Nebraska Attorney General election, 2014
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May 13, 2014 |
November 4, 2014 |
Doug Peterson  |
Jon Bruning |
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TheNebraska Attorney General election took place onNovember 4, 2014. IncumbentJon Bruning (R) was first elected in 2002 and instead of seeking re-election, ran for the office ofGovernor of Nebraska. The race to replace Bruning featuredRepublican candidateDoug Peterson andDemocratic candidateJanet Stewart.Doug Petersonwon election to a four-year term.
The contest between Peterson and Stewart was the first contested race for attorney general in Nebraska since 2002. Bruning ran for re-election without opposition in 2006 and 2010 after a 32-pointmargin-of-victory in 2002. Learn more about where the candidates stood on the issues by jumping to thecampaign themes section.
Aprimary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Nebraska, participation rules for primaries vary by the office up for election. State legislative primaries use a nonpartisantop-two primary system in which any voter can participate. Congressional primaries are partisan, but an unaffiliated voter may vote in the congressional primary of their choice. For all other statewide offices, a state party can determine whether it will allow unaffiliated voters to vote in its primary.[1]
As of October 2025, the Democratic Party held a semi-closed primary in which registered party members and unaffiliated voters could participate, and the Republican Party held a closed primary in which only registered party members could participate.[2][3]
Candidates
General election
Lost in primary
Filed for other office
- Jon Bruning -Incumbent
Withdrew
- Van Argyrakis - Attorney[6]
Results
General election
| Attorney General of Nebraska, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Doug Peterson | 66.1% | 339,846 | |
| Democratic | Janet Stewart | 33.9% | 174,614 | |
| Total Votes | 514,460 | |||
| Election results viaNebraska Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
Republican Primary
| Nebraska Attorney General, Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Doug Peterson | 35.6% | 67,578 | ||
| Brian Buescher | 25.5% | 48,316 | ||
| Mike Hilgers | 22.9% | 43,371 | ||
| Pete Pirsch | 16% | 30,321 | ||
| Total Votes | 189,586 | |||
| Election results viaNebraska Secretary of State. | ||||
Democratic Primary
| Nebraska Attorney General, Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Janet Stewart | 72.3% | 47,151 | ||
| Allan Eurek | 27.7% | 18,083 | ||
| Total Votes | 65,234 | |||
| Election results viaNebraska Secretary of State. | ||||
Campaign themes
Peterson and Stewart made public statements about their positions on issues facing Nebraska voters. The following sections quote these statements verbatim from candidate websites.
Doug Peterson
| “ | PROTECTING THE GOOD LIFE The Attorney General is the lead law-enforcement officer for the state of Nebraska. One of the most important responsibilities for the Attorney General is to provide leadership and support for all County Attorneys and law enforcement agencies in the state. I have spoken with several County Attorney’s across the state and they confirm that in order to most effectively fight criminals they need the support of the Attorney General’s office. I will make this my highest priority as Nebraska’s Attorney General because it truly does affect the good life for all communities. Cracking down on all types of criminal activity will send a message to those criminals that Nebraska will never surrender any community to lawlessness. PROTECTING NEBRASKANS FROM FEDERAL OVERREACH Over the last several years we have seen the federal government under President Obamaimpose more and more control over both individuals and state rights. The United States Constitution limits federal authority. Nebraskan’s simply cannot back down to power plays by this current federal administration. Government works only when it operates within the constitutional boundaries. I strongly support government at the most local level. I will not allow the federal government to intimidate Nebraska individuals or businesses by overplaying its federal authority. Our founding fathers understood that our country is strongest when our states are strong. PROTECTING THE NEBRASKA CONSUMERS There have been snake oil salesman in Nebraska about as long as there have been snakes. Fortunately, in Nebraska the Attorney General’s office has a dedicated department to protect Nebraskans from consumer fraud. Motivated by greed and acting with deceit, corporations and individuals pray upon the most vulnerable Nebraskans. I intend to be very aggressive in going after these crooks. I want to send a very strong message that if you mess with Nebraskan’s through consumer fraud you will pay a very high price. Fortunately, in Nebraska the Attorney’s General’s office has a department dedicated to protect Nebraskans from consumer fraud and I want to use my 28 years of legal experience to lead this unit and fight for you.[7] | ” |
| —Doug Peterson's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Janet Stewart
| “ | I am ready to put my experience managing litigation for a major Nebraska business to work for all Nebraska. My experience practicing law in Nebraska state and federal courts gives me a solid foundation from which to vigorously represent the interests of our state. I intend to follow the example of Attorney General Robert Spire, a nonpartisan and ethical lawyer, who elevated the standards of the office. Partisan politics and divisive ideologies compromise sound legal analysis and decisions. Electing an Attorney General with no aspirations to advance a political agenda, or run for higher office gives Nebraskans the legal representation they deserve. Managing Nebraska’s litigation and the Attorney General’s office with experienced legal and business skills will conserve state resources saving taxpayer dollars.[7] | ” |
| —Janet Stewart's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Past elections
2010
Jon Bruning won re-election without opposition.
2006
Jon Bruning won re-election without opposition.
2002
| 2002 Race for Attorney General - General Election[10] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party |  aJon Bruning | 66.0% | |
| Democratic Party | Mike Meister | 34.0% | |
| Total Votes | 443,499 | ||
Campaign finance
Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of$1,157,587 during the election. This information was last updated on April 25, 2015.[11]
| Campaign Contribution Totals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| Doug Peterson | Nebraska Attorney General |  | $384,853 | |
| Brian Buescher | Nebraska Attorney General |  | $319,362 | |
| Mike Hilgers | Nebraska Attorney General | | $222,955 | |
| Pete Pirsch | Nebraska Attorney General | | $185,053 | |
Janet Stewart | Nebraska Attorney General | | $23,666 | |
| Allan Eurek | Nebraska Attorney General | | $21,698 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $1,157,587 | |||
Key deadlines
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| May 13, 2014 | Primary election |
| November 4, 2014 | General election |
| December 1, 2014 | Certification of election results |
| January 8, 2015 | Inauguration day for state executive officials |
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Nebraska + attorney + general + election"
See also
- Nebraska Attorney General
- Nebraska state executive official elections, 2014
- State executive official elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Nebraska Legislature, "Neb. Rev. Stat. § 32–912," accessed October 27, 2025
- ↑Nebraska Secretary of State, "How nonpartisan voting works in Nebraska primary elections," accessed October 27, 2025
- ↑Nebraska Democratic Party, "2026 Democratic Candidates," accessed October 27, 2025
- ↑4.04.1Nebraska Secretary of State, "2014 Candidate Filings," accessed February 19, 2014
- ↑5.05.15.25.3Nebraska Secretary of State, "2014 Candidate Filings," accessed March 3, 2014
- ↑LinkedIn, Van Argyrakis, accessed July 26, 2013
- ↑7.07.1Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑Doug Peterson for Attorney General, "Protecting Nebraska," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑Janet Stewart for Attorney General, "Home," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑Nebraska Secretary of State - Official Results of 2002 General Election
- ↑Follow the Money, "Overview of Nebraska 2014 elections," accessed May 7, 2015
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