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Tony Vargas (Nebraska)

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Tony Vargas
Image of Tony Vargas
Prior offices
Omaha Public Schools Board of Education Subdistrict 9

Nebraska State Senate District 7
Successor: Dunixi Guereca
Predecessor: Nicole Fox

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Rochester

Graduate

Pace University

Contact

Tony Vargas (Democratic Party) was a member of the Nebraska State Senate, representing District 7. He assumed office on January 4, 2017. He left office on January 8, 2025.

Vargas (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Tony Vargas received his bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester and a graduate degree from Pace University. His career experience includes working as a teacher.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024

Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (May 14 Republican primary)

Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (May 14 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Nebraska District 2

Incumbent Don Bacon defeated Tony Vargas in the general election for U.S. House Nebraska District 2 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Don Bacon
Don Bacon (R)
 
50.9
 
160,198
Image of Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas (D)
 
49.1
 
154,369

Total votes: 314,567
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2

Tony Vargas advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2 on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas
 
100.0
 
39,038

Total votes: 39,038
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2

Incumbent Don Bacon defeated Dan Frei in the Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2 on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Don Bacon
Don Bacon
 
62.0
 
35,748
Image of Dan Frei
Dan Frei Candidate Connection
 
38.0
 
21,946

Total votes: 57,694
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Vargas in this election.

Pledges

Vargas signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2022

See also: Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Nebraska District 2

Incumbent Don Bacon defeated Tony Vargas in the general election for U.S. House Nebraska District 2 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Don Bacon
Don Bacon (R)
 
51.3
 
112,663
Image of Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas (D)
 
48.7
 
106,807

Total votes: 219,470
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2

Tony Vargas defeated Alisha Shelton in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2 on May 10, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas
 
68.6
 
31,930
Image of Alisha Shelton
Alisha Shelton
 
31.4
 
14,585

Total votes: 46,515
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2

Incumbent Don Bacon defeated Steve Kuehl in the Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 2 on May 10, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Don Bacon
Don Bacon
 
77.1
 
53,824
Image of Steve Kuehl
Steve Kuehl Candidate Connection
 
22.9
 
15,945

Total votes: 69,769
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Nebraska State Senate District 7

Incumbent Tony Vargas defeated Jorge Sotolongo in the general election for Nebraska State Senate District 7 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas (Nonpartisan)
 
77.9
 
7,386
Jorge Sotolongo (Nonpartisan)
 
22.1
 
2,098

Total votes: 9,484
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nebraska State Senate District 7

Incumbent Tony Vargas and Jorge Sotolongo advanced from the primary for Nebraska State Senate District 7 on May 12, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas (Nonpartisan)
 
81.8
 
3,281
Jorge Sotolongo (Nonpartisan)
 
18.2
 
731

Total votes: 4,012
Candidate Connection = 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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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.[2]

Tony Vargas defeated John Synowiecki in the Nebraska State Senate District 7 general election.[3][4]

Nebraska State Senate, District 7 General Election, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Tony Vargas 61.75% 5,244
John Synowiecki 38.25% 3,248
Total Votes 8,492
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State


Tony Vargas and John Synowiecki defeated incumbent Nicole Fox in the Nebraska State Senate District 7 primary.[5][6]

Nebraska State Senate, District 7 Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Tony Vargas 45.35% 1,220
Green check mark transparent.png John Synowiecki 27.70% 745
Nicole Fox Incumbent 26.95% 725
Total Votes 2,690


Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tony Vargas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Vargas' campaign website stated the following:

Healthcare

Tony believes we must act to lower the cost of prescription drugs and that everyone deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare.
Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care. In the last two years, I secured $6.5 million in funding for our public health departments and clinics across Nebraska. And I have been so proud to fight, and vote, to expand Medicaid in Nebraska. Now nearly 100,000 more Nebraskans have access to affordable healthcare and will be able to see a doctor when they need it, and we were able to keep more rural hospitals open.
But there’s more work to do on this issue. Health care and prescription drugs are still too expensive. We need to ensure that no matter where you live, you have access to quality, affordable care.
It's time to create a public option that will allow Nebraskans of any age to buy into a Medicare-like health care plan at an affordable rate. More competition will drive down the cost for everyone, while preserving the option of private insurance will let Nebraskans who like their current plan keep it.
We also need to crack down on the prescription drug industry so pharmaceutical companies can no longer get away with jacking up prices on life saving medication and Nebraskans no longer have to choose between obtaining the medication they need or paying their bills. Medicare, like the VA or private insurance companies, should be able to negotiate the price they pay pharmaceutical companies for drugs, and we need to extend the savings negotiated to all Nebraskans. It is also critical to bring generic drugs to market sooner to lower costs and increase competition.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

For nearly 50 years, the right to choose has been protected by the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, but today that right is under threat, more than it has been in a generation.
I believe the decisions a woman makes for her body, and her family are deeply personal and politicians have no place telling her what she can and cannot do. For nearly 50 years, the right to choose has been protected by the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, but today that right is under threat, more than it has been in a generation. In Congress, I’ll vote to codify the protections earned from the Roe v. Wade decision into federal law to preserve the ability of Nebraska women to make the reproductive health decisions that work best for them.

ECONOMY & JOBS

Tony believes the best way to grow our economy is by supporting our greatest asset—our people.
My parents immigrated to the U.S. and worked hard and sacrificed so my brothers and I could get an education and decide what we wanted for our lives. It’s become harder for families to do what my parents were able to do. Now, families like mine have to work multiple jobs, make hard choices between paying rent or for prescription drugs, and many can’t afford childcare so they can go to work.
Now, inflation has created an even bigger economic crunch with rising costs at the gas pump and the grocery store and housing and childcare shortages. Congress needs to take this seriously, take action to get costs under control, and put more money back in people’s pockets. Let’s create better paying jobs, pass more middle class and child tax cuts, lower the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, ensure affordable child care, and guarantee paid family leave to workers.
Part of the solution is also doing all we can to help Nebraska companies create Nebraskan goods and Nebraskan jobs, with family-sustaining wages. That includes a fair tax system that puts small businesses on an equal playing field with multinational corporations, and trade policies that level the playing field for our agricultural and manufacturing industries here in Nebraska, and allow our producers to compete and sell their products across the globe. And we need to hold China accountable for cheating the system. We are in a race with other countries and we have to position our workers and businesses to help us win, and we can create good paying Nebraska and U.S. jobs to do it.

PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY

Our right to vote is what makes our democracy the best in the world.
Our right to vote is what makes our democracy the best in the world. Politicians should not be trying to put artificial barriers between eligible voters and the ballot. When they do that, it is an attack on our democracy, belittling what it means to have the right to vote. We have to protect every eligible voters’ ability to vote, while keeping our elections secure. We can do both these things, without disenfranchising voters.

EDUCATION

As a former public school science teacher, a parent, and a former school board member, strengthening our public schools and providing a high quality education to Nebraska kids is an issue that Tony is deeply passionate about.
As a former public school science teacher, a parent, and a former school board member, strengthening our public schools and providing a high quality education to Nebraska kids is an issue I’m deeply passionate about. Access to the highest quality education should never depend on the zip code where you live. Over the last few years, we’ve also watched our teachers adapt and persevere in the most challenging circumstances. They deserve to be paid higher wages that are commensurate with their service to our kids and our communities.
At the same time, we must ensure that our schools remain open and can fulfill their critical mission of teaching Nebraska students, who have already suffered too much from pandemic-related closures.
As the first generation of my family to graduate college, I borrowed and worked my way through earning Bachelors and Masters degrees. I know first-hand how the burden of student loans can contribute to income inequality and cycles of debt. I would vote to expand Pell Grants, and provide additional tax credits for families who could use help in paying tuition. And I’ll work to expand access to vocational and skills training, providing pathways into good-paying trade jobs.
As a state senator, I’ve worked hard to improve educational opportunities for kids and to support our teachers. Just this year, I introduced a bill to address the teacher shortage by creating a pathway for more highly trained teachers to get into classrooms more quickly. I’ve also introduced and passed legislation to increase financial support for opportunities in higher education through state and federal grants and student loans.

CLEAN ENERGY

Tony believes that climate change is a serious threat to our children, businesses, and environment, and the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is both an environmental and economic necessity.
Climate change is a serious threat to our children, businesses, and environment, and the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is both an environmental and economic necessity. We can fight climate change while helping businesses create new, sustainable energy and manufacturing jobs in Nebraska. The clean energy industry is already growing across Nebraska, with an almost unlimited potential to create good-paying careers into the future.
We also need to do everything we can to ensure that we are being good stewards of our environment and leaving our state a better place for future generations. That means cracking down on bad actors that are polluting our land and water and causing health and environmental disasters like what we’re seeing in Mead, where chemicals have leached into the soil and water and caused residents to become ill. People and companies need to be held responsible for this and Nebraskans deserve leaders who will take this problem seriously and act to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

VETERANS Tony believes that it is our duty to ensure that we provide for veterans during and after their service. Our men and women in uniform, together with their families, make incredible sacrifices to protect our country and way of life. It is our duty to ensure that we provide for them during and after their service. That means fully funding veterans’ programs and the VA, while expanding its mission and services provided. In particular, we must do more to help veterans transition back into civilian life with more skills training and job placement, and more timely and accessible health care. No one should have to wait months for the physical and mental health care they were promised when they signed up to serve.

In the Legislature, I passed bills to fast-track teacher certifications for military spouses who are teachers moving in state, and to give veterans automatic admission to any of our in-state higher education institutions. [7]

—Tony Vargas' campaign website (2024)[8]

2022

Tony Vargas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Shelton's campaign website stated the following:

Healthcare

Tony believes we must act to lower the cost of prescription drugs and that everyone deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare.
Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care. In the last two years, I secured $6.5 million in funding for our public health departments and clinics across Nebraska. And I have been so proud to fight, and vote, to expand Medicaid in Nebraska. Now nearly 100,000 more Nebraskans have access to affordable healthcare and will be able to see a doctor when they need it, and we were able to keep more rural hospitals open.
But there’s more work to do on this issue. Health care and prescription drugs are still too expensive. We need to ensure that no matter where you live, you have access to quality, affordable care.
It's time to create a public option that will allow Nebraskans of any age to buy into a Medicare-like health care plan at an affordable rate. More competition will drive down the cost for everyone, while preserving the option of private insurance will let Nebraskans who like their current plan keep it.
We also need to crack down on the prescription drug industry so pharmaceutical companies can no longer get away with jacking up prices on life saving medication and Nebraskans no longer have to choose between obtaining the medication they need or paying their bills. Medicare, like the VA or private insurance companies, should be able to negotiate the price they pay pharmaceutical companies for drugs, and we need to extend the savings negotiated to all Nebraskans. It is also critical to bring generic drugs to market sooner to lower costs and increase competition.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

For nearly 50 years, the right to choose has been protected by the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, but today that right is under threat, more than it has been in a generation.
I believe the decisions a woman makes for her body, and her family are deeply personal and politicians have no place telling her what she can and cannot do. For nearly 50 years, the right to choose has been protected by the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, but today that right is under threat, more than it has been in a generation. In Congress, I’ll vote to codify the protections earned from the Roe v. Wade decision into federal law to preserve the ability of Nebraska women to make the reproductive health decisions that work best for them.

ECONOMY & JOBS

Tony believes the best way to grow our economy is by supporting our greatest asset—our people.
My parents immigrated to the U.S. and worked hard and sacrificed so my brothers and I could get an education and decide what we wanted for our lives. It’s become harder for families to do what my parents were able to do. Now, families like mine have to work multiple jobs, make hard choices between paying rent or for prescription drugs, and many can’t afford childcare so they can go to work.
Now, inflation has created an even bigger economic crunch with rising costs at the gas pump and the grocery store and housing and childcare shortages. Congress needs to take this seriously, take action to get costs under control, and put more money back in people’s pockets. Let’s create better paying jobs, pass more middle class and child tax cuts, lower the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, ensure affordable child care, and guarantee paid family leave to workers.
Part of the solution is also doing all we can to help Nebraska companies create Nebraskan goods and Nebraskan jobs, with family-sustaining wages. That includes a fair tax system that puts small businesses on an equal playing field with multinational corporations, and trade policies that level the playing field for our agricultural and manufacturing industries here in Nebraska, and allow our producers to compete and sell their products across the globe. And we need to hold China accountable for cheating the system. We are in a race with other countries and we have to position our workers and businesses to help us win, and we can create good paying Nebraska and U.S. jobs to do it.

PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY

Our right to vote is what makes our democracy the best in the world.
Our right to vote is what makes our democracy the best in the world. Politicians should not be trying to put artificial barriers between eligible voters and the ballot. When they do that, it is an attack on our democracy, belittling what it means to have the right to vote. We have to protect every eligible voters’ ability to vote, while keeping our elections secure. We can do both these things, without disenfranchising voters.

EDUCATION

As a former public school science teacher, a parent, and a former school board member, strengthening our public schools and providing a high quality education to Nebraska kids is an issue that Tony is deeply passionate about.
As a former public school science teacher, a parent, and a former school board member, strengthening our public schools and providing a high quality education to Nebraska kids is an issue I’m deeply passionate about. Access to the highest quality education should never depend on the zip code where you live. Over the last few years, we’ve also watched our teachers adapt and persevere in the most challenging circumstances. They deserve to be paid higher wages that are commensurate with their service to our kids and our communities.
At the same time, we must ensure that our schools remain open and can fulfill their critical mission of teaching Nebraska students, who have already suffered too much from pandemic-related closures.
As the first generation of my family to graduate college, I borrowed and worked my way through earning Bachelors and Masters degrees. I know first-hand how the burden of student loans can contribute to income inequality and cycles of debt. I would vote to expand Pell Grants, and provide additional tax credits for families who could use help in paying tuition. And I’ll work to expand access to vocational and skills training, providing pathways into good-paying trade jobs.
As a state senator, I’ve worked hard to improve educational opportunities for kids and to support our teachers. Just this year, I introduced a bill to address the teacher shortage by creating a pathway for more highly trained teachers to get into classrooms more quickly. I’ve also introduced and passed legislation to increase financial support for opportunities in higher education through state and federal grants and student loans.

CLEAN ENERGY

Tony believes that climate change is a serious threat to our children, businesses, and environment, and the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is both an environmental and economic necessity.
Climate change is a serious threat to our children, businesses, and environment, and the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is both an environmental and economic necessity. We can fight climate change while helping businesses create new, sustainable energy and manufacturing jobs in Nebraska. The clean energy industry is already growing across Nebraska, with an almost unlimited potential to create good-paying careers into the future.
We also need to do everything we can to ensure that we are being good stewards of our environment and leaving our state a better place for future generations. That means cracking down on bad actors that are polluting our land and water and causing health and environmental disasters like what we’re seeing in Mead, where chemicals have leached into the soil and water and caused residents to become ill. People and companies need to be held responsible for this and Nebraskans deserve leaders who will take this problem seriously and act to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

VETERANS Tony believes that it is our duty to ensure that we provide for veterans during and after their service. Our men and women in uniform, together with their families, make incredible sacrifices to protect our country and way of life. It is our duty to ensure that we provide for them during and after their service. That means fully funding veterans’ programs and the VA, while expanding its mission and services provided. In particular, we must do more to help veterans transition back into civilian life with more skills training and job placement, and more timely and accessible health care. No one should have to wait months for the physical and mental health care they were promised when they signed up to serve.

In the Legislature, I passed bills to fast-track teacher certifications for military spouses who are teachers moving in state, and to give veterans automatic admission to any of our in-state higher education institutions.[7]

—Tony Vargas' campaign website (2022)[9]


2020

Tony Vargas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Vargas' website highlighted the following campaign themes:[10]

People, Jobs, and the Economy

  • Excerpt: "Tony believes the best way to support community development is by supporting our greatest asset -- our people."

Education and Youth Development

  • Excerpt: "Tony believes that every Nebraska child should have equitable access to dynamic, high quality education that prepares each of them for college or a career."

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Vargas was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Vargas was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Vargas 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

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Campaign finance summary


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.


Tony Vargas campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* U.S. House Nebraska District 2Lost general$7,515,611 $7,487,835
2022U.S. House Nebraska District 2Lost general$3,409,926 $3,356,537
2020Nebraska State Senate District 7Won general$319,543 N/A**
2016Nebraska State Senate, District 7Won $184,368 N/A**
Grand total$11,429,448 $10,844,373
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Nebraska

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.


2024

In 2024, the Nebraska State Legislature was in session from January 3 to April 18. A special session took place from July 25, 2024 to August 14, 2024.

Legislators are scored on children's issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017




See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
Nicole Fox
Nebraska State Senate District 7
2017-2025
Succeeded by
Dunixi Guereca (D)
Preceded by
-
Omaha Public Schools Board of Education Subdistrict 9
2013-2016
Succeeded by
-


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Don Bacon (R)
District 3
Republican Party (5)