United States Senate elections in Nebraska, 2012

| Nebraska's 2012 elections

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2012 U.S. Senate Elections in Nebraska

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Candidates • Polls • Election History

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November 6 Election Winner:
Deb Fischer
Incumbent prior to election:
Ben Nelson

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Cook Political Report Race Rating
Likely R (Prior to election)

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2012 U.S. House Elections

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Voters in Nebraska elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the November 6, 2012 elections. Former Democratic Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey squared off against Republican state Senator Deb Fischer and independent candidate Russell Anderson. Deb Fischer won the election.[1] Candidate Filing Deadline  |  Primary Election  |  General Election

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March 1, 2012 |  June 5, 2012 |  November 6, 2012

Primary: Nebraska has a closed primary system, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

Voter registration: Voters had to register to vote in the primary by February 10, 2012 by mail or February 17, 2012 in-person. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 19, 2012 by mail or October 26, 2012 in-person.[2]

See also: Nebraska elections, 2012

Incumbent: The election filled the Class 1 Senate seat, which was held by Ben Nelson (D). First elected in 2000, Nelson did not run for re-election in 2012.[3]

## Candidates[edit]

Note: Election results were added on election night as races were called. Vote totals were added after official election results had been certified. Click here for more information about Ballotpedia's election coverage plan. Please contact us about errors in this list.

General election candidates

Bob Kerrey
Deb Fischer
Russell Anderson

###  Democratic Primary[edit]

* Larry Marvin: Air Force veteran[4]
* Steven P. Lustgarten: Filmmaker[4]
* Sherman Yates: Non-profit executive[4]
* Bob Kerrey: Former Nebraska Governor & Senator[4]a

Note: Chuck Hassebrook withdrew from the primary on March 8, 2012

###  Republican primary[edit]

* Jon Bruning: Nebraska Attorney General[5]
* Deb Fischer: Nebraska state senator[6]a
* Sharyn Elander: Small Business Owner[4]
* Pat Flynn: Investment adviser[7]
* Don Stenberg: Nebraska state treasurer[8]
* Spencer Zimmerman: Air Force veteran[9]

###  Third party[edit]

* Russell Anderson: Independent[10]a

## General election results[edit]

U.S. Senate, Nebraska General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Deb Fischer | 57.8% | 455,593
| Democratic  |  Bob Kerrey  | 42.2% | 332,979
Total Votes | 788,572
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

## Primary results[edit]

The primary took place on June 5, 2012.[11]

### Republican Primary[edit]

U.S. Senate, Nebraska General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Deb Fischer | 57.8% | 455,593
| Democratic  |  Bob Kerrey  | 42.2% | 332,979
Total Votes | 788,572
Source: Nebraska Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"
US Senate - Nebraska Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Deb Fischer | 40.8% | 77,594
Jon Bruning  | 36.1% | 68,796
Don Stenberg  | 18.9% | 35,984
Pat Flynn  | 2.8% | 5,251
Spencer Zimmerman  | 0.8% | 1,526
Sharyn Elander  | 0.6% | 1,236
Total Votes | 190,387

### Democratic Primary[edit]

US Senate - Nebraska Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Bob Kerrey | 81% | 66,586
Chuck Hassebrook  | 12% | 9,886
Steven P. Lustgarten  | 2.6% | 2,177
Larry Marvin  | 2.5% | 2,076
Sherman Yates  | 1.8% | 1,500
Total Votes | 82,225

## Race background[edit]

### Personal finances[edit]

Media reports in January 2012 regarding two candidates in the Republican primary -- Don Stenberg and Jon Bruning \-- centered around their personal finances. Stenberg criticized Bruning for becoming wealthy while in office as attorney general. Reports indicated that Stenberg -- the Nebraska state Treasurer \-- was also a millionaire, but he said he earned his money in the private sector before taking office.[12]

### Ballot Issues[edit]

In late March, the Nebraska Supreme Court dismissed the Republican Party's case to remove Senate contender Bob Kerrey (D) from the May 15, 2012 primary election ballot, paving the way for a big-money, high-stakes battle that could have conceivably altered the balance of power in Washington.[13]

Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale (R) had expressed misgivings about whether Kerrey, a former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator, had established residency at the time of filing, but ultimately ruled that the U.S. Constitution protected his status as a candidate in the race to replace retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D).[13]

State Republicans asked the courts to overturn Gale's decision, claiming that Kerrey had resorted to the "New York-style political trick" of filing at the eleventh hour to avoid scrutiny from election officials, but the judges ruled that they had no authority to grant relief.[13]

The Nebraska Supreme Court upheld District Court Judge Steven Burns' decision that there was "no evidence to suggest that Mr. Kerrey knowingly and willfully violated any laws of the state of Nebraska."[13]

### Satellite spending[edit]

Satellite spending groups spent more than $2 million on advertising prior to the primary, with more than $1 million going into ads opposing Jon Bruning.[14]

## Race rating[edit]

### Cook Political Report[edit]

Each month the Cook Political Report released race ratings for President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House (competitive only) and Governors. There were seven possible designations:[15]

Solid Democratic
Likely Democratic
Lean Democratic

Tossup

Lean Republican
Likely Republican
Solid Republican

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Cook Political Report Race Rating -- Nebraska Senate

Month  |  Rating
November 1, 2012[16] |
October 4, 2012[17] |
September 13, 2012[18] |
August 21, 2012[19] |
July 12, 2012[20] |
May 31, 2012[21] |
May 10, 2012[22] |
March 22, 2012[23] |
March 1, 2012[24] |
January 26, 2012[25] |
December 22, 2011[26] |
December 1, 2011[27] |

## Polls[edit]

Bob Kerrey v. Deb Fischer

Poll | Deb Fischer | Bob Kerrey| Other| Undecided| Margin of error| Sample size
Pharos Research Group
(October 26-28, 2012)
| 49.7%| 47.0%| 0%| 3.2%| +/-3.5| 761
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

## Election history[edit]

### 2008[edit]

On November 4, 2008, Mike Johanns was elected to the United States Senate. He defeated Scott Kleeb (D), Kelly Renee Rosberg (Nebraska), and Steve Larrick (Green).[28]

United States Senate Nebraska General Election, 2008

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Mike Johanns | 57.5% | 455,854
| Democratic  |  Scott Kleeb  | 40.1% | 317,456
| Nebraska  |  Kelly Renee Rosberg  | 1.4% | 11,438
| Green  |  Steven R. Larrick  | 1% | 7,763
Total Votes | 792,511

### 2006[edit]

On November 7, 2006, Ben Nelson was re-elected to the United States Senate for a second term. He defeated Pete Ricketts (R).[29]

United States Senate Nebraska General Election, 2006

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | Ben Nelson Incumbent | 63.9% | 378,388
| Republican  |  Pete Ricketts  | 36.1% | 213,928
Total Votes | 592,316

## Campaign donors[edit]

### Bob Kerrey[edit]

Bob Kerrey (2012) Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
April Quarterly[30]| March 31, 2012| $0.00| $900,237.29| $(344,103.26)| $556,134.03
July Quarterly[31]| June 30, 2012| $393,143.45| $1,577,687.26| $(714,602.05)| $1,256,228.66
| | | Running totals|
| | | $2,477,924.55| $(1,058,705.31)|

### Deb Fischer[edit]

| Deb Fischer (2012) Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
April Quarterly[32]| March 31, 2012| $207,839.86| $61,496.46| $(83,158.10)| $186,178.22
July Quarterly[33]| June 30, 2012| $94,330.09| $1,291,638.61| $(279,645.93)| $1,106,322.77
| | | Running totals|
| | | $1,353,135.07| $(362,804.03)|

## See also[edit]

* United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska, 2012
* United States Senate elections, 2012

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Politico, "2012 House Race Results," accessed November 6, 2012
2. ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Voter Information," accessed July 25, 2012
3. ↑ New York Times, "Nelson to Quit the Senate, Giving G.O.P. an Advantage," accessed January 6, 2012
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Nebraska Secretary of State, "Official Candidate List," accessed February 2, 2012
5. ↑ Omaha World-Herald, "Bruning makes Senate bid official," accessed January 6, 2012
6. ↑ Omaha World-Herald, "Fischer kicks off U.S. Senate bid," accessed January 6, 2012
7. ↑ Lincoln Journal Star, "Pat Flynn launches GOP Senate campaign," accessed January 6, 2012
8. ↑ Roll Call, "Nebraska Treasurer to Enter GOP Senate Primary," accessed January 6, 2012
9. ↑ Lincoln Journal Star, "Republican Senate field becoming crowded," accessed January 6, 2012
10. ↑ Russell Anderson campaign website accessed January 21, 2012
11. ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Canvass Report" accessed October 11, 2012
12. ↑ Watchdog.org, "Exclusive: Bruning not only millionaire in U.S. Senate race," January 28, 2012
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Lincoln Journal Star, "Supreme Court dismisses Kerrey case" March 28, 2012
14. ↑ iWatch News, "Super PAC cash plays big role in Nebraska Senate race," May 15, 2012
15. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Our Accuracy," accessed December 12, 2011 (dead link)
16. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," November 1, 2012
17. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," October 4, 2012
18. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," September 13, 2012
19. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," August 21, 2012
20. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," July 12, 2012
21. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," May 31, 2012
22. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," May 10, 2012
23. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," March 22, 2012
24. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," March 1, 2012
25. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," January 26, 2012
26. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," December 27, 2011
27. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2012 SENATE RACE RATINGS," December 1, 2011
28. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
29. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006"
30. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Bob Kerrey April Quarterly," accessed August 1, 2012
31. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Bob Kerrey July Quarterly," accessed August 1, 2012
32. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Deb Fischer April Quarterly," accessed August 1, 2012
33. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Deb Fischer July Quarterly," accessed August 1, 2012

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Nebraska's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Deb Fischer (R)

Ben Sasse (R)

Representatives

District 1

Jeffrey Fortenberry (R)

District 2

Don Bacon (R)

District 3

Adrian Smith (R)

Republican Party (5)