democratic
Won General
Republican
Lost General
Neal Stenberg Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Linda McDermitt Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Brad Ashby Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Adam Gotschall
Adam Gotschall Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Zach Reinhardt
Zach ReinhardtCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Fred Uhe Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Chuck ByersCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Jim Sherwood Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Kristin Yates Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Ricky Smith
Ricky Smith Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nick Thielen
Nick Thielen Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Spencer Head Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Withdrew General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Withdrew General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Carol Hahn Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Angie Miller Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Withdrew General
Tim Hall Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Don Jacobson Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Seth Hawkins
Seth HawkinsCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Kenneth Vogel Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Gary Aldridge Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Greg Osborn Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
John Yoakum Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Anthony Schutz Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Withdrew General
Lisa Lewis Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
James Begley Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
David Friend Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Ted Stilwill Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Fred Tafoya Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Ron Pearson Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Carla Schwahn Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Robert Lassen Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Orval Gigstad Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Dan Hodges Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Patricia Coates Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Randy Fox Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won (Write-in) General
Robbie Bohling Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Mike Speece Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Kraig Coonce Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Eldon Snoke Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Tim Schaardt Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Eric Williams
Eric WilliamsCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost Primary
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Larry Bradley Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Richard Tesar Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Patrick BonnettCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Phil Davidson Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Scot Ringenberg Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Jennifer Shatel Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Renee VoktCandidate Connection Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Linda Poole Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Rhonda Burbach Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Jim Devine Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Lost General
Gary Kubicek Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Withdrew General
Katie Krause Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Robin Richards
Robin Richards Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Samantha Willey Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Sarah Rider Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Mary Stevens Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Amy Schuchman Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Michelle Sabata Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Susan Strong Incumbent
Nebraska 3rd District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Ryan Post
Ryan Post Incumbent
Nebraska 3rd District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Lori Maret Incumbent
Nebraska 3rd District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Holly Parsley Incumbent
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General
Todd Engleman Incumbent
Nebraska 4th District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nebraska 4th District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Tressa Alioth Incumbent
Nebraska 4th District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nebraska 4th District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Jeffrey J. Lux
Jeffrey J. Lux Incumbent
Nebraska 4th District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Russell Derr
Russell Derr Incumbent
Nebraska 4th District Court (Retention election)
Nonpartisan
Won General
Nonpartisan
Won General

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

See also

Footnotes