# 1976 United States Senate election in Nebraska

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The 1976 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Republican senator Roman Hruska decided to retire instead of seeking another term. Omaha Mayor Edward Zorinsky, a Republican, switched to the Democratic Party and narrowly won the Democratic primary, and then defeated Congressman John Y. McCollister, the Republican nominee, in the general election. Zorinsky became the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Nebraska since 1934, and the first Jewish person elected to statewide office in the state.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Edward Zorinsky, Mayor of Omaha
* Hess Dyas, former Chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, 1974 Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 1st congressional district
* Leonore Etchison, economics graduate student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Edward Zorinsky | 79,988 | 48.58% |
| | Democratic | Hess Dyas | 77,384 | 46.99% |
| | Democratic | Lenore R. Etchison | 7,194 | 4.37% |
| | Democratic | Scattering | 102 | 0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 164,668 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* John Y. McCollister, U.S. Representative from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district
* Richard Proud, former List of speakers of the Nebraska Legislature

### Results

Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Y. McCollister | 150,732 | 78.35% |
| | Republican | Richard Proud | 41,519 | 21.58% |
| | Republican | Scattering | 122 | 0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 192,373 | 100.00% |

## General election

1976 United States Senate election in Nebraska :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Edward Zorinsky | 313,805 | 52.89% | +5.46% |
| | Republican | John Y. McCollister | 279,284 | 47.07% | −5.42% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 221 | 0.04% | — |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34,521 | 5.82% | +0.76% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 593,310 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |