Republicans appear to maintain supermajority in officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature 

OMAHA — With half the seats in the Nebraska Legislature up for election on Tuesday’s ballot, the tenor and political tilt of the officially nonpartisan body was in store for a potential power shakeup.

But based on unofficial results as of 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, Republicans appeared to maintain a 33-vote supermajority they first achieved in the spring, when State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democratic labor leader, switched his party registration to Republican. Thirty-three votes are needed to break filibusters and advance often contentious legislation.

The Legislature is officially nonpartisan, though the 49-member body sometimes splits on party registration, or rural-urban divides.

In total, with some remaining votes to be counted, Democrats and Republicans appeared to maintain the same partisan structure they currently have — 33 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one progressive nonpartisan. 

Fifteen legislative seats were open, with no incumbent running.

Overall, of the 25 seats up for election, 11 pitted a Republican against a Democrat, eight featured two Republicans, two had Republicans facing nonpartisan candidates, one race was between two Democrats and one was between a Democrat and a nonpartisan. Two Democrats ran unopposed.

Republicans, Democrats could flip districts

Two incumbents trailed their opponents based on votes counted at the end of Tuesday night: State Sens. Jen Day, a Democrat in Sarpy County, and Ray Aguilar, a Republican in Grand Island.

Bob Andersen, a Republican U.S. Air Force veteran and defense contractor, led Day 51.7% to 48.3%.

Another Sarpy County race, in the Bellevue-centered District 3, Victor Rountree, a Democrat, held a narrow lead over Felix Ungerman, a Republican — 50.9% to 49.1%.

Former State Sen. Dan Quick, a Democrat ousted by Aguilar four years ago, led Aguilar 50.6% to 49.4%. Aguilar previously served in the Legislature from 1999 to 2009.

Quick, a retired welder and mechanic and a former labor leader, had been the Legislature’s sole Democratic representative west of Fremont four years ago.

Two Republicans competed in District 15, currently represented by Democratic State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, who is term-limited. By night’s end, Dave “Woody” Wordekemper, a longtime firefighter and paramedic, led Roxie Kracl, president of Credit Bureau Services, 52.8% to 47.2%.

In South Omaha, Margo Juarez, a Democrat, led Gilbert Ayala, a Republican, for the District 5 seat held by term-limited McDonnell in in South Omaha. 

Record campaign finance

Spending in nearly every Nebraska legislative race in this election cycle has surpassed six figures, climbing above 2022 records.

Altogether, legislative candidates had raised $9.2 million and spent $7.4 million as of the Oct. 21 campaign finance reporting deadline.

Spending in Nebraska legislative races exceeds $7.4 million, surpasses 2022 levels

The Quick-Aguilar race had already topped $600,000 in spending by Oct. 21. Juarez and Ayala had spent the least of all 2024 legislative candidates at about $47,000, based on most recent filings.

In 2022, the most expensive legislative race was about $577,000. The position pays $12,000 annually, plus daily expenses.

Two Lincoln races — both involving Republican senators appointed by Gov. Jim Pillen who are seeking election for the first time — sat at just under $550,000 spent. 

Both appointees, State Sens. Beau Ballard and Carolyn Bosn, led challengers Seth Derner, a Democrat, and Nicki Behmer Popp, one of three nonpartisan candidates who ran for the Legislature this fall.

The other two nonpartisan candidates this fall were in Douglas County:

• For District 39 in the Elkhorn area, Allison Heimes trailed Tony Sorrentino, a Republican, for the seat vacated by term-limited State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, a Republican.
• For District 13 in the northeast part of the county, Nick Batter narrowly trailed Ashlei Spivey, a Democrat, for the seat vacated by term-limited State Sen. Justin Wayne, a Democrat.

State Sens. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha’s District 11 and Eliot Bostar of Lincoln’s District 29 ran unopposed.

Veteran legislator Ernie Chambers — who advanced in the District 11 race but later dropped out — became an official write-in candidate for the seat. While it’s unclear how many went to Chambers, there were 302 write-in votes in the race by the end-of-day Tuesday.

See below for unofficial Election Day results on the 25 legislative races. Or, view the visualization online here.