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 County results Exon: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Daub: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1990 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 1990. Incumbent SenatorJ. James Exon ran for re-election to a third term.[1] He was challenged by Republican nomineeHal Daub, who had previously represented the2nd congressional district before unsuccessfully running for the U.S. Senate in1988.
National Republicans targeted Exon's seat, given PresidentGeorge Bush's landslide victory in the state in1988 and Exon's narrow victory in1984.[2] However, themidterm elections saw comparatively little change nationwide, and saw the fewest number of Senate seat changes since the ratification of theSeventeenth Amendment in 1913. Exon ultimately defeated Daub in a landslide, winning 59% of the vote.
This was the last time that a Democratic candidate won the Class II Senate seat in Nebraska, and Exon remains the only Democrat to have held this seat in the Senate.
In1984, despiteRonald Reagan'slandslide presidential victory in the concurrent election,[3] J. James Exon held the Senate seat, defeating Republican Nancy Hoch with nearly 52% of the vote. By contrast, Reagan won Nebraska in the presidential election with 70% of the vote to 28% for Democratic candidateWalter Mondale.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. James Exon (inc.) | 157,959 | 98.75% | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 2,006 | 1.25% | |
| Total votes | 159,965 | 100.00% | ||
CongressmanDoug Bereuter, who was passed over for an appointment to the U.S. Senate in 1987, considered running for the Senate against Exon, and was heavily recruited by national Republicans.[10] However, on June 5, 1989, Bereuter announced that he would not seek the Republican nomination, and would instead seekre-election, citing a lack of "adequate campaign resources" for a statewide campaign with a competitivegubernatorial election and the possibility that Republicans would lose his seat.[8]
Following Bereuter's decision to not challenge Exon, former CongressmanHal Daub emerged as the favorite candidate of national and state party leaders.Douglas County Attorney Ron Staskiewicz explored a campaign, and launched a statewide tour in anticipation of a possible campaign.[11] Daub announced his campaign on February 12, 1990,[6] and Staskiewicz announced shortly thereafter that he wouldrun for Congress from the2nd district.[9] Daub's only challenger in the Republican primary was Otis Glebe, a real-estate investor.[7] Daub defeated Glebe in a landslide, winning 91 percent of the vote.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Hal Daub | 178,237 | 91.26% | |
| Republican | Otis Glebe | 16,367 | 8.38% | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 711 | 0.36% | |
| Total votes | 195,315 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. James Exon (inc.) | 349,779 | 58.90% | +6.97% | |
| Republican | Hal Daub | 243,013 | 40.92% | −7.09% | |
| Write-in | 1,036 | 0.17% | — | ||
| Majority | 106,766 | 17.98% | +14.06% | ||
| Total votes | 593,828 | 100.00% | |||
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On January 3, 1991, Exon was sworn in to the102nd United States Congress by then–Vice PresidentDan Quayle alongside his fellow Senators-elect.[13]
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