# 2020 Nebraska elections

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in Nebraska :
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vte :
The 2020 Nebraska elections were held on November 3, 2020. In addition to the U.S. presidential race, Nebraska voters elected the Class II U.S. Senator from Nebraska, one of its Public Service Commissioners, two of eight voting members on the Nebraska University Board of Regents, four of eight seats on the Nebraska State Board of Education, all of its seats to the House of Representatives, two of seven seats on the Nebraska Supreme Court, two of six seats on the Nebraska Court of Appeals, and 25 of 49 seats in the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Six ballot measures were also voted on.

## United States Senate

Incumbent Republican Senator Ben Sasse ran for re-election to a second term. He faced Chris Janicek, the Democratic nominee, in the general election, but following allegations of sexual misconduct by Janicek, the Nebraska Democratic Party supported write-in candidate Preston Love Jr. in the general election.
2020 United States Senate election in Nebraska :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Ben Sasse (inc.) | 583,507 | 62.74% | −1.60% |
| | Democratic | Chris Janicek | 227,191 | 24.43% | −7.06% |
| | Democratic | Preston Love Jr. (write-in) | 58,411 | 6.28% | — |
| | Libertarian | Gene Siadek | 55,115 | 5.93% | — |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 5,788 | 0.62% | — |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 356,316 | 38.31% | +5.46% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 930,012 | 100.0% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## United States House of Representatives

All three of Nebraska's members in the United States House of Representatives ran for re-election. All three won re-election.
| District | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Others | Others | Total | Total | Result |
| District | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Result |
| District 1 | 189,006 | 59.52% | 119,622 | 37.67% | 8,938 | 2.81% | 317,566 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 2 | 171,071 | 50.77% | 155,706 | 46.21% | 10,185 | 3.02% | 336,962 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 3 | 225,157 | 78.51% | 50,690 | 17.68% | 10,923 | 3.81% | 286,770 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| Total | 585,234 | 62.17% | 326,018 | 34.63% | 30,046 | 3.19% | 941,298 | 100.0% | |

## Public Service Commission
### District 2

Incumbent Public Service Commissioner Crystal Rhoades, a Democrat, ran for re-election to a second term. Tim Davis, a restaurant server, won the Republican primary to challenge Rhoades. Rhoades defeated Davis in a landslide, winning 63% of the vote. Two years into her term, however, Rhoades was elected Douglas County Clerk of the District Court and resigned her position.

#### Democratic primary
##### Candidates

* Crystal Rhoades, incumbent Commissioner

###### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Crystal Rhoades (inc.) | 37,913 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 37,913 | 100.00% |

#### Republican primary
##### Candidates

* Tim Davis, restaurant server
* Krystal Gabel, cybersecurity technical writer and business analyst

##### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tim Davis | 11,537 | 55.81% |
| | Republican | Krystal Gabel | 9,131 | 44.19% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,668 | 100.00% |

#### General election

2020 Nebraska Public Service Commission, District 2 election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Crystal Rhoades (inc.) | 95,119 | 62.67% |
| | Republican | Tim Davis | 56,698 | 37.33% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 151,817 | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | {{{swing}}} |

## State Board of Education
### District 1

Incumbent Board member Patsy Koch Johns was unopposed for re-election.

#### Candidates

* Patsy Koch Johns, incumbent Board member

#### Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Patsy Koch Johns (inc.) | 51,460 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 51,460 | 100.00% |

#### General election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Patsy Koch Johns (inc.) | 93,015 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 93,015 | 100.00% |

### District 2

Incumbent Board member Lisa Fricke ran for re-election to a second term. She was challenged by Robert Anthony, a real estate agent. Though the race was formally nonpartisan, Fricke was a Democrat and Anthony was a Republican. Fricke ended up defeating Anthony in a landslide, winning 65% of the vote.

#### Candidates

* Lisa Fricke, incumbent Board member
* Robert Anthony, real estate agent

#### Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Lisa Fricke (inc.) | 39,330 | 70.42% |
| | Nonpartisan | Robert Anthony | 16,516 | 29.58% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 55,846 | 100.00% |

#### General election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Lisa Fricke (inc.) | 71,932 | 64.64% |
| | Nonpartisan | Robert Anthony | 39,335 | 35.36% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 111,267 | 100.00% |

### District 3

Incumbent Board member Rachel Wise declined to seek another term. To replace her, Norfolk Public School Board member Patti Gubbels and Columbus Public School Board member Mike Goos ran. Gubbels defeated Goos in a landslide, winning 66% of the vote.

#### Candidates

* Patti S. Gubbels, Norfolk Public School Board member
* Mike Goos, Columbus Public School Board member

#### Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Patti S. Gubbels | 32,050 | 69.75% |
| | Nonpartisan | Mike Goos | 13,895 | 30.25% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 45,945 | 100.00% |

#### General election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Patti S. Gubbels | 54,199 | 66.11% |
| | Nonpartisan | Mike Goos | 27,796 | 33.89% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 81,995 | 100.00% |

### District 4

Incumbent Board member John Witzel declined to seek another term. Tax attorney Jacquelyn Morrison and Midland University professor Adrian Petrescu, who held several positions in the Romanian government in the 1990s, ran to succeed him. Morrison defeated Petrescu in a landslide, winning 74% of the vote.

#### Candidates

* Jacquelyn Morrison, tax attorney
* Adrian Petrescu, Midland University professor

#### Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Jacquelyn Morrison | 26,474 | 74.64% |
| | Nonpartisan | Adrian Petrescu | 8,988 | 25.36% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 35,462 | 100.00% |

#### General election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Jacquelyn Morrison | 53,839 | 74.08% |
| | Nonpartisan | Adrian Petrescu | 18,847 | 25.92% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 72,686 | 100.00% |

## Board of Regents
### District 1

Incumbent Regent Tim Clare was unopposed for re-election and won his third term uncontested.

#### Candidates

* Tim Clare, incumbent Regent

#### Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Tim Clare (inc.) | 52,973 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 52,973 | 100.00% |

#### General election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Tim Clare (inc.) | 94,646 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 94,646 | 100.00% |

### District 2

Incumbent Regent Howard Hawks declined to seek re-election. Psychologist Jack Stark, Millard Public School Board member MiKe Kennedy, and nonprofit manger Viv Ewing ran to replace him. At the nonpartisan primary, Kennedy placed first, winning 35% of the vote, and Stark narrowly edged out Ewing to advance to the general election, winning 34% to Ewing's 32%. However, several months into the general election campaign, Kennedy withdrew from the race, citing a need to focus on his existing service commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Ewing contemplated a write-in campaign, she ultimately declined to do so and Stark was elected unopposed.

#### Candidates

* Jack A. Stark, psychologist
* Mike Kennedy, Millard Public School Board member
* Viv Ewing, nonprofit manager

#### Primary election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Mike Kennedy | 20,129 | 34.91% |
| | Nonpartisan | Jack A. Stark | 19,567 | 33.96% |
| | Nonpartisan | Viv Ewing | 18,285 | 31.72% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 57,981 | 100.00% |

#### General election results

Nonpartisan primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Jack A. Stark | 101,098 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 101,098 | 100.00% |

## State judiciary

Justices Lindsey Miller-Lerman and Jeffrey J. Funke of the Nebraska Supreme Court; Judges Michael W. Pirtle and David Arterburn of the Nebraska Court of Appeals; and Judges Thomas E. Stine and Dirk V. Block of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court ran for retention. All were retained.

### Nebraska Supreme Court
#### District 2

Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 93,025 | 74.20 |
| No | 32,350 | 25.80 |
| Total votes | 125,375 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

#### District 5

Justice Jeffrey J. Funke :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 93,418 | 78.34 |
| No | 25,152 | 21.66 |
| Total votes | 118,570 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

### Nebraska Court of Appeals
#### District 2

Judge Michael W. Pirtle :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 84,466 | 68.55 |
| No | 38,560 | 31.45 |
| Total votes | 123,026 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

#### District 4

Judge David K. Arterburn :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 94,754 | 72.05 |
| No | 36,517 | 27.95 |
| Total votes | 131,271 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

### Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court

Judge David K. Arterburn :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 94,754 | 72.05 |
| No | 36,517 | 27.95 |
| Total votes | 131,271 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||
Judge Thomas E. Stine :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 564,633 | 75.50 |
| No | 182,366 | 24.50 |
| Total votes | 747,000 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

## State legislature

25 of 49 seats in the Nebraska State Legislature were up for election. Although officially nonpartisan, before the election, its de facto composition was:
| Party | Party | # of seats |
| | Republican | 30 |
| | Democratic | 18 |
| | Independent | 1 |
| Total | Total | 49 |

## Ballot measures
### Initiative 428

Nebraska Initiative 428 would cap the annual interest for payday loans at 36%. As of September 2020, the Nebraskan average was 400% APR. Vote for 428, an organisation campaigning for the initiative's passage, released a poll by Benenson Group Strategies which showed support for the measure (among Nebraskan voters) at 67%. It was conducted in August.
Initiative 428 :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 723,521 | 82.80 |
| No | 150,330 | 17.20 |
| Total votes | 873,851 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

### Initiative 429

Nebraska Initiative 429 would allow gambling at licensed racetracks.
Initiative 429 :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 588,405 | 65.04 |
| No | 316,298 | 34.96 |
| Total votes | 904,703 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

### Initiative 430

Nebraska Initiative 430 would establish the governing commission for racetrack gambling.
Initiative 430 :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 591,086 | 65.01 |
| No | 318,094 | 34.99 |
| Total votes | 909,180 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||

### Initiative 431

Nebraska Initiative 431 would enact taxes on gambling at racetracks.
Initiative 431 :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 620,835 | 68.71 |
| No | 282,703 | 31.29 |
| Total votes | 903,538 | 100.00 |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State |||