2006 Nebraska gubernatorial election
The 2006 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006; the primary election was held on May 9, 2006. Republican incumbent Dave Heineman was elected to a full term, defeating Democrat David Hahn. Republican primary. Campaign. The Republican primary election had the unusual situation of an incumbent running against several members of his own party. Originally, the 2006 election would not have had an incumbent. However, this changed when Mike Johanns resigned in January 2005 to become United States Secretary of Agriculture; this elevated Lieutenant Governor Dave Heineman to the governorship. He then announced his  intention to run for election to a full four-year term. The other two candidates for the Republican nomination were former Nebraska Cornhuskers football coach Tom Osborne—then serving in the United States House of Representatives—and Omaha businessman Dave Nabity. In 2005, the three Republican candidates raised more than $2 million overall for their campaigns: Osborne $972,000; Heineman $922,000; and Nabity $150,000. Democratic primary. Campaign. The Democratic primary election did not have any candidates until December 2005, when David Hahn announced his candidacy. Glenn Boot Jr. of Ashland was the other Democratic candidate, but he  was disqualified due to a previous felony conviction. The election was not a high priority for Nebraska Democrats. While the main reason was focusing on getting U.S. Senator Ben Nelson reelected, it was very likely that most Democrats didn't want to face the possibility of running against the immensely popular Osborne. External links. Official campaign sites (Archived) Other election sites