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Nebraska
Senate
| NEBRASKA |
Nov. 6,
2012 U.S. Senate
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Plurality: 122,614 votes (15.54 percentage points). NE
Secretary of State
REPUBLICAN PICK UP Notes: After achieving an upset win in the May 15 Republican primary, state Sen. Deb Fischer (R) went on to defeat former Gov. and Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D). Nelson, first elected in 2000, announced via video on Dec. 27, 2011 that he would not seek a third term. The Republican field had already taken shape; the leading candidates were Attorney General Jon Bruning, who was first in, in Jan. 2011, followed by Treasurer Don Stenberg (March) and Fischer (late June). Fischer, from Valentine in the Sandhills region, was first elected to the Legislature in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. Of 190,387 votes tallied in the May 13 Republican primary, Fischer won with 77,594 votes (40.76%) to 68,796 (36.13%) for Bruning, and 35,984 (18.90%) for Stenberg; three other candidates rounded out the field. On the Democratic side Kerrey initially ruled out a Senate bid, but announced on Feb. 29, 2012 that he would run. Kerrey had retired from the Senate in 2000 and served as president of The New School from 2001-10. Of 82,225 votes tallied, Kerrey obtained 66,586 votes (80.98%), defeating Chuck Hassebrook (12.02%) and three others. Kerrey and Fischer participated in three debates: Aug. 25 - "Rural TV Town Hall" debate at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (>). Sept. 28 - KETV7 and the Greater Omaha Chamber at Omaha Community Playhouse (1, 2). Oct. 1 - NET-TV studios in Lincoln (>). According to Open Secrets (>), the Kerrey campaign spent $6.1 million to $5.1 million for the Fischer campaign. In terms of outside spending, four groups spent more than $1 million: End the Gridlock ($1.7m) and VoteVets.org ($1.1m) on the Democratic side and Ending Spending Action Fund ($1.6m) and Senate Conservatives Fund ($1.2m). Campaign Managers: Deb Fischer: Aaron Trost (June 2011) Campaign manager on Jerry Moran's primary camapign for U.S. Senate in Kansas from 2009 to Feb. 2010. South Central regional political director on McCain-Palin. B.B.A. from the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2003; A.A. from Johnson County Community College, 2001. Illinois native. Bob Kerrey: Paul Johnson Campaign manager for Wesley Clark's presidential campaign from Dec. 2003 and earlier on Sen. Bob Graham's presidential campaign through to its end in Oct. 2003. Senior advisor on Mark Pryor's 2002 U.S. Senate campaign in Arkansas, helping oust Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R. Served as executive director of the DSCC. Managed Ted Muenster's Senate race against Sen. Larry Pressler in South Dakota, 1990. Worked for Kerrey in 1988, Tom Daschle in 1986, and several primary states for Walter Mondale's presidential campaign in 1984. He is a Minnesota native See also: Ted Genoways. "Bob Kerrey Will Call Your Bullshit." Mother Jones, Sept./Oct. 2012. Robynn Tysver. "Contrasting campaign styles of Deb Fischer and Bob Kerrey." Kearney Hub, Aug. 6, 2012. Rachel Weiner. "How Deb Fischer pulled an upset in Nebraska." The Washington Post, May 16, 2012. World Herald News Service. "Behind in polls and fundraising, Deb Fischer says she's got momentum." Norfolk Daily News, Apr. 21, 2012. Harrison Golden. "Bob Kerrey's New Adventure." The New School Free Press, Mar. 29, 2012. David Rogers. "Kerrey officially in for Nebraska run." Politico, Feb. 29, 2012. Kent Warneke. "Fischer announces candidacy." Norfolk Daily News, July 1, 2011. Registration: Rep. 558,145 (47.96%) Dem. 374,075 (32.14%) Lib. 3,164 (%) Nonpartisan 228,361 (19.62%) Total 1,163,871. |
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