Curt Bromm

Bromm ran for the state legislature in 1992, challenging incumbent State Senator Loran Schmit for re-election in the 23rd district, which included Butler, Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, Platte, Polk, and Saunders counties.^[4][2] In the nonpartisan primary, Schmit placed first, winning 44 percent of the vote to Bromm's 32 percent,^[5] and they advanced to the general election.^[6] Bromm narrowly defeated Schmit, winning 52-48 percent.^[5][7]

In 1996, Bromm ran for re-election, and was challenged by Jack Pokorny, a basket maker.^[8] He placed first in the primary by a wide margin, receiving 72 percent of the vote to Pokorny's 28 percent.^[9] He won the general election by a landslide, winning 73 percent of the vote to Pokorny's 26 percent.^[9][10] Bromm was re-elected in 2000 without opposition.^[11][12]

During the 2002 legislative session, Speaker Doug Kristensen was appointed Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and resigned from the legislature.^[13] Bromm was unanimously elected as Kristensen's successor on July 30, 2002.^[14][15] He was re-elected as Speaker in 2003 without opposition.^[16]

In 2003, Republican Congressman Doug Bereuter announced that he would not seek re-election in the 1st congressional district, and Bromm ran to succeed him.^[17] Bereuter endorsed Bromm as his successor,^[17] and he emerged as one of the frontrunners in the race, along with businessman Greg Ruehle and Lincoln City Councilman Jeff Fortenberry.^[18][19] The Club for Growth endorsed Fortenberry, and ran television advertisements attacking Bromm for supporting tax increases.^[20][21] Bromm ultimately lost the primary to Fortenberry by a narrow margin, receiving 26 percent of the vote to Fortenberry's 31 percent and Ruehle's 16 percent.^[22]