 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County results Congressional district resultsFischer: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Kerrey: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
The2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the2012 U.S. presidential election as well as otherelections to the United States Senate andHouse of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Democratic senatorBen Nelson chose to retire instead of seeking a third term.[1] DemocratBob Kerrey, who held this seat from 1989 to 2001, and Republican state senatorDeb Fischer won their respective parties' primary elections on May 15, 2012.
Fischer won the general election with 57.8% of the vote, marking the first time since1970 that a Republican was elected to Nebraska'sClass 1 Senate seat, as well as the first time that a woman was elected to a full Senate term in the state's history. This was the only Republican flip of the 2012 U.S. Senate elections.Fischer was sworn in on January 3, 2013, marking the first time sinceRoman Hruska resigned in December 1976 that Republicans simultaneously held both of Nebraska’s U.S. Senate seats.
U.S. Senators
Individuals
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Kerrey | 66,586 | 80.98% | |
| Democratic | Chuck Hassebrook | 9,886 | 12.02% | |
| Democratic | Steven P. Lustgarten | 2,177 | 2.65% | |
| Democratic | Larry Marvin | 2,076 | 2.52% | |
| Democratic | Sherman Yates | 1,500 | 1.82% | |
| Total votes | 82,225 | 100.00% | ||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jon Bruning | Sharyn Elander | Deb Fischer | Pat Flynn | Don Stenberg | Spencer Zimmerman | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[28] | January 26–27, 2011 | 519 | ±4.3% | 47% | – | 6% | 7% | 19% | – | 20% |
| Public Policy Polling[29] | September 30 – October 2, 2011 | 400 | ±4.9% | 37% | – | 14% | 6% | 16% | – | 27% |
| Public Policy Polling[30] | March 22–25, 2012 | 440 | ±4.7% | 46% | 3% | 12% | 4% | 18% | 0% | 18% |
| We Ask America[31] | May 6, 2012 | 1,173 | ±2.9% | 42.2% | 3.4% | 25.9% | 4% | 22.5% | 2% | – |
| We Ask America[32] | May 13, 2012 | 1,109 | ±2.95% | 34% | 4% | 39% | 3% | 18% | 2% | – |
| Public Policy Polling[33] | May 14, 2012 | 272 | ±5.9% | 33% | 1% | 37% | 2% | 17% | 1% | 7% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Deb Fischer | 79,941 | 40.99% | |
| Republican | Jon Bruning | 70,067 | 35.92% | |
| Republican | Don Stenberg | 36,727 | 18.83% | |
| Republican | Pat Flynn | 5,413 | 2.78% | |
| Republican | Spencer Zimmerman | 1,601 | 0.82% | |
| Republican | Sharyn Elander | 1,294 | 0.66% | |
| Total votes | 195,043 | 100.00% | ||
The first debate took place at the Heartland Events Center during the Nebraska State Fair at 4 p.m. Saturday, August 25, 2012. Kerrey and Fischer participated.
The second debate took place on September 28, 2012,KETV-TV, Chamber of Commerce of Greater Omaha. Kerrey and Fischer participated.
The third debate took place on October 1, 2012,NET-TV. Kerrey and Fischer participated. Topics included agriculture policy, the economy, taxes and education.External links
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Kerrey (D) | $4,877,704 | $4,582,224 | $295,480 | $0 |
| Deb Fischer (R) | $4,536,837 | $3,472,721 | $1,458,122 | $65,000 |
| Source:Federal Election Commission[50][51][52] | ||||
| Bob Kerrey | Contribution | Deb Fischer | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Media Group | $62,500 | Elliott Management Corporation | $29,413 |
| MacAndrews & Forbes | $51,000 | Hawkins Construction | $20,000 |
| Tenet Healthcare | $25,650 | Kelly PAC | $20,000 |
| Nix, Patterson & Roach | $25,000 | Tenaska Energy | $17,500 |
| Allen & Company | $22,500 | Werner Enterprises | $15,250 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | $21,500 | T&L Irrigation | $13,200 |
| Level 3 Communications | $17,000 | Union Pacific | $11,500 |
| Genworth Financial | $16,000 | Pinnacle Financial Partners | $10,500 |
| Williams Kherkher | $16,000 | 21st Century Majority Fund | $10,000 |
| Bank of America | $15,250 | AG Processing | $10,000 |
| Bob Kerrey | Contribution | Deb Fischer | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $293,434 | Leadership PACs | $165,500 |
| Retired | $219,224 | Retired | $124,546 |
| Leadership PACs | $203,500 | Agribusiness | $105,052 |
| Financial Institutions | $182,150 | Commercial Banks | $54,990 |
| Entertainment Industry | $119,000 | Financial Institutions | $54,416 |
| Lobbyists | $104,400 | General Contractors | $54,300 |
| Real Estate | $87,675 | Real Estate | $38,000 |
| Manufacturing & Distributing | $61,700 | Insurance | $36,000 |
| Education | $53,000 | Health Professionals | $31,850 |
| Insurance | $51,500 | Electric Utilities | $29,900 |
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[55] | Lean R(flip) | November 1, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[56] | Likely R(flip) | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[57] | Likely R(flip) | November 2, 2012 |
| Real Clear Politics[58] | Lean R(flip) | November 5, 2012 |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bob Kerrey (D) | Deb Fischer (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports[59] | March 5, 2012 | 500 | ±4.5% | 34% | 46% | 10% | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling[30] | March 22–25, 2012 | 1,028 | ±3.1% | 38% | 48% | — | 14% |
| Rasmussen Reports[60] | May 16, 2012 | 500 | ±4.5% | 38% | 56% | 2% | 3% |
| WeAskAmerica[61] | August 14, 2012 | 1,273 | ±2.8% | 34% | 55% | — | 11% |
| Omaha World-Herald[62] | September 17–20, 2012 | 800 | ±3.5% | 42% | 52% | — | 6% |
| Pharos Research[63] | October 19–21, 2012 | 783 | ±3.5% | 46% | 48% | — | 6% |
| Omaha World-Herald[64] | October 23–25, 2012 | 800 | ±3.5% | 45% | 48% | — | 7% |
| We Ask America[65] | November 1, 2012 | 1,178 | ±3.0% | 41% | 54% | — | 5% |
With Kerrey
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bob Kerrey (D) | Jon Bruning (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[66] | January 10–11, 2012 | 675 | ±3.77% | 40% | 51% | – | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[59] | March 5, 2012 | 500 | ±4.5% | 33% | 55% | 4% | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling[30] | March 22–25, 2012 | 1,028 | ±3.1% | 37% | 54% | – | 9% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bob Kerrey (D) | Don Stenberg (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[66] | January 10–11, 2012 | 675 | ±3.77% | 39% | 47% | – | 14% |
| Rasmussen Reports[59] | March 5, 2012 | 500 | ±4.5% | 34% | 52% | 5% | 9% |
| Public Policy Polling[30] | March 22–25, 2012 | 1,028 | ±3.1% | 38% | 52% | – | 10% |
With Lathrop
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Steve Lathrop (D) | Jon Bruning (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[66] | January 10–11, 2012 | 675 | ±3.77% | 29% | 52% | – | 19% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Steve Lathrop (D) | Don Stenberg (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[66] | January 10–11, 2012 | 675 | ±3.77% | 27% | 52% | – | 21% |
With Nelson
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ben Nelson (D) | Jon Bruning (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[67] | December 15, 2010 | 1,789 | ±2.3% | 38% | 52% | –– | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling[68] | January 26–27, 2011 | 977 | ±3.1% | 39% | 50% | –– | 11% |
| Public Policy Polling[69] | September 30 – October 2, 2011 | 739 | ±3.6% | 42% | 46% | –– | 12% |
| Magellan Strategies[70] | November 20–21, 2011 | 645 | ±3.9% | 39% | 45% | –– | 16% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ben Nelson (D) | Deb Fischer (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[68] | January 26–27, 2011 | 977 | ±3.1% | 42% | 35% | –– | 22% |
| Public Policy Polling[69] | September 30 – October 2, 2011 | 739 | ±3.6% | 41% | 39% | –– | 20% |
| Magellan Strategies[70] | November 20–21, 2011 | 645 | ±3.9% | 41% | 35% | –– | 24% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ben Nelson (D) | Pat Flynn (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[68] | January 26–27, 2011 | 977 | ±3.1% | 42% | 33% | –– | 24% |
| Public Policy Polling[69] | September 30 – October 2, 2011 | 739 | ±3.6% | 43% | 36% | –– | 21% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ben Nelson (D) | Dave Heineman (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[70] | November 20–21, 2011 | 645 | ±3.9% | 33% | 51% | –– | 16% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ben Nelson (D) | Don Stenberg (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[67] | December 15, 2010 | 1,789 | ±2.3% | 40% | 46% | –– | 14% |
| Public Policy Polling[68] | January 26–27, 2011 | 977 | ±3.1% | 41% | 45% | –– | 14% |
| Public Policy Polling[69] | September 30 – October 2, 2011 | 739 | ±3.6% | 41% | 44% | –– | 15% |
| Magellan Strategies[70] | November 20–21, 2011 | 645 | ±3.9% | 40% | 41% | –– | 19% |
With Robak
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kim Robak (D) | Jon Bruning (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[66] | January 10–11, 2012 | 675 | ±3.77% | 34% | 51% | – | 15% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kim Robak (D) | Don Stenberg (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan Strategies[66] | January 10–11, 2012 | 675 | ±3.77% | 32% | 50% | – | 18% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Deb Fischer | 455,593 | 57.77% | +21.65% | |
| Democratic | Bob Kerrey | 332,979 | 42.23% | −21.65% | |
| Majority | 122,614 | 15.54% | −12.22% | ||
| Total votes | 788,572 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
FromSecretary of State of Nebraska[72]
| County | Deb Fischer Republican | Bob Kerrey Democratic | Total votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | # | % | # | ||
| Adams | 64.65% | 8,170 | 35.35% | 4,468 | 12,638 |
| Antelope | 81.32% | 2,625 | 18.68% | 603 | 3,228 |
| Arthur | 86.74% | 229 | 13.26% | 35 | 264 |
| Banner | 84.91% | 349 | 15.09% | 62 | 411 |
| Blaine | 89.23% | 265 | 10.77% | 32 | 297 |
| Boone | 76.31% | 2,139 | 23.69% | 664 | 2,803 |
| Box Butte | 60.41% | 2,838 | 39.59% | 1,860 | 4,698 |
| Boyd | 80.36% | 851 | 19.64% | 208 | 1,059 |
| Brown | 86.80% | 1,342 | 13.20% | 204 | 1,546 |
| Buffalo | 70.01% | 13,491 | 29.99% | 5,779 | 19,270 |
| Burt | 59.55% | 1,977 | 40.45% | 1,343 | 3,320 |
| Butler | 68.86% | 2,642 | 31.14% | 1,195 | 3,837 |
| Cass | 59.25% | 7,153 | 40.75% | 4,919 | 12,072 |
| Cedar | 70.31% | 3,041 | 29.69% | 1,284 | 4,325 |
| Chase | 83.57% | 1,546 | 16.43% | 304 | 1,850 |
| Cherry | 77.91% | 2,328 | 22.09% | 660 | 2,988 |
| Cheyenne | 72.54% | 3,344 | 27.46% | 1,266 | 4,610 |
| Clay | 74.52% | 2,194 | 25.48% | 750 | 2,944 |
| Colfax | 65.23% | 1,992 | 34.77% | 1,062 | 3,054 |
| Cuming | 73.00% | 2,893 | 27.00% | 1,070 | 3,963 |
| Custer | 80.78% | 4,439 | 19.22% | 1,056 | 5,495 |
| Dakota | 45.63% | 2,770 | 54.37% | 3,300 | 6,070 |
| Dawes | 64.86% | 2,405 | 35.14% | 1,303 | 3,708 |
| Dawson | 69.54% | 5,422 | 30.46% | 2,375 | 7,797 |
| Deuel | 75.00% | 762 | 25.00% | 254 | 1,016 |
| Dixon | 60.22% | 1,618 | 39.78% | 1,069 | 2,687 |
| Dodge | 59.30% | 8,823 | 40.70% | 6,056 | 14,879 |
| Douglas | 48.25% | 106,951 | 51.75% | 114,700 | 221,651 |
| Dundy | 78.35% | 767 | 21.65% | 212 | 979 |
| Fillmore | 67.18% | 1,918 | 32.82% | 937 | 2,855 |
| Franklin | 72.59% | 1,107 | 27.41% | 418 | 1,525 |
| Frontier | 77.12% | 1,008 | 22.88% | 299 | 1,307 |
| Furnas | 77.43% | 1,729 | 22.57% | 504 | 2,233 |
| Gage | 53.74% | 5,172 | 46.26% | 4,452 | 9,624 |
| Garden | 75.76% | 819 | 24.24% | 262 | 1,081 |
| Garfield | 81.99% | 774 | 18.01% | 170 | 944 |
| Gosper | 75.31% | 738 | 24.69% | 242 | 980 |
| Grant | 83.52% | 299 | 16.48% | 59 | 358 |
| Greeley | 69.61% | 827 | 30.39% | 361 | 1,188 |
| Hall | 61.32% | 12,350 | 38.68% | 7,790 | 20,140 |
| Hamilton | 72.27% | 3,498 | 27.73% | 1,342 | 4,840 |
| Harlan | 75.64% | 1329 | 24.36% | 428 | 1,757 |
| Hayes | 83.49% | 445 | 16.51% | 88 | 533 |
| Hitchcock | 74.98% | 1,112 | 25.02% | 371 | 1,483 |
| Holt | 79.17% | 3,896 | 20.83% | 1,025 | 4,921 |
| Hooker | 82.84% | 333 | 17.16% | 69 | 402 |
| Howard | 67.69% | 1,940 | 32.31% | 926 | 2,866 |
| Jefferson | 60.04% | 2,052 | 39.96% | 1,366 | 3,418 |
| Johnson | 55.76% | 1,147 | 44.24% | 910 | 2,057 |
| Kearney | 74.08% | 2,343 | 25.92% | 820 | 3,163 |
| Keith | 73.76% | 2,988 | 26.24% | 1,063 | 4,051 |
| Keya Paha | 84.62% | 407 | 15.38% | 74 | 481 |
| Kimball | 73.39% | 1,233 | 26.61% | 447 | 1,680 |
| Knox | 71.52% | 2,880 | 28.48% | 1,147 | 4,027 |
| Lancaster | 46.15% | 58,306 | 53.85% | 68,046 | 126,352 |
| Lincoln | 66.00% | 10,285 | 34.00% | 5,298 | 15,583 |
| Logan | 82.45% | 357 | 17.55% | 76 | 433 |
| Loup | 78.71% | 281 | 21.29% | 76 | 357 |
| Madison | 72.92% | 10,089 | 27.08% | 3,746 | 13,835 |
| McPherson | 86.35% | 253 | 13.65% | 40 | 293 |
| Merrick | 71.44% | 2,491 | 28.56% | 996 | 3,487 |
| Morrill | 76.24% | 1,675 | 23.76% | 522 | 2,197 |
| Nance | 66.42% | 1,068 | 33.58% | 540 | 1,608 |
| Nemaha | 59.09% | 1,901 | 40.91% | 1,316 | 3,217 |
| Nuckolls | 70.21% | 1,532 | 29.79% | 650 | 2,182 |
| Otoe | 58.58% | 4,067 | 41.42% | 2,876 | 6,943 |
| Pawnee | 64.11% | 861 | 35.89% | 482 | 1,343 |
| Perkins | 78.60% | 1,091 | 21.40% | 297 | 1,388 |
| Phelps | 77.00% | 3,368 | 23.00% | 1,006 | 4,374 |
| Pierce | 79.55% | 2,716 | 20.45% | 698 | 3,414 |
| Platte | 73.13% | 9,801 | 26.87% | 3,601 | 13,402 |
| Polk | 74.65% | 1,820 | 25.35% | 618 | 2,438 |
| Red Willow | 75.25% | 3,692 | 24.75% | 1,214 | 4,906 |
| Richardson | 62.08% | 2,312 | 37.92% | 1,412 | 3,724 |
| Rock | 86.90% | 683 | 13.10% | 103 | 786 |
| Saline | 48.30% | 2,387 | 51.70% | 2,555 | 4,942 |
| Sarpy | 57.56% | 40,682 | 42.44% | 29,996 | 70,678 |
| Saunders | 63.72% | 6,547 | 36.28% | 3,728 | 10,275 |
| Scotts Bluff | 64.96% | 9,299 | 35.04% | 5,017 | 14,316 |
| Seward | 63.18% | 4,764 | 36.82% | 2,776 | 7,540 |
| Sheridan | 80.24% | 1,986 | 19.76% | 489 | 2,475 |
| Sherman | 63.20% | 960 | 36.80% | 559 | 1,519 |
| Sioux | 82.76% | 605 | 17.24% | 126 | 731 |
| Stanton | 74.99% | 1,979 | 25.01% | 660 | 2,639 |
| Thayer | 65.79% | 1,742 | 34.21% | 906 | 2,648 |
| Thomas | 85.23% | 352 | 14.77% | 61 | 413 |
| Thurston | 40.38% | 900 | 59.62% | 1,329 | 2,229 |
| Valley | 72.91% | 1,599 | 27.09% | 594 | 2,193 |
| Washington | 65.52% | 6,660 | 34.48% | 3,505 | 10,165 |
| Wayne | 67.56% | 2,484 | 32.44% | 1,193 | 3,677 |
| Webster | 69.66% | 1,203 | 30.34% | 524 | 1,727 |
| Wheeler | 79.78% | 359 | 20.22% | 91 | 450 |
| York | 74.78% | 4,726 | 25.22% | 1,594 | 6,320 |
Fischer won all three congressional districts.[73]
| District | Fischer | Kerrey | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 55.01% | 44.99% | Jeff Fortenberry |
| 2nd | 50.06% | 49.94% | Lee Terry |
| 3rd | 68.48% | 31.52% | Adrian Smith |
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Official campaign websites