Primary raises questions about Republican supermajority in Nebraska Legislature

Tuesday’s primary results suggest Republicans could lose their supermajority in the Nebraska Legislature.

The Legislature is officially nonpartisan, but votes often break down along party lines.

Currently, there are 33 Republican senators, 15 Democrats, and one Democratic-leaning independent. It takes 33 votes to overcome a filibuster and prevent the minority party from blocking legislation.

Democrats and independents outpolled Republicans in three Omaha-area races.

In District 4, independent Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek outpolled Republican Sen. Brad von Gillern, 52-48 percent.

In District 12, Democrats Christy Knorr, with 36 percent and Thomas Katstrup with 24 together outpolled Republican Sen. Merv Riepe who got 40 percent. In legislative primaries, the top two candidates advance to the November election, regardless of party affiliation.

And in District 36, Democrat Darin Tompkins outpolled incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Holdcroft, 53-47 percent.

But Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, a Republican, said that could all change by November.

Arch said about 10,000 more Democrats than Republicans cast votes in the primary in Omaha’s Douglas County, because of the Democrats’ hotly-contested race for the Second District congressional nomination.

“That makes a big difference on other votes on the ballot as well, including your legislative district and other statewide positions,” he said.

Arch says another factor that will help the Republican incumbents in November is that they can now concentrate on campaigning, as opposed to spending time in Lincoln during the legislative session.

You can see the complete, unofficial results for the primaries for all 25 legislative districts that were on the ballot here.