Ray Powers
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Ray Powers | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 9th district | |
| In office August 31, 1979 – November 30, 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Brennan |
| Succeeded by | Marge Higgins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 21, 1924 |
| Died | December 25, 2011 (aged 87) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Florence Boyd (m. 1946) |
| Children | 9 |
| Education | Creighton University Van Sant Business College |
| Occupation | Department store executive |
Raphael P. "Ray" Powers (February 21, 1924 – December 25, 2011) was a Democratic politician from Nebraska who served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 9th district from 1979 to 1980.
Powers was born in 1924 in Omaha, Nebraska.[1] He graduated from the Creighton Preparatory School and later attended Creighton University and the Van Sant Business School.[1] Powers worked for J. L. Brandeis and Sons from 1947 to 1978, ultimately becoming the company's vice president of operations.[2]
In 1968, Powers ran for the Omaha Board of Education, seeking one of six at-large seats. He campaigned on hiring teacher assistants to help "motivate" students,[3] but ultimately lost, placing eleventh out of twelve candidates.[4]
Nebraska Legislature
In 1979, following the death of State Senator Bill Brennan, Governor Charles Thone appointed Powers to serve out the remainder of Brennan's term.[5] He was sworn in on August 31, 1979.[6]
Powers ran for election to a full term in 1980, and was challenged by three opponents: Marge Higgins, an insurance agency manager; John Cronin, a contractor; and Randy Stevenson, a student at the University of Nebraska Omaha.[7] Powers placed first in the primary, receiving 43 percent of the vote to Higgins's 38 percent,[8] and they advanced to the general election.[9] Higgins narrowly defeated Powers, winning 51 percent of the vote to his 49 percent.[8][10]