NEBRASKA
     Nov. 4, 2014 Governor                                     

Gov.
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+Pete Ricketts/Mike Foley (R)
308,751
57.15%
Chuck Hassebrook/Jane Raybould (D)
211,905
39.23%
Mark G. Elworth Jr./Scott Zimmerman (L)
19,001
3.52%
write-in scatterings
545


540,202

Registered voters: 1,158,840.  Total votes cast:  552,115.
Plurality:  96,846 votes (17.93 percentage points).

 NE Secretary of State




Notes: 
Gov. Dave Heineman (R) was term limited.  Businessman Pete Ricketts (R) kept the seat in the Republican column, emerging from a closely fought primary and defeating Chuck Hassebrook (D) and Mark Elworth (L) in the general election.

After an number of candidates dropped out, five remained in the running for the May 13 Republican primary. 
Ricketts obtained 58,671 votes (26.56%) followed by Attorney General Jon Bruning 56,324 (25.49%), State Sen. Beau McCoy 46,196 (20.91%), State Auditor Mike Foley 42,394 (19.19%), State Sen. Tom Carlson 9,080 (4.11%) and attorney Bryan Sloane 8,265 (3.74%).  On June 2 Ricketts announced Lt. Gov. Lavon Heidemann as his running mate.   However, on Sept. 9 Heidemann resigned from office and quit the ticket after a court issued a restraining order against him.  Ricketts announced Auditor Mike Foley as his replacement on the ticket, and the Secretary of State approved the change despite the late date.

Ricketts' family is one of the 100 richest in America; his father built and served as CEO of TD AmeriTrade, and he served as COO until leaving in 2006 to run for U.S. Senate. 

Hassebrook worked at the Center for Rural Affairs, a micro lender, starting in 1978 and serving as executive director from 1996 until he left in 2013.  He also served 18 years on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, including two terms as chair.  He was very briefly a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012, before withdrawing in favor of former Sen. Bob Kerrey.  He announced his candidacy for governor on June 4, 2013.  Another Democratic hopeful, State Sen. Annette Dubas, ended her campaign in Nov. 2013, and Hassebrook was unopposed in the May 13 primary.  On June 30, 2014 he announced Lancaster County Commissioner Jane Raybould as his running mate.

Ricketts and Hassebrook debated at the State Fair in Grand Island on Sept. 1; and at NET studios in Lincoln on Oct. 2 (>). 

Nebraska voters saw a lot of TV ads from the campaigns and outside groups this cycle (>).  For example, Common Cause Nebraska reported that during the competitive Republican primary campaign, Citizens for a Sound Government spent $304,700 on TV ads attacking Bruning.  The Omaha World-Herald reported that the Ricketts campaign outspent the Hassebrook campaign by $4.3 million, although
the Hassebrook campaign spent a record amount for a Democratic gubernatorial campaign.



Campaign Managers:
Pete Ricketts 
Matt Miltenberger
(Sept. 2013)  Director of government relations and development for Las Vegas Sands Corporation, May 2011-Aug. 2013.  Managing partner at Nebraska Strategy Group, LLC, Mar. 2010-May 2011.  Consultant to Mark Christensen for Legislature, Feb.-Nov. 2010.  Executive director (Dec. 2007-Jan. 2009) and finance/political director (Jan.-Dec. 2007) at the Nebraska Republican Party.  Opposition research director on Ricketts' U.S. Senate campaign, Aug.-Dec. 2006.  Consultant to the Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Ethanol Across America, May 2004-Aug. 2005.  Staff assistant at the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Apr. 2004-Apr. 2005.  J.D. from University of Nebraska College of Law and M.B.A. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2010; B.S. in business administration from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2003.
 
Chuck Hassebrook  Bill Romjue
Campaign manager on Andrew Romanoff's 2010 primary campaign for U.S. Senate (CO).  Senior advisor (from Sept. 2007) and state director (Mar.-Sept. 2007) on Joe Biden's Iowa caucus campaign.
  Campaign manager on Dina Titus' gubernatorial campaign in Nevada during Fall 2006; earlier in 2006 was campaign manager on Bill Halter for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas.  Ran John Edwards' primary campaign for U.S. Senate, 1998.  Managed the North Carolina campaigns for Clinton-Gore through the Coordinated Campaign.  Chief of staff to Rep. Dick Gephardt, planned and developed his 1988 presidential campaign, ran his political action committee, the Committee for Effective Government, starting in 1985, and served as his national political director.  Started working for Sen. Gary Hart in Iowa in the latter part of 1982, put together Hart’s Iowa caucus campaign, was Midwest director on the presidential campaign, then deputy national campaign manager.  Finance director in Bob Kerrey’s 1982 campaign for Governor of Nebraska.  State coordinator for the Carter-Mondale 1980 Iowa caucus campaign, and later deputy national field director.  Managed Chuck Robb for Lt. Gov. of Virginia in 1977.  Organizer in more than half a dozen states for the Carter-Mondale ticket in 1976.  Attended University of Missouri and graduated from Central Methodist University with a business degree.  Native of Macon, Missouri.
 

See also:
Robynn Tysver.  "Final reports: Ricketts campaign outspent Hassebrook's by $4.2 million."  Omaha World-Herald, Jan. 15, 2015.

Grant Schulte.  "Nebraska Ranks 4th in Money Spent on Campaign TV Ads."  Common Cause Nebraska, Sept. 30, 2014.

Robynn Tysver.  "Charlie Janssen abandons his bid for governor."  Kearney Hub, Feb. 3, 2014.

 

Registration Details: Rep. 559,364 (48.27%)   Dem. 357,835 (30.88%)   Lib. 5,719 (0.49%)   Nonpartisan 235,922 (20.36%)   Total 1,158,840.









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