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2020 Election Results

Joe Biden won Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, granting him one of state’s five electoral votes. Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Don Bacon, and Adrian Smith all secured reelection to Congress, and Senator Ben Sasse will return to the U.S. Senate. 
 
Nebraskans approved three constitutional amendments to authorize casino gambling at horse tracks (64.98% approval), tax 20% of the revenue (64.92%), and direct the revenue to property tax relief (68.69%). Nebraskans also approved three proposed constitutional amendments—to remove the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments (68.22%), to cap payday lender interest rates at 36% (82.91%), and to increase the repayment period for tax increment financing (TIF) from 15 to 20 years for areas where more than one-half of properties are designed as extremely blighted (61.07%). 
 
In the state legislative races, two incumbents were unseated—Senator Dan Quick (D) of Grand Island and Senator Andrew La Grone (R) of Gretna. Three former lawmakers are returning to the Unicameral after sitting out for term-limits—Mike Flood (R) of Norfolk, Rich Pahls (R) of Omaha, and Ray Aguilar (R) of Grand Island. While there were some close results, none were close enough to trigger automatic vote recounts. Republicans will hold 32 seats in the Legislature; Democrats, 17. 
 
State legislative results are below and also on this election results website.
 
District 1 (Current Senator Julie Slama) 
Julie Slama, Peru (R) – 11,899 (68.09%) 
Janet Palmtag, Syracuse (R) – 5,577 (31.91%) 
 
District 3 (Current Senator Carol Blood) 
Carol Blood, Bellevue (D) – 8,779 (50.57%) 
Rick Holdcroft, Bellevue (R) – 8,582 (49.43%) 
 
District 5 (Current Senator Mike McDonnell) 
Mike McDonnell, Omaha (D) – 6,559 (63.46%) 
Gilbert Ayala, Omaha (R) – 3,777 (36.54%) 
 
District 7 (Current Senator Tony Vargas) 
Tony Vargas, Omaha (D) – 6,819 (78.04%) 
Jorge Sotolongo, Omaha (R) – 1,919 (21.96%) 
 
District 9 (Term-Limited Senator Sara Howard)  
Marque Snow, Omaha (D) – 6,690 (45.53%) 
John Cavanaugh, Omaha (D) – 8,003 (54.47%) 
 
District 11 (Term-Limited Senator Ernie Chambers)  
Terrell McKinney, Omaha (D) – 5,820 (63.61%) 
Fred Conley, Omaha (D) – 3,330 (36.39%) 
 
District 13 (Current Senator Justin Wayne) 
Justin Wayne, Omaha (D) – 11,010 (100%) 
 
District 15 (Current Senator Lynne Walz) 
Lynne Walz, Fremont (D) – 9,157 (59.59%) 
David Rogers, Fremont (R) – 6,210 (40.41%) 
 
District 17 (Current Senator Joni Albrecht) 
Joni Albrecht, Thurston (R) – 7,343 (67.25%) 
Sheryl Lindau, Wayne (D) – 3,576 (32.75%) 
 
District 19 (Term-Limited Senator Jim Scheer)  
Mike Flood, Norfolk (R) – 15,200 (100%) 
 
District 21 (Current Senator Mike Hilgers) 
Mike Hilgers, Lincoln (R) – 9,895 (54.89%) 
Brodey Weber, Lincoln (D) – 8,132 (45.11%) 
 
District 23 (Current Senator Bruce Bostelman) 
Bruce Bostelman, Brainard (R) – 11,287 (62.17%) 
Helen Raikes, Ashland (I) – 6,868 (37.83%) 
 
District 25 (Current Senator Suzanne Geist) 
Suzanne Geist, Lincoln (R) – 16,147 (66.58%) 
Stephany Pleasant, Lincoln (D) – 8,104 (33.42%) 
 
District 27 (Current Senator Anna Wishart) 
Anna Wishart, Lincoln (D) – 9,923 (64.56%) 
Brenda Bickford, Lincoln (R) – 5,448 (35.44%) 
 
District 29 (Term-Limited Senator Kate Bolz)  
Eliot Bostar, Lincoln (D) – 10,927 (53.18%) 
Jacob Campbell, Lincoln (R) – 9,622 (46.82%) 
 
District 31 (Term-Limited Senator Rick Kolowski) 
Tim Royers, Omaha (D) – 9,093 (47.14%) 
Rich Pahls, Omaha (R) – 10,197 (52.86%) 
 
District 33 (Current Senator Steve Halloran) 
Steve Halloran, Hastings (R) – 12,756 (100%) 
 
District 35 (Current Senator Dan Quick) 
Dan Quick, Grand Island (D) – 5,688 (46.40%) 
Raymond Aguilar, Grand Island (R) – 6,570 (53.60%) 
 
District 37 (Current Senator John Lowe) 
John Lowe, Kearney (R) – 12,774 (75.71%) 
Mercadies Damratowski, Kearney (L) – 4,098 (24.29%) 
 
District 39 (Current Senator Lou Ann Linehan) 
Lou Ann Linehan, Elkhorn (R) – 14,554 (55.95%) 
Allison Heimes, Elkhorn (D) – 11,457 (44.05%) 
 
District 41 (Current Senator Tom Briese) 
Tom Briese, Albion (R) – 15,804 (100%) 
 
District 43 (Current Senator Tom Brewer) 
Tom Brewer, Gordon (R) – 10,628 (58.02%) 
Tanya Storer, Whitman (R) – 7,691 (41.98%) 
 
District 45 (Term-Limited Senator Sue Crawford)  
Susan Hester, Bellevue (D) – 7,671 (46.47%) 
Rita Sanders, Bellevue (R) – 8,835 (53.53%) 
 
District 47 (Current Senator Steve Erdman) 
Steve Erdman, Bayard (R) – 14,901 (100%) 
 
District 49 (Current Senator Andrew La Grone) 
Andrew La Grone , Gretna (R) – 11,873 (49.47%) 
Jen Day, Omaha (D) – 12,125 (50.53%) 
 
Complete Roster of the 2021 Legislature:
1) Julie Slama, Peru (R) 
2) Robert Clements, Elmwood (R)
3) Carol Blood, Bellevue (D)  
4) Robert Hilkemann, Omaha (R)
5) Mike McDonnell, Omaha (D)  
6) Machaela Cavanaugh, Omaha (D)
7) Tony Vargas, Omaha (D)  
8) Megan Hunt, Omaha (D)
9) John Cavanaugh, Omaha (D)  
10) Wendy DeBoer, Bennington (D)
11) Terrell McKinney, Omaha (D)  
12) Steve Lathrop, Omaha (D)
13) Justin Wayne, Omaha (D) 
14) John Arch, La Vista (R)
15) Lynne Walz, Fremont (D)  
16) Ben Hansen, Blair (R)
17) Joni Albrecht, Thurston (R)  
18) Brett Lindstrom, Omaha (R)
19) Mike Flood, Norfolk (R)  
20) John McCollister, Omaha (R)
21) Mike Hilgers, Lincoln (R)  
22) Mike Moser, Columbus (R)
23) Bruce Bostelman, Brainard (R)  
24) Mark Kolterman, Seward (R) 
25) Suzanne Geist, Lincoln (R)  
26) Matt Hansen, Lincoln (D) 
27) Anna Wishart, Lincoln (D)  
28) Patty Pansing Brooks, Lincoln (D)
29) Eliot Bostar, Lincoln (D)  
30) Myron Dorn, Adams (R)
31) Rich Pahls, Omaha (R)  
32) Tom Brandt, Plymouth (R)
33) Steve Halloran, Hastings (R)  
34) Curt Friesen, Henderson (R)
35) Raymond Aguilar, Grand Island (R)  
36) Matt Williams, Gothenburg (R)
37) John Lowe, Kearney (R)  
38) Dave Murman, Glenvil (R)
39) Lou Ann Linehan, Elkhorn (R)  
40) Tim Gragert, Creighton (R)
41) Tom Briese, Albion (R)  
42) Mike Groene, North Platte (R) 
43) Tom Brewer, Gordon (R)   
44) Dan Hughes, Venango (R)
45) Rita Sanders, Bellevue (R) 
46) Adam Morfeld, Lincoln (D)
47) Steve Erdman, Bayard (R)
48) John Stinner, Gering (R) 
49) Jen Day, Omaha (D)  

2020 NHA Bills of Interest and related information

COVID-19 Impact on Nebraska Hospitals

When the COVID-19 pandemic cases escalated in March, 2020, Nebraska hospitals sprang into action to respond to this deadly global pandemic. Throughout this crisis, Nebraska hospitals and health systems have continued to work around-the-clock to provide high quality patient care to communities across the state.

Unfortunately, as a result of the impacts of COVID-19 and recent Direct Health Measures, our hospitals have seen a significant decrease in revenues:

• Emergency visits are down 45%;

• Inpatient surgeries down nearly 27%

• Net Inpatient Revenue is down 30%

• Outpatient surgeries down nearly 70%

• Net Outpatient Revenue is down over 40%

• Operating margins are down 33.8%

Hospitals are also incurring other costs during the pandemic, including drug acquisition and shortage expenses, wage and labor, uncompensated care costs, non-PPE medical supply and equipment expenditures and capital costs. Spending in these areas has largely increased since the start of the pandemic.

This NHA Infographic will help communicate Nebraska hospital losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Legislative Wrap-Ups

Each year the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) works diligently to shape policies that affect the delivery of health care in the state. Many new policies are introduced during each legislative session as well as interim policy proposals. The NHA Legislative Wrap-Up reviews  the Nebraska Legislature’s activities since and outlines priority projects senators are spearheading for that particular session.

2019 Advocacy Day Wrap Up

106th Nebraska Legislature

Congress & Congressional Delegation