Nebraska
Five Nebraska legislative candidates have already raised more than $100k • Nebraska Examiner
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.
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Dr. Rob Zatechka analyzes a couple of UCLA’s rushing plays from Nebraska’s loss Saturday to the Bruins in Lincoln. Final score, 27-20.
Last week, Rob predicted the Huskers might have some trouble stopping the UCLA running game and O-line, and sure enough the Doc knew his stuff. The Bruins are dead last in the FBS in rushing offense, and yet the Huskers gave up 139 yards on the ground, more than double UCLA’s average coming into the game.
Hit the play button above to watch Dr. Rob’s analysis.
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LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Nebraskans are facing one of the most expensive elections in state history, including about $38 million raised and at least $32 million spent on campaigns involving six ballot measures.
Five campaigns have measures on the ballot, with the most expensive being the conflicting measures over whether to amend the Nebraska Constitution related to abortion. The three other efforts revolve around medical cannabis, paid sick leave and whether voters should repeal a recent state law that provides state funds to offset private K-12 school attendance costs.
Funds were also raised for two other campaigns, related to abortion (Choose Life Now) and taxes (EPIC Option), that didn’t collect enough signatures for the ballot.
As of Oct. 21, the five campaigns reported having a total of $2.21 million cash on hand. About $6.9 million came in just the past two weeks. Final campaign filings are due Jan. 14.
Abortion tops campaign finances
Among the ballot issues, abortion tops the fundraising and spending charts, with the two dueling campaigns accounting for a combined $25.74 million raised and $21.69 million spent by Friday.
The Protect Our Rights abortion-rights group behind Initiative Measure 439, is seeking to expand access to abortion up until the point of fetal viability as determined by a patient’s treating health care practitioner. The current scientific standard for viability is at about 22-24 weeks.
The group had raised $13.75 million and spent at least $10.46 million by Friday, receiving nearly $1.96 million in the past two weeks. About $38,000 was non-monetary donations, such as staff time or advertising.
The Protect Women and Children abortion-restrictions group behind Initiative Measure 434 is seeking to prohibit most abortions after the first trimester, with exceptions language for sexual assault, incest and the life of the mother. The Legislature would be allowed to restrict abortion in the first trimester further.
The group had raised $12 million and spent at least $11.23 million by Friday, receiving $3.91 million in the past two weeks. About $3.58 million was in non-monetary donations, largely advertising bought by Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk ($3.25 million), He is running unopposed to a seat he was appointed to by Gov. Jim Pillen, the previous regent for that district.
Tanya Storer of Whitman, who is seeking a north-central Nebraska legislative seat against Tony Tangwall of Whitney, has also given about $145,000 in non-monetary donations to Protect Women and Children.
The two abortion-related campaigns have differed greatly in how they get their funds.
The abortion-rights campaign has gotten a large amount of funds from out-of-state so-called “dark money” groups that don’t disclose their donors.
Meanwhile, the abortion-restrictions campaign has largely relied upon Nebraska billionaires, including U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and his mother, Marlene Ricketts, as well as Tom and Shawn Peed, with Sandhills Global.
Protect Our Rights
The top donors to Protect Our Rights, the abortion-rights amendment, are former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who donated $1.5 million in October, and Regent Barbara Weitz of Omaha, who personally financed $900,000 in donations.
The top group donations came from The Fairness Project, based in Washington, D.C., which gave $1.84 million, and Planned Parenthood through its Nebraska-based nonprofit and national “Action Fund,” at $1.6 million. Other top groups include the D.C.-based New Venture Fund, ($1 million); the ACLU of Nebraska ($975,000); Think Big America, founded by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ($850,000); and Nebraska Appleseed’s Action Fund ($702,000).
The Fairness Project donated to various ballot measure campaigns in Nebraska’s past three elections: to increase Nebraska’s minimum wage, curb predatory payday lending and expand Medicaid.
The group does not disclose its donors, but its website states that its focus is on running progressive policies in red states. New Venture Fund is managed by Arabella Advisors, which was founded by a former Clinton administration appointee. It oversees a hub of other left-leaning nonprofits that have received donations from billionaire George Soros in the past.
John Yoakum, a member of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, and Ashlei Spivey, a legislative candidate and founder of I Be Black Girl that supports Protect Our Rights, are also sponsoring ads for Protect Our Rights.
State law doesn’t preclude this method of ad buying, and federal campaign spending rules give candidates discounted airtime compared to ballot initiatives.
Protect Women and Children
The top donors to Protect Women and Children, which is backing the abortion-restrictions amendment, are Marlene Ricketts, at $4 million; Pete Ricketts, at $1.115 million; and the Peeds, at $1 million each.
A new political action committee, “Common Sense Nebraska,” which was formed Oct. 14, has helped raise funds for the campaign. Marlene Ricketts gave the group $3.5 million, and the Wisconsin-based nonprofit Catholic Vote gave $830,000.
The group distributed $687,000 to Beatrice Regent Rob Schafer’s re-election campaign committee, but not for his University of Nebraska race. Instead, Schafer used the funds to purchase ads for the abortion-restrictions campaign.
That was the same model for Storer and the $3.25 million from Scheer, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature. He created his regents committee Oct. 24.
Former Regent Howard Hawks of Omaha also provided a $25,000 donation in the past two weeks to the abortion restrictions campaign.
Pillen, who also supports the abortion-restrictions initiative, provided $645. He has a war chest of campaign funds but, as of Oct. 21, he hadn’t disbursed more than a handful of donations to support or fight against ballot measures or candidates this year.
Support Our Schools/Keep Kids First
The ballot issue prompting the next largest contributions is Referendum Measure 435, which seeks to repeal a law allowing an annual $10 million appropriation to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute funds to families to help pay tuition at nonpublic K-12 schools, through Legislative Bill 1402.
LB 1402, passed this year, is the second bill facing a repeal by the Support Our Schools campaign, with roots in the Nebraska State Education Association, which represents teachers. The group also fought LB 753 in 2023, before its sponsor, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, used LB 1402 to repeal its predecessor.
LB 753 created an annual $25 million tax credit program to raise funds for scholarships for students attending private schools. About $10 million was raised in 2024 before the law went away, so $15 million will go back to the state.
Now Support Our Schools is opposing the replacement bill, LB 1402.
In total, Support Our Schools has raised $7.42 million and spent $5.91 million in the past year and a half opposing both laws, according to campaign filings through Friday. That includes a $750,000 donation from the National Education Association made during the past two weeks.
Support Our Schools raised $1.84 million and spent $1.81 million by January 2024 to oppose the LB 753 tax credit-scholarship law.
This year, Support Our Schools raised $5.58 million and spent at least $4.09 million by Friday to oppose LB 1402.
Support Our Schools’ major sources of funding are the National Education Association ($4.33 million) and Nebraska State Education Association ($1.72 million).
Other top donors include the OpenSky Police Institute and “Vote For Schools,” a group for which little information is available. It is run by Dunixi Guereca, a legislative candidate and executive director of Stand For Schools, which also donated thousands to the repeal efforts.
New Venture Fund gave the campaign $99,000, and the Hopewell Fund, another nonprofit under Arabella Advisors, gave $90,000. The Colorado Education Association gave $2,500 and the Maine Education Association gave $1,000 to Support Our Schools.
Support Our Schools’ first repeal effort, against LB 753, faced opposition from Keep Kids First, a formal committee with ties to Linehan and the national American Federation for Children, founded by former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
By Friday, that committee had raised and spent a total of $1.52 million, but a majority was to oppose the 2023 repeal effort.
Keep Kids First raised $1.45 million and spent $1.41 million in 2023, to defend LB 753. In contrast, the committee raised $72,000 and spent $111,000 so far in 2024, in support of LB 1402.
Keep Kids First’s top donors were American Federation For Children ($561,500), Pillen ($100,000), Shawn and Tom Peed ($75,000 each) and Sen. Pete Ricketts ($25,000).
Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans
Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans, Initiative Measure 436, seeks to require businesses with 20 or fewer employees to fund at least five paid sick days each year for full-time employees. Larger businesses would need to annually fund at least seven sick days per full-time employee. An hour of sick leave would be earned after every 30 hours worked.
The paid sick leave campaign raised a total of $3.2 million, the majority in 2023, and spent at least $3.08 million by Friday. Nearly all funds raised came from organizations; $460 came from individuals.
By December 2023, the D.C.-based Sixteen Thirty Fund had donated $1.92 million. Like the New Venture Fund, it is managed by Arabella Advisors and doesn’t disclose its donors.
The campaign has also received $350,000 from the Open Society Policy Center, a principal financial arm founded by Soros, and about $280,000 from The Fairness Project.
The largest local donating group is Nebraska Appleseed — a local nonprofit focused on child welfare, immigration, health care and poverty — at about $472,000.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, Initiative Measures 437 and 438, would allow up to five ounces of medical cannabis with a written recommendation from a health care practitioner while creating a Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee and regulate the new law. This is the third straight election cycle for the campaign.
By Friday, the campaign reported the smallest financial contributions of all others on the ballot, with $1.55 million raised and at least $1.53 million spent.
The Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis nonprofit is the largest donor, at $717,000. Other top donors were Growing the Good Life, a local nonprofit ($222,600); the Wyoming-based Western Futures Fund ($200,000); and the New Venture Fund ($100,000).
Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis has been around for almost a decade and has supported numerous legislative attempts involving medical marijuana. It financially supported Growing the Good Life, which in turn donated to Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.
Little information is available about the Western Futures Fund. Its website says it “strengthens civil society and promotes responsible leadership in the Western United States.”
Ballot measure campaign finance, 2023-24
Protect Our Rights (abortion-rights amendment)
- Raised: $11.79 million
- Spent: $10.42 million
- Cash on hand: $1.06 million
Protect Women and Children (abortion restrictions amendment)
- Raised: $8.08 million
- Spent: $7.64 million
- Cash on hand: $439,000
Support Our Schools (opposing state funds for private school scholarships)
- Raised: $6.47 million
- Spent: $5.90 million
- Cash on hand: $572,000
Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans
- Raised: $3.20 million
- Spent: $3.08 million
- Cash on hand: $116,000
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana
- Raised: $1.51 million
- Spent: $1.49 million
- Cash on hand: $24,000
Keep Kids First (opposing Support Our Schools)
- Raised: $1.52 million
- Spent: $1.52 million
- Cash on hand: $2,800
EPIC Option (to replace all state taxes with a consumption tax and exempt groceries)
- Raised: $185,000
- Spent: $120,000
- Cash on hand: $65,000
No New Taxes (opposing EPIC Option)
- Raised: $101,000
- Spent: $78,000
- Cash on hand: $23,000
Choose Life Now (an abortion-restrictions “personhood” amendment)
- Raised: $27,000
- Spent: $26,000
- Cash on hand: $1,400
Source: Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, through Oct. 21
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X.
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The UCLA Bruins (3-5) won their second-straight Big Ten game on Saturday afternoon on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-4). There were a few strengths and weaknesses that can be evaluated from the upset win.
Strength: Quarterback Play
The Bruins could not have better quarterback play from what they have received over the past few games from senior quarterback Ethan Garbers. In his fourth year as a Bruin, Garbers threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns against the Huskers in the win.
His play has only gotten better as the season has progressed. In his first five games this season, Garbers tossed nine interceptions and just four touchdowns. Since then in his last two contests, he has thrown zero interceptions and six touchdown passes. A 180-degree turn for him in recent games.
Weakness: Penalties
The flags would not stop flying through all four quarters for the Bruins on both sides of the ball. Nine penalties for a total of 62 yards is a big reason why the Huskers were able to climb back from a 27-7 deficit.
Four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were a massive issue as well, bailing the Huskers out on multiple drives that ultimately led to scores. The post-whistle penalties must be eliminated and the discipline must sharpen if the Bruins want to pick up a few more wins down the stretch.
Strength: Defensive Stops/Turnovers
A major reason the Bruins grabbed a road conference win on Saturday was because of how well the defense played in crucial moments. A fourth-down red zone stop in the fourth quarter to keep it a two-score game was generated by a sack from junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger to turn the ball over.
In the final seconds of the game, senior defensive back Kaylin Moore caught the game-sealing interception as the Huskers were trying to put together a game-tying drive. It was the first interception of Moore’s career.
You cannot say enough about how the defense bowed up in situations where they had faltered in the past. Especially in a ruckus atmosphere like Lincoln, Nebraska, the Bruins stood their ground and made the plays when required.
Weakness: Running Game
Besides a team-high 56 yards rushing from Garbers, the run game was not very successful for the Bruins. They were going against one of the better run defenses in the conference, but just 85 yards on the ground kept the Bruins to the pass game for most of the game.
Even with the Huskers limiting the run game for the Bruins, the passing game thrived, so it did not fully affect the offense being unable to be two-dimensional. The Bruins are ranked dead last in the Big Ten in rush yards per game (73.9), the only team in the conference that is averaging less than 100 yards.
The Bruins must find a way to establish a strong rush attack in the coming weeks to pull out a few victories toward the end of the year. Finding ways to let running backs T.J. Harden and Jalen Berger succeed in this offense will prove important.
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