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Incumbent Pete Ricketts (R) defeated state Sen. Bob Krist (D) in the general election on November 6, 2018, for governor of Nebraska.
Ricketts was first elected in 2014 by a margin of 18 percentage points. Of the 10 preceding gubernatorial elections, a Republican candidate won seven—including Ricketts' victory in 2014—and a Democratic candidate won three. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) carried the state by a margin of 25 percentage points.
Ricketts' victory preserved the state's Republican trifecta. At the time of the election, Nebraska had been a Republican trifecta since Gov. Mike Johanns (R) took office in 1999. The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Nebraska state law, the governor may veto congressional and state legislative district maps proposed by the state legislature.
Nebraska was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election.
If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.
The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage. Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.
Race ratings: Nebraska gubernatorial election, 2018
| Race tracker | Race ratings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | |
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican |
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican |
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican |
In the 2014 gubernatorial election, Pete Ricketts (R) defeated Chuck Hassebrook (D).
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Pete Ricketts/Mike Foley |
57.2% | 308,751 | |
| Democratic | Chuck Hassebrook/Jane Raybould | 39.3% | 211,905 | |
| Libertarian | Mark G. Elworth Jr./Scott Zimmerman | 3.5% | 19,001 | |
| Total Votes | 539,657 | |||
| Election results via Nebraska Secretary of State | ||||
On November 2, 2010, Dave Heineman won re-election to the office of Governor of Nebraska. He defeated Mike Meister in the general election.
Governor of Nebraska, 2010
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Heineman Incumbent |
73.9% | 360,645 | |
| Democratic | Mike Meister | 26.1% | 127,343 | |
| Total Votes | 487,988 | |||
| Election results via Nebraska office of the Secretary of State. | ||||
On November 7, 2006, Dave Heineman won election to the office of Governor of Nebraska. He defeated David Hahn, Barry Richards, and Mort Sullivan in the general election.
Governor of Nebraska, 2006
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Heineman |
73.7% | 430,578 | |
| Democratic | David Hahn | 24.1% | 141,091 | |
| Nebraska | Barry Richards | 1.5% | 8,953 | |
| Democratic | Mort Sullivan | 0.6% | 3,782 | |
| Total Votes | 584,404 | |||
| Election results via Nebraska office of the Secretary of State. | ||||
On November 5, 2002, Mike Johanns won re-election to the office of Governor of Nebraska. He defeated Stormy Dean and Paul Rosberg in the general election.
Governor of Nebraska, 2002
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Johanns Incumbent |
68.4% | 325,453 | |
| Democratic | Stormy Dean | 27.8% | 132,348 | |
| Nebraska | Paul Rosberg | 3.8% | 18,294 | |
| Total Votes | 476,095 | |||
| Election results via Nebraska office of the Secretary of State. | ||||
Demographic data for Nebraska
| Nebraska | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|
| Total population: | 1,893,765 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 76,824 | 3,531,905 |
| Gender | ||
| Female: | 50.3% | 50.8% |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 88.1% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 4.7% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 10% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.7% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 29.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $52,997 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 14.6% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Nebraska. | ||
As of July 2017, Nebraska had a population of approximately 1,920,000 people, with its three largest cities being Omaha (pop. est. 450,000), Lincoln (pop. est. 280,000), and Bellevue (pop. est. 54,000).
