| Election name | 2020 Nebraska Legislature election |
|---|---|
| Country | Nebraska |
| Ongoing | no |
| Previous election | 2018 Nebraska Legislature election |
| Previous year | 2018 |
| Next election | 2022 Nebraska Legislature election |
| Next year | 2022 |
| Seats for election | 25 of the 49 seats in the Nebraska Legislature |
| Majority seats | 25[a] |
| Election date | November 3, 2020 Officially nonpartisan |
| Leader 1 | Jim Scheer (term-limited) |
| Color 1 | E81B23 |
| Party 1 | Republican |
| Leader since 1 | January 4, 2017 |
| Leaders seat 1 | 19th district |
| Seats before 1 | 30 |
| Seats needed 1 | 25 |
| Seats 1 | 32 |
| Seat change 1 | 2 |
| Popular vote 1 | 245,639 |
| Percentage 1 | 58.98% |
| Color 2 | 3333FF |
| Party 2 | Democratic |
| Seats before 2 | 18 |
| Seats 2 | 17 |
| Seat change 2 | 1 |
| Popular vote 2 | 166,676 |
| Percentage 2 | 40.02% |
| Leader 2 | None |
| Before election | Jim Scheer |
| Before party | Republican |
| After election | Mike Hilgers |
| After party | Republican |
| Leader 3 | Ernie Chambers (term-limited) |
| Party 3 | Independent |
| Seat change 3 | 1 |
| Seats before 3 | 1 |
| Seats 3 | 0 |
The 2020 Nebraska State Legislature elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Nebraska voters elected state senators[b] in the 25 odd-numbered seats of the 49[c] legislative districts in the Nebraska Unicameral. State senators serve four-year terms in the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
A top two primary election on May 12, 2020 determined which candidates appear on the November 3 general election ballot.[1][2] Each candidate technically runs as a non-partisan (i.e., no party preference). The Nebraska State Legislature's website offers a statewide map of the 49 legislative districts here and maps for each individual district can be found on the website.[3]
Following the 2018 elections, the Republicans maintained effective control of the Nebraska State Legislature with 30 seats. The Democrats increased their numbers from 16 to 18.
Republicans flipped three seats from Democrats; Democrats flipped one seat from Republicans and one from nonpartisan Ernie Chambers.[4]
Open seats that changed parties
Democratic seats won by Republicans
- District 31: Won by Rich Pahls.
- District 45: Won by Rita Sanders.
Nonpartisan seats won by Democrats
- District 11: Won by Terrell McKinney.
Incumbents defeated
In general elections
Democrats
- District 35: Dan Quick (elected in 2016) lost to Raymond Aguilar.
Republicans
- District 49: Andrew LaGrone (appointed in 2019) lost to Jen Day.
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | October 21, 2020 |
Close races
| District | Winner | Party | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Carol Blood | Democratic | 0.8% |
| 49 | Jen Day | Democratic (flip) | 1.0% |
| 31 | Rich Pahls | Republican (flip) | 5.4% |
| 29 | Eliot Bostar | Democratic | 6.2% |
| 35 | Raymond Aguilar | Republican (flip) | 7.2% |
| 45 | Rita Sanders | Republican (flip) | 7.6% |
| 9 | John Cavanaugh | Democratic | 8.2% |
| 21 | Mike Hilgers | Republican | 9.92% |
Detailed results
- Note: All elections are technically non-partisan in the State Legislature; therefore, parties listed here are from candidates' websites and official party endorsement lists. Candidates all appear on the ballot as nonpartisan.
District 9
Sara Howard (incumbent) was term-limited.
District 11
Ernie Chambers (incumbent) was term-limited.
District 19
Jim Scheer (incumbent) was term-limited.
District 29
Kate Bolz (incumbent) was term-limited.
District 31
Rick Kolowski (incumbent) retired.
District 45
Sue Crawford (incumbent) was term-limited.
District 49
John Murante (elected in 2016) resigned when elected Treasurer of Nebraska in 2018. Governor Pete Ricketts appointed Andrew LaGrone to fill the vacancy.[8]
Notes
- ^ In Nebraska, a two-thirds vote of all members is required to overcome a filibuster. Thus, 33 votes are required to hold a filibuster-proof majority.[9]
- ^ Although Nebraska's legislature is unicameral, the officeholders are called Senators.
- ^ The even-numbered districts were elected in 2018 and will be up for election again in 2022.
References
- ^ "Nebraska State Primary Election Results 2020". The New York Times. May 12, 2020.
- ^ "OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NEBRASKA BOARD OF STATE CANVASSERS"
- ^ "Nebraska Legislature:Legislature - Maps Clearinghouse". Nebraska Legislature. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ "OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NEBRASKA BOARD OF STATE CANVASSERS"
- ^ "October Overview: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ "Candidates for State Legislature". Nebraska Republican Party. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Candidates". Nebraska Democratic Party. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "La Grone, '16, Appointed to Nebraska Legislature | Nebraska College of Law". law.unl.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ Metzler, Brandon (January 19, 2023), "Rule 7, Section 10", "Rules of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature", p. 53
A two-thirds majority of the elected members shall be required for the cloture motion to be successful.
External links
- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Nebraska", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "Nebraska: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org
- "League of Women Voters of Nebraska" (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)