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 County results Precinct resultsHeineman: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Hahn: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The2006 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006; theprimary election was held on May 9, 2006. Republican incumbentDave Heineman was re-elected to a full term, defeating DemocratDavid Hahn.
The Republican primary election had the unusual situation of an incumbent running against several members of his own party. Originally, the 2006 election would not have had an incumbent. However, this changed whenMike Johanns resigned in January 2005 to becomeUnited States Secretary of Agriculture; this elevatedLieutenant GovernorDave Heineman to the governorship. He then announced his intention to run for election to a full four-year term. The other two candidates for the Republican nomination were formerNebraska Cornhuskers football coachTom Osborne—then serving in theUnited States House of Representatives—and Omaha businessman Dave Nabity.
In 2005, the three Republican candidates raised more than $2 million overall for their campaigns: Osborne $972,000; Heineman $922,000; and Nabity $150,000.
Osborne namedKate Witek, theNebraska State Auditor, as his running mate for the office of lieutenant governor.[1] She had previously been the running mate of Gene Spence in the1994 Nebraska gubernatorial election. After the Osborne-Witek ticket was unsuccessful in the Republican primaries, Witek switched parties and joined the Democratic party.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Heineman (incumbent) | 138,216 | 50.26 | |
| Republican | Tom Osborne | 121,973 | 44.36 | |
| Republican | Dave Nabity | 14,786 | 5.38 | |
| Total votes | 274,975 | 100.00 | ||
The Democratic primary election did not have any candidates until December 2005, whenDavid Hahn announced his candidacy. Glenn Boot Jr. ofAshland was the other Democratic candidate, but he was disqualified due to a previous felony conviction. The election was not a high priority for Nebraska Democrats. While the main reason was focusing on gettingU.S. SenatorBen Nelson reelected, it was very likely that most Democrats didn't want to face the possibility of running against the immensely popular Osborne.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Hahn | 68,004 | 91.57 | |
| Democratic | Glenn R. Boot, Jr. | 6,259 | 8.43 | |
| Total votes | 74,263 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Barry Richards | 138 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 138 | 100.00 | ||
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[3] | Solid R | November 6, 2006 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[4] | Safe R | November 6, 2006 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 2, 2006 |
| Real Clear Politics[6] | Safe R | November 6, 2006 |
| Source | Date | Dave Heineman (R) | David Hahn (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen[7] | October 19, 2006 | 70% | 22% |
| Rasmussen[8] | September 26, 2006 | 72% | 18% |
| Rasmussen[9] | August 17, 2006 | 71% | 18% |
| Rasmussen[10] | July 17, 2006 | 66% | 21% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Heineman (incumbent) | 435,507 | 73.40% | +4.72% | |
| Democratic | David Hahn | 145,115 | 24.46% | −3.06% | |
| Nebraska | Barry Richards | 8,953 | 1.51% | −2.29% | |
| Independent | Mort Sullivan | 3,782 | 0.64% | ||
| Majority | 290,392 | 48.94% | +7.78% | ||
| Turnout | 593,357 | ||||
| Republicanhold | Swing | ||||
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