LINCOLN — The price of mounting a credible bid for the Nebraska Legislature keeps rising, with 2023 fundraising tallies hinting at 2024 being another banner year for six-figure races.

Five candidates for the $12,000-a-year job had already raised more than $100,000 in 2023, a pre-election-year — a number that shows an accelerating trend from recent years, based on year-end fundraising reports from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

For the 2020 election, a record 27 Nebraska legislative candidates raised more than $100,000. For races in 2022, 20 raised $100,000 or more. As recently as the 2010s, only seven or eight candidates raised that much for most legislative elections. 

Bostar leads the pack

State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, led in funds raised in 2023, with $205,000. That pushed his campaign cash on hand to $255,000, including money raised in previous years.

Much of that money came from trial lawyers, family members, some of the top Lincoln-area Democratic donors and a conservation-related political action committee that listed him as executive director. Bostar’s campaign spent about $38,000 in 2023, mostly on helping other candidates.

Asked about the push for earlier fundraising, Bostar said he learned the hard way in 2022 that estimates about what it would take to win in his district were low.

In that race against Republican Jacob Campbell, the two candidates raised and spent at least $600,000 combined, one of the costliest legislative races in Nebraska history.

“I think I estimated too low the first time around, and I didn’t want to make that mistake again,” Bostar said. 

On March 1, the deadline to file to run for office, the Republican who had filed to run against Bostar, Philipe Bruce, withdrew from the race. That left Bostar funded for an election fight that might not come, an outcome he said he did not expect.

Asked what he might do with the money, he said he didn’t expect to run unopposed and hadn’t thought much about it yet. Senators are limited to serving two consecutive terms.

He said he understands people who question raising and spending so much money for a seat that pays like a part-time job. But he says candidates run to help others, not for the pay.

Bosn leads newcomers

State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, appointed by Gov. Jim Pillen to replace former State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, raised the next most at $140,000 and had $125,000 in cash.

She had help from the family of Tom Peed of Sandhills Publishing and many major GOP donors statewide. Her campaign reported spending about $15,000, mainly on consulting.

Bosn, a former Lancaster County prosecutor, said she attended meetings, visited businesses in her district, spoke to constituents and built relationships. But, she said, she was “very shocked when the six-figure numbers came in.”

“I was surprised at the amount that some races cost,” she said.

Her likely opponent, Nicki Popp, raised $23,000 and had $9,400 in cash. Her donors included State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Popp, who is registered nonpartisan, spent $16,000, mostly on consultants.

Day, Aguilar raising big for tough races

Incumbents facing tough election fights this fall were next, with Democratic State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha raising $113,000 and listing $74,000 in campaign cash.

She had help from the family of University of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz and State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha. Day spent about $50,000, mostly on campaign operations.

She faces two GOP candidates in right-leaning District 49. Bob Andersen raised $29,000 and had $17,000 in cash. Caleb Muhs raised $26,000 and had $16,000 in cash.

Andersen got help from former Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster and spent $11,000. Muhs got help from the political action committee supporting Nebraska realtors and spent $13,000. 

Grand Island State Sen. Ray Aguilar, a Republican, raised $110,000 and listed $100,000 in cash on hand for his central Nebraska race.

Aguilar, who is serving his second stint in the Legislature after having been term-limited, said he has talked with some of his colleagues about how much these races cost.

“You start to wonder where all this will end,” he said. “It’s expensive.”

One of Aguilar’s opponents, former State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, reported raising $85,000 and listed $72,000 in cash. 

Kauth preps for SW Omaha fight

The final early member of the six-figure fundraising club for 2024 is State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, who serves parts of southwest Omaha. She raised $101,000 and had $57,000 in cash.

She received help from Herbster and Attorney General Mike Hilgers. Kauth spent $52,000 in 2023, largely on consultants and campaign operations.

She told the Examiner that legislative races in Douglas County are getting more expensive every election cycle. She estimated that her race could cost $180,000 to $220,000, without outside spending.

“That is an astonishing number,” she said.

Her top Democratic opponent, Mary Ann Folchert of Omaha, raised $51,000 and had $24,000 in cash on hand. She received help from some top local donors, including Michael Yanney. Folchert spent $31,000 in 2023 on fundraising and other campaign operations.

Ballard, Derner raise for tough Lincoln race

State Sen. Beau Ballard, who was appointed to his northwest Lancaster County seat, appears to be headed for a tough first election. He raised $89,000 and had $83,000 in cash on hand.

One of his top supporters is Hilgers, the senator he replaced in the Legislature. Ballard’s campaign spent about $8,100 in 2023, mainly on operations.

His likely opponent, Democrat Seth Derner, raised $61,000 and listed $52,000 in cash. He got help from the Omaha-based Weitz family and the union representing electrical workers.

Of all the legislative candidates, Omaha lawyer Tracy Hightower-Henne, a Democrat, spent the most in 2023. She is among several candidates running to represent northeastern Douglas County.

She spent nearly $63,000 last year, reports show, including more than half on a parade entry during Native Omaha Days in North Omaha.

McDonnell, Slama leaving with big war chests

One of the most interesting tidbits from last year’s legislative fundraising documents is the handful of senators not running again who are leaving office with significant sums.

Chief among them is State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who has been considering a run for Omaha mayor. He raised $22,000 in 2023 and had $277,000 in cash. Unions helped him.

State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar raised $53,000 and amassed $146,000 in cash. The lawyer announced right before the deadline for incumbents to run that she would not run for re-election.

She has said she wants to focus on being a new mom. Political insiders have said she might run for a different statewide office later, such as secretary of state or treasurer, an office she applied for last year when it became vacant.

Other senators leaving with major cash on hand include Vargas with $101,000, State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney with $46,000, Sen. Tom Brewer, who represents north-central Nebraska, with $28,000, and Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha with $15,000.

Vargas is running for Congress in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District for a seat held by Republican Don Bacon. Vargas narrowly lost to Bacon in 2022.

The Nebraska primary is May 14. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance in the officially nonpartisan races to the general election in November.