The following report is from Briana Huxley, director of political affairs for the Business-Industry Political Action Committee, of which NFIB is a member.
Former Bush Administration official Ben Sasse won the GOP primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.). Sasse, considered the frontrunner, had been leading in the polls in this five way primary. His two biggest threats were banker Sid Dinsdale and former State Treasurer Shane Osborn.
What started as a two-way battle between Sasse and Osborn developed into a three-way race in the last days of the election, as self-funder Sid Dinsdale picked up steam. Sasse was backed by national conservative groups, including the Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund, while “establishment” support split between Sasse, Dinsdale and Osborn.
This will likely be seen as a victory for tea-party oriented groups, but Sasse has demonstrated an ability to work with a broader coalition and is expected to do so in the Senate. The General Election is not considered competitive.
House: Not much is expected to change in Nebraska’s three Congressional seats. Rep. Lee Terry easily beat a primary challenge from electronics businessman Dan Frei, whose campaign never really took off. Terry is the most vulnerable Nebraska congressman, he only won by two points in 2012. With the current national climate and a midterm election however, he is favored to win. Terry will face state Sen. Brad Ashford (D) in the General Election.
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For questions or comments about this article, you can e-mail Briana Huxley right here.
