1994 Nebraska gubernatorial election
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The 1994 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994. Incumbent governor Ben Nelson won re-election to a second term in a landslide, defeating Republican businessman Gene Spence by 47.4 percentage points and sweeping all but two counties (Garden and Sheridan), despite the concurrent 1994 Republican Revolution. As of 2026, this is the last time that a Democrat was elected governor of Nebraska.
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November 8, 1994
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 County results Nelson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Spence: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Governor
Candidates
- Ben Nelson, incumbent governor of Nebraska
- Robb Nimic
- Robert Franklin Winingar
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Nelson (incumbent) | 101,422 | 88.10 | |
| Democratic | Robert Franklin Winingar | 6,993 | 6.07 | |
| Democratic | Robb Nimic | 6,373 | 5.54 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 327 | 0.28 | |
| Total votes | 115,115 | 100.00 | ||
Lieutenant governor
Candidates
Kim Robak ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.[2] She was the incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor who was appointed in 1993 by Governor Ben Nelson after Maxine Moul resigned.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kim Robak (incumbent) | 94,936 | 99.53 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 447 | 0.47 | |
| Total votes | 95,383 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Governor
Candidates
- John DeCamp, former Nebraska State Senator
- Alan Jacobsen, roofing company owner
- Ralph Knobel, farmer and former chairman of the Republican Party of Nebraska
- Gene Spence, businessman
- Mort Sullivan, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gene Spence | 69,529 | 38.07 | |
| Republican | Ralph Knobel | 57,719 | 31.60 | |
| Republican | Alan Jacobsen | 27,374 | 14.99 | |
| Republican | John DeCamp | 24,414 | 13.37 | |
| Republican | Mort Sullivan | 3,363 | 1.84 | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 234 | 0.13 | |
| Total votes | 182,633 | 100.00 | ||
Lieutenant governor
Candidates
- De Carlson, co-owner of the Upper Missouri Trading Company and former member of the board of governors of Northeast Community College from Crofton, Nebraska[4]
- Willie J. Carr, Jr. from Omaha, Nebraska, who filed as a pauper candidate (meaning he didn't pay the filing fee) and did not conduct an active campaign[5]
- Horace "Hoss" Dannehl, feed dealer and livestock breeder from Riverdale, Nebraska[5]
- Kate Witek, member of the Nebraska Legislature in District 31 since 1993 from Omaha, Nebraska.[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kate Witek | 68,113 | 44.80 | |
| Republican | De Carlson | 47,262 | 31.09 | |
| Republican | Hoss Dannehl | 20,437 | 13.44 | |
| Republican | Willie J. Carr, Jr. | 16,111 | 10.60 | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 114 | 0.07 | |
| Total votes | 152,037 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Campaign
Though Nelson ultimately did approve of an action to prevent foster children from living with homosexuals or unmarried couples after he was re-elected, Spence hammered the governor for not supporting restrictions on foster homes.[7] Ultimately, four weeks before the elections, many prominent Republicans accused Spence of "throwing in the towel" and essentially conceding defeat to Nelson before any ballots were cast.[8] The divided Republican primary and Gene Spence's inability to unite the party following his plurality victory in the primary eventually led to Nelson's overwhelming re-election.[9]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Nelson (incumbent) | 423,270 | 73.0% | ||
| Republican | Gene Spence | 148,230 | 25.6% | ||
| Write-in | Ernie Chambers | 2,510 | 0.4% | ||
| Write-in | Others | 5,551 | 1.0% | ||
| Total votes | 579,561 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
