The Green Papers: Nebraska 2008 General Election
This page is for offices up for election in 2008. Find 2009 elections here.
 
Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/ Nebraska
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
Primary: Tuesday 13 May 2008
General Election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Electoral Votes:5(0.93% of 538)
Governor:1 
Senators:2(Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2002-2010 Representatives:3(0.69% of 435)
2000 Census:1,715,369 (0.61% of 281,998,273)
Estimated Voting age population (November 2000):1,234,000
Registered Voters (November 2000):1,085,217
Capital:Lincoln
Tuesday 13 May 2008 polling hours 8:00a CDT (1300 UTC) / 7:00a MDT (1300 UTC) to 8:00p CDT (0100 UTC) / 7:00p MDT (0100 UTC). The polls open and close at the same GMT/UTC time, that is, polls open and close at a particular local time in the advanced time zone and open and close one hour earlier local time in the lagging time zone.
Tuesday 4 November 2008 polling hours 8:00a CST (1400 UTC) / 7:00a MST (1400 UTC) to 8:00p CST (0200 UTC) / 7:00p MST (0200 UTC). The polls open and close at the same GMT/UTC time, that is, polls open and close at a particular local time in the advanced time zone and open and close one hour earlier local time in the lagging time zone.
 

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Nebraska State and Local Government

Nebraska 2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions:
Democrats, Republicans, Third Parties

24 January 2009: Official Results of Nebraska General Election -November 4, 2008

24 September 2008: Synchronized with Nebraska Secretary of State 2008 Candidate List.

 
           
President  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime. Electors: 5 (The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes statewide receives 2 electors. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes in each of the 3 Congressional Districts receives that district's elector.), How Appointed, Meeting Place, Duly Appointed Presidential Electors, List of Presidential Candidates.
Up for election in 2008
  Elected Republican 452,979 56.53% Senator John Sidney McCain, III
(4 Electoral Votes)
• Vice President: Governor Sarah H. Palin
• FEC P80002801: $399,826,076
  Candidate Democratic 333,319 41.60% Senator Barack Hussein Obama
(1 Electoral Vote)
• Vice President: Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.
• FEC P80003338: $778,642,047
  Candidate By Petition 5,406 0.67% Ralph Nader
• Vice President: Matt Gonzalez
• FEC P20000527: $4,520,160
  Candidate Nebraska 2,972 0.37% Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin
• Vice President: Darrell R. Castle
• FEC P80005499: $262,010
  Candidate Scattering 2,837 0.35% Write In
  Candidate Libertarian 2,740 0.34% former Congressman Bob Barr
• Vice President: Wayne Allyn Root
• FEC P80005580: $1,405,899
  Candidate Green 1,028 0.13% former Congressman Cynthia A. McKinney
• Vice President: Rosa A. Clemente
• FEC P80004930: $240,360
  Candidate Write-in     Frank Moore
• Vice President: Susan Block
 

The candidate who receives the greatest number of votes statewide receives 2 electors. The candidate who receives the greatest number of votes in each Congressional District receives that district's elector.

  McCain Obama Baldwin McKinney Barr Nader Write-In
District 1 148,179 121,411 1,024 394 922 1,963 ?
District 2 135,439 138,809 599 320 1,014 1,628 ?
District 3 169,361 73,099 1,349 314 804 1,815 ?
Statewide 452,979 333,319 2,972 1,028 2,740 5,406 ?

Source: Official General Election Results.
Total 801,281 100.00%  
U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 110th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes
Class 1 Democratic Senator E. Benjamin "Ben" Nelson
• First elected: 2000; re-elected: 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012
Class 2
Seat up for election
Open		 Republican Senator Charles T. "Chuck" Hagel
• First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002, 2008
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
• Open Seat - Announced his retirement on 10 September 2007.
 Polls: Republican former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Michael O. "Mike" Johanns
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
  Elected Republican 455,854 57.52% former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Michael O. "Mike" Johanns
• FEC S8NE00117: $3,907,749
  Candidate Democratic 317,456 40.06% Scott Michael Kleeb
• FEC S8NE00133: $1,852,094
  Candidate Nebraska 11,438 1.44% Kelly Renee Rosberg
• FEC S8NE00174: Financial report not available
  Candidate Green 7,763 0.98% Steven R. "Steve" Larrick
• FEC S8NE00166: Financial report not available
Total 792,511 100.00%  
Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors
  Republican Governor Dave Heineman
• Succeeded to the Governor's Chair upon the 20 January 2005 resignation of Governor Mike Johanns; first elected: 2006
• Chair up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
• The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.
Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Elected on a ticket with the Governor
  Republican Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy
• Appointed: 24 January 2005 upon the ascention of Lt. Governor Dave Heineman to the Governor's chair; first elected: 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
110th U.S. House of Representatives  2 year term, Election Cycle 2006, 2008. No Term Limit. 110th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
3 Republican (3 Renominated)
CD 1
{map}
Seat up for election		 Republican Congressman Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
• First elected: 2004
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
• Renominated - 13 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry
  Elected Republican 184,923 70.36% Congressman Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry
• FEC H4NE01064: $725,529
  Candidate Democratic 77,897 29.64% Max Yashirin
• FEC H8NE01073: $24,725
Total 262,820 100.00%  
CD 2
{map}
Seat up for election		 Republican Congressman Lee Terry
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
• First elected: 1998
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
• Renominated - 13 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Lee Terry
  Elected Republican 142,473 51.93% Congressman Lee Terry
• FEC H8NE02139: $1,746,226
  Candidate Democratic 131,901 48.07% James Dennis "Jim" Esch
• FEC H6NE02117: $854,545
Total 274,374 100.00%  
CD 3
{map}
Seat up for election		 Republican Congressman Adrian M. Smith
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
• First elected: 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
• Renominated - 13 May 2008 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Adrian M. Smith
  Elected Republican 183,117 76.87% Congressman Adrian M. Smith
• FEC H6NE03115: $806,088
  Candidate Democratic 55,087 23.13% Jay C. Stoddard
• FEC H8NE03053: $0
Total 238,204 100.00%  
Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
  Republican Secretary of State John A. Gale
• Appointed 2000 (upon the resignation of Scott Moore); first elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
  Republican Attorney General Jon Bruning
• First elected: 1990, 1994, 1998; re-elected: 2002; 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Treasurer  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
  Republican Treasurer Shane Osborn
• First elected: 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Auditor of Public Accounts  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
  Republican Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Foley
• First elected: 2006
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Political Parties    Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.
Major Parties
 • Democratic (affiliates): 1 incumbent, 5 candidates
 • Republican: 10 incumbents, 5 candidates
Major Third Parties
 • Green (affiliates): 2 candidates
 • Libertarian: 1 candidate
Other Third Parties
 • Nebraska (affiliate of Constitution): 2 candidates
Independents
 • By Petition: 1 candidate
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
 • Scattering: 1 candidate
 • Write-in: 1 candidate
 
Candidates running under the banner of more than one party are counted towards each party's total. A candidate who has lost a primary or is apparently no longer a candidate is not counted.
Notes
Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from an election authority that the person so listed will actually appear on the ballot.
 
FEC indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary "Total Receipts" for candidates for Federal Office.
 

  2008 General Election Home  
 
  U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Gubernatorial Popular Vote by Party  
  U.S. House Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Close Contests Summary - Decision by 2% or less  
  Contests Where No Candidate Received a Majority  
 
Electoral College
  Allocation       How Appointed       Meeting Place (15 December)  
  Duly Appointed Electors       Tabulation by Congress (8 January 2009)  
  THE "FAITHLESS ELECTORS" - Presidential Electors who have defected in the past  
  May Electors Defect?  
  DATES OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION "EVENTS": 1789 to the present  
  "APPARENT" ELECTORAL VOTE for President of the United States: 1856 to present  
  ELECTORAL VOTE for President of the United States (as pledged and as officially counted)  
  ELECTORAL VOTE for Vice President of the United States (as pledged and as officially counted)  
 
  Contests to Watch and Polling Data  
 
2008 Primaries and Runoffs for Statewide offices/Congress
  Alphabetically   --   Chronologically   --   Poll Closing Times  
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General Election Poll Closing Times
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  Senators by 'Class'  
  Governors by election 'cycle'  
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  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance   --   Senatorial Primaries at a Glance  
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  Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats (the incumbent is not running for re-election)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with no incumbent running for them  
  Uncontested Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats (one candidate running for office)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with multiple incumbents running for them  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
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  2008 Partisan Composition by State  
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  Political Parties  
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  Senate Electoral Classes  
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  1976-2004 Presidential Election State Voting Trends  
  Relative Political Party Strength in each State per Federal/State Elections  
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  Explanation of the Debate Scoring System