Nebraska held its general election on November 4, 2014, deciding 25 legislative seats and 6 statewide offices led by the governorship. Nebraska's unicameral Legislature is officially nonpartisan; the composition shown reflects the party affiliation of its members.
Highlights
- Republicans kept every statewide office, and the officially nonpartisan Legislature moved further toward them: its members' party-registration split went from 31-17-1 to 35-13-1.
- Former TD Ameritrade executive Pete Ricketts (R) succeeded term-limited Gov. Dave Heineman, beating Chuck Hassebrook (D) by about 18 points on a campaign whose stated priority was cutting taxes. Republicans also won the open attorney general's and auditor's offices: Doug Peterson (R) beat Janet Stewart (D) by about 32 points, and Charlie Janssen (R) beat Amanda McGill (D) by about 18 points. Secretary of State John Gale (R) and Treasurer Don Stenberg (R) were re-elected.
- No incumbent lost; all 4 Republican gains came in open seats Democrats had held:
- Merv Riepe (R) won Douglas County's District 12.
- Roy Baker (R) won District 30.
- Laura Ebke (R) edged Phil Hardenburger by about 160 votes in District 32.
- Curt Friesen (R) was unopposed in District 34.
- Voters approved Initiative 425 by about 19 points, raising the state minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8 in 2015 and $9 in 2016.
Legislature
- Legislature (49 seats): 0 D, 0 R, 49 other or vacant before the election, 0 D, 0 R, 49 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
Statewide races
| Race | Winner | Others | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Pete Ricketts (R) 57.15% | Chuck Hassebrook (D) 39.23%, Mark G. Elworth, Jr. (L) 3.52% | |
| Attorney General | Doug Peterson (R) 66.06% | Janet Stewart (D) 33.94% | |
| Auditor | Charlie Janssen (R) 59.07% | Amanda M. McGill (D) 40.93% | |
| Lt. Governor | Mike Foley (R) 57.15% | Jane Raybould (D) 39.23%, Scott Zimmerman (L) 3.52% | |
| Secretary of State | John A. Gale (R) 75.19% | Brent Backus (L) 24.81% | |
| Treasurer | Don Stenberg (R) 68.14% | William J. O'Hara (D) 26.52%, Michael Knebel (L) 5.34% |
Legislative races
| Race | Winner | Others | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislature 2 | Bill Kintner (Nonpartisan) 61.75% | Ron Nolte (Nonpartisan) 38.25% | |
| Legislature 3 | Tommy Garrett (Nonpartisan) 53.69% | Carol Blood (Nonpartisan) 46.31% | |
| Legislature 4 | Bob Hilkemann (Nonpartisan) 57.34% | Stacy Ryan (Nonpartisan) 42.66% | |
| Legislature 6 | Joni Craighead (Nonpartisan) 51.46% | John Stalnaker (Nonpartisan) 48.54% | |
| Legislature 8 | Burke J. Harr (Nonpartisan) 55.25% | Gwenn Aspen (Nonpartisan) 44.75% | |
| Legislature 10 | Bob Krist (Nonpartisan) 100% | Unopposed | |
| Legislature 12 | Merv Riepe (Nonpartisan) 63.97% | Greg Hosch (Nonpartisan) 36.03% | Flipped D to R |
| Legislature 14 | Jim Smith (Nonpartisan) 100% | Unopposed | |
| Legislature 16 | Lydia Brasch (Nonpartisan) 66.81% | Scott Japp (Nonpartisan) 33.19% | |
| Legislature 18 | Brett Lindstrom (Nonpartisan) 54.9% | J. Michael Tesar (Nonpartisan) 45.1% | |
| Legislature 20 | John McCollister (Nonpartisan) 52.08% | Matt Lathrop (Nonpartisan) 47.92% | |
| Legislature 22 | Paul Schumacher (Nonpartisan) 78.2% | Douglas J. Liewer (Nonpartisan) 21.8% | |
| Legislature 24 | Mark Kolterman (Nonpartisan) 80.45% | Kirk Tesar (Nonpartisan) 19.55% | |
| Legislature 26 | Matt Hansen (Nonpartisan) 54.76% | Brent Smoyer (Nonpartisan) 45.24% | |
| Legislature 28 | Patty Pansing Brooks (Nonpartisan) 61.39% | Dallas Jones (Nonpartisan) 38.61% | |
| Legislature 30 | Roy Baker (Nonpartisan) 56.05% | Bob Tiemann (Nonpartisan) 43.95% | Flipped D to R |
| Legislature 32 | Laura Ebke (Nonpartisan) 50.67% | Phil Hardenburger (Nonpartisan) 49.33% | Flipped D to R |
| Legislature 34 | Curt Friesen (Nonpartisan) 100% | Unopposed | Flipped D to R |
| Legislature 36 | Matt Williams (Nonpartisan) 77.96% | Luis Sotelo (Nonpartisan) 22.04% | |
| Legislature 38 | John L. Kuehn (Nonpartisan) 100% | Unopposed | |
| Legislature 40 | Tyson Larson (Nonpartisan) 67.07% | Keith Kube (Nonpartisan) 32.93% | |
| Legislature 42 | Michael Groene (Nonpartisan) 51.52% | Roric R. Paulman (Nonpartisan) 48.48% | |
| Legislature 44 | Dan Hughes (Nonpartisan) 57.16% | Steve Stroup (Nonpartisan) 42.84% | |
| Legislature 46 | Adam Morfeld (Nonpartisan) 68.29% | James Michael Bowers (Nonpartisan) 31.71% | |
| Legislature 48 | John Stinner, Sr. (Nonpartisan) 70.17% | Mike Meister (Nonpartisan) 29.83% |
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Initiative 425 | Increases the state hourly minimum wage to $9 by January 1, 2016 | Passed (59.47% yes) |