# Nebraska's 3rd congressional district

Nebraska's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Nebraska that encompasses its western three-fourths; it is one of the largest non-at-large districts in the country, covering nearly 65,000 square miles (170,000 km$^2$), two time zones and 80 counties. It includes Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, North Platte, Alliance, and Scottsbluff. Additionally, it encompasses the Sandhills region and a large majority of the Platte River. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+29, it is by far the most Republican district in Nebraska, a state with an all-Republican delegation.

## Political history

Nebraska has had at least three congressional districts since 1883. The district's current configuration dates from 1963, when Nebraska lost a seat as a result of the 1960 United States census. At that time, most of the old 3rd and 4th districts were merged to form the new 3rd district. It is one of the most Republican districts in the nation, as Democrats have only come close to winning it three times as currently drawn, in 1974, 1990, and 2006, all years where the incumbent was not running for reelection.
Republican presidential and gubernatorial candidates routinely carry the district with margins of 40 percent or more, while Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win a plurality within the current district boundaries. Excepting historically Democratic Saline County on the district's eastern boundary, Thurston County which only moved into the district in 2023, and Dakota County which has only been within the district since 2013, the last Democrat to carry any county within the district at a presidential level was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Although the Nebraska Legislature is elected on a nonpartisan basis, all but two members representing significant portions of the district are known to be Republicans. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI) of R+29, it is the most Republican congressional district outside Appalachia. Because Nebraska awards an Electoral College vote from each district, it is the most Republican Electoral College constituency. It is currently held by Republican Adrian Smith, who was first elected in 2006.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | McCain 65% - 31% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 72% - 28% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 74% - 21% |
| 2018 | Senate | Fischer 71% - 25% |
| 2018 | Governor | Ricketts 73% - 27% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 75% - 23% |
| 2022 | Governor | Pillen 75% - 20% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 76% - 22% |
| 2024 | Senate (Reg.) | Fischer 67% - 33% |
| 2024 | Senate (Spec.) | Ricketts 79% - 21% |

## Composition

Nebraska's 3rd congressional district contains the entirety of the following counties, with the exception of Polk, which it shares with the 1st. Polk County communities within the 3rd district include the village of Polk and Stromsburg.
| # | County | Seat | Population |
| 1 | Adams | Hastings | 30,899 |
| 3 | Antelope | Neligh | 6,302 |
| 5 | Arthur | Arthur | 412 |
| 7 | Banner | Harrisburg | 674 |
| 9 | Blaine | Brewster | 431 |
| 11 | Boone | Albion | 5,310 |
| 13 | Box Butte | Alliance | 10,692 |
| 15 | Boyd | Butte | 1,725 |
| 17 | Brown | Ainsworth | 2,853 |
| 19 | Buffalo | Kearney | 50,697 |
| 21 | Burt | Tekamah | 6,727 |
| 27 | Cedar | Hartington | 8,262 |
| 29 | Chase | Imperial | 3,724 |
| 31 | Cherry | Valentine | 5,492 |
| 33 | Cheyenne | Sidney | 9,541 |
| 35 | Clay | Clay Center | 6,116 |
| 41 | Custer | Broken Bow | 10,581 |
| 43 | Dakota | Dakota City | 21,268 |
| 45 | Dawes | Chadron | 8,133 |
| 47 | Dawson | Lexington | 24,085 |
| 49 | Deuel | Chappell | 1,871 |
| 51 | Dixon | Ponca | 5,491 |
| 57 | Dundy | Benkelman | 1,561 |
| 59 | Fillmore | Geneva | 5,548 |
| 61 | Franklin | Franklin | 2,825 |
| 63 | Frontier | Stockville | 2,585 |
| 65 | Furnas | Beaver City | 4,556 |
| 67 | Gage | Beatrice | 21,634 |
| 69 | Garden | Oshkosh | 1,794 |
| 71 | Garfield | Burwell | 1,763 |
| 73 | Gosper | Elwood | 1,847 |
| 75 | Grant | Hyannis | 565 |
| 77 | Greeley | Greeley Center | 2,219 |
| 79 | Hall | Grand Island | 62,197 |
| 81 | Hamilton | Aurora | 9,537 |
| 83 | Harlan | Alma | 3,045 |
| 85 | Hayes | Hayes Center | 846 |
| 87 | Hitchcock | Trenton | 2,552 |
| 89 | Holt | O'Neill | 10,093 |
| 91 | Hooker | Mullen | 679 |
| 93 | Howard | St. Paul | 6,527 |
| 95 | Jefferson | Fairbury | 7,054 |
| 97 | Johnson | Tecumseh | 5,198 |
| 99 | Kearney | Minden | 6,770 |
| 101 | Keith | Ogallala | 8,113 |
| 103 | Keya Paha | Springview | 805 |
| 105 | Kimball | Kimball | 3,289 |
| 107 | Knox | Center | 8,298 |
| 111 | Lincoln | North Platte | 33,365 |
| 113 | Logan | Stapleton | 655 |
| 115 | Loup | Taylor | 592 |
| 117 | McPherson | Tryon | 383 |
| 121 | Merrick | Central City | 7,755 |
| 123 | Morrill | Bridgeport | 4,504 |
| 125 | Nance | Fullerton | 3,274 |
| 127 | Nemaha | Auburn | 7,076 |
| 129 | Nuckolls | Nelson | 4,095 |
| 131 | Otoe | Nebraska City | 16,335 |
| 133 | Pawnee | Pawnee City | 2,512 |
| 135 | Perkins | Grant | 2,795 |
| 137 | Phelps | Holdrege | 9,057 |
| 139 | Pierce | Pierce | 7,299 |
| 143 | Polk (shared with the 1st) | Osceola | 5,228 |
| 145 | Red Willow | McCook | 10,457 |
| 147 | Richardson | Falls City | 7,689 |
| 149 | Rock | Bassett | 1,271 |
| 151 | Saline | Wilber | 14,555 |
| 157 | Scotts Bluff | Gering | 35,699 |
| 161 | Sheridan | Rushville | 4,928 |
| 163 | Sherman | Loup City | 2,983 |
| 165 | Sioux | Harrison | 1,154 |
| 169 | Thayer | Hebron | 4,829 |
| 171 | Thomas | Thedford | 677 |
| 173 | Thurston | Pender | 6,557 |
| 175 | Valley | Ord | 4,012 |
| 177 | Washington | Blair | 21,152 |
| 179 | Wayne | Wayne | 9,874 |
| 181 | Webster | Red Cloud | 3,351 |
| 183 | Wheeler | Barlett | 775 |
| 185 | York | York | 14,356 |

### Cites and CDPS with 10,000 or more people

* Grand Island – 52,622
* Kearney – 34,362
* Hastings – 24,896
* North Platte – 22,523
* Scottsbluff – 14,305
* South Sioux City – 13,856
* Beatrice – 12,262
* Lexington – 10,816

### 2,500 – 10,000 people

* Gering – 8,531
* York – 8,180
* Alliance – 8,056
* Blair – 7,967
* Crete – 7,488
* Nebraska City – 7,414
* McCook – 7,253
* Sidney – 6,440
* Wayne – 6,165
* Holdrege – 5,542
* Chadron – 5,145
* Aurora – 4,704
* Ogallala – 4,680
* Falls City – 4,045
* Cozad – 3,933
* Fairbury – 3,832
* O'Neill – 3,575
* Broken Bow – 3,542
* Auburn – 3,507
* Gothenburg – 3,430
* Minden – 3,136
* Central City – 3,090
* Valentine – 2,631

## List of members representing the district

| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District established March 4, 1883 |||||
| Edward K. Valentine (West Point) | Republican | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | 48th | Redistricted from at-large district and re-elected in 1882. Retired. |
| George W. E. Dorsey (Fremont) | Republican | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891 | 49th 50th 51st | Elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Lost re-election. |
| Omer Madison Kem (Broken Bow) | Populist | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | 52nd | Elected in 1890. Redistricted to the 6th district. |
| George de Rue Meiklejohn (Fullerton) | Republican | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | 53rd 54th | Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Retired. |
| Samuel Maxwell (Fremont) | Populist | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 | 55th | Elected in 1896. Retired. |
| John Seaton Robinson (Madison) | Democratic | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 | 56th 57th | Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Lost re-election. |
| John J. McCarthy (Ponca) | Republican | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907 | 58th 59th | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Lost renomination. |
| John Frank Boyd (Neligh) | Republican | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1909 | 60th | Elected in 1906. Lost re-election. |
| James P. Latta (Tekamah) | Democratic | March 4, 1909 – September 11, 1911 | 61st 62nd | Elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | September 11, 1911 – November 7, 1911 | 62nd | |
| Dan V. Stephens (Fremont) | Democratic | November 7, 1911 – March 3, 1919 | 62nd 63rd 64th 65th | Elected to finish Latta's term. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Lost re-election. |
| Robert E. Evans (Dakota City) | Republican | March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1923 | 66th 67th | Elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Lost re-election. |
| Edgar Howard (Columbus) | Democratic | March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1935 | 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd | Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Lost re-election. |
| Karl Stefan (Norfolk) | Republican | January 3, 1935 – October 2, 1951 | 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd | Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | October 2, 1951 – December 4, 1951 | 82nd | |
| Robert Dinsmore Harrison (Norfolk) | Republican | December 4, 1951 – January 3, 1959 | 82nd 83rd 84th 85th | Elected to finish Stefan's term. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Lost re-election. |
| Lawrence Brock (Wakefield) | Democratic | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961 | 86th | Elected in 1958. Lost re-election. |
| Ralph F. Beermann (Dakota City) | Republican | January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963 | 87th | Elected in 1960. Redistricted to the 1st district. |
| David Martin (Kearney) | Republican | January 3, 1963 – December 31, 1974 | 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd | Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Retired and then resigned early. |
| Vacant | Vacant | December 31, 1974 – January 3, 1975 | 93rd | |
| Virginia Smith (Chappell) | Republican | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1991 | 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st | Elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Retired. |
| Bill Barrett (Lexington) | Republican | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2001 | 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Retired. |
| Tom Osborne (Lemoyne) | Republican | January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 | 107th 108th 109th | Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Retired to run for Governor of Nebraska. |
| Adrian Smith (Gering) | Republican | January 3, 2007 – present | 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. |

## Election history
### 2004

General election, 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Osborne (Incumbent) | 218,751 | 87.5% |
| | Democratic | Donna J. Anderson | 26,434 | 10.5% |
| | Nebraska | Joseph A. Rosberg | 3,396 | 1.4% |
| | Green | Roy Guisinger | 1,555 | .6% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 250,136 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2006

General election, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith | 113,687 | 54.99% |
| | Democratic | Scott Kleeb | 93,046 | 45.01% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 206,733 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2008

General election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 183,117 | 76.87% |
| | Democratic | Jay C. Stoddard | 55,087 | 23.13% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 238,204 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2010

General election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 117,275 | 70.12% |
| | Democratic | Rebekah Davis | 29,932 | 17.9% |
| | Independent | Dan Hill | 20,036 | 11.98% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 167,243 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2012

General election, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 187,423 | 74.2% |
| | Democratic | Mark Sullivan | 65,266 | 25.8% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 252,689 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

General election, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 139,440 | 75.4% |
| | Democratic | Mark Sullivan | 45,524 | 24.6% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 184,964 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

General election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 226,720 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 226,720 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2018

General election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 163,650 | 76.7% |
| | Democratic | Paul Theobald | 49,654 | 23.3% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 213,304 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

General election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (Incumbent) | 225,157 | 78.5% |
| | Democratic | Mark Elworth Jr. | 50,690 | 17.7% |
| | Libertarian | Dustin C. Hobbs | 10,923 | 3.8% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 286,770 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2022

General election, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (incumbent) | 172,700 | 78.30% |
| | Democratic | David Else | 34,836 | 15.79% |
| | Legal Marijuana Now | Mark Elworth Jr. | 13,016 | 5.90% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 220,552 | 100.00% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2024

General election, 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Adrian Smith (incumbent) | 243,481 | 80.42% |
| | Democratic | Daniel Ebers | 59,287 | 19.58% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 302,768 | 100.00% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |