Political party strength in Nebraska explained

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Nebraska (including its time as a territory):

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.

Pre-statehood (1853–1866)

YearExecutive officesLegislatureUnited States Congress
GovernorDelegate
1853William Walker (I)no legislatureNapoleon Bonaparte Giddings (D)
1854Francis Burt (D)
1855Mark W. Izard (D)Territorial legislatureBird Beers Chapman (D)
1856
1857Fenner Ferguson (D)
1858William Alexander Richardson (D)
1859Samuel W. Black (D)Experience Estabrook (D)
1860Samuel Gordon Daily (R)
1861Alvin Saunders (R)
1862
1863
1864
1865Phineas Hitchcock (R)
1866

1867–1936

YearExecutive officesState LegislatureUnited States CongressElectoral
votes
class=unsortable Governor!class=unsortable Lieutenant
Governor
!
class=unsortable Secretary
of State
!
class=unsortable Attorney
General
!
class=unsortable Auditor!class=unsortable Treasurerclass=unsortable Senate !class=unsortable House !class=unsortable Senator
(Class I)
!
class=unsortable Senator
(Class II)
!
class=unsortable House
1867David Butler (R)no such officeThomas P. Kennard House (R)Champion S. Chase (R)John Gillespie (R)Augustus Kountze (R)R maj.R maj.Thomas Tipton (R)John Milton Thayer (R)Turner M. Marquett (R)
John Taffe (R)
1868Grant/
Colfax (R)
1869Seth Robinson (R)James Sweet (R)
1870
1871William H. James (R)George H. Roberts (R)Henry A. Koenig (R)Phineas Hitchcock (R)
William H. James (R)
1872Grant/
Wilson (R)
1873Robert Wilkinson Furnas (R)John J. Gosper (R)Joseph R. Webster (R)Jefferson B. Weston (R)Lorenzo Crounse (R)
1874
1875Silas Garber (R)Bruno Tzschuck (R)George H. Roberts (R)J. C. McBride (R)Algernon Paddock (R)
1876Hayes/
Wheeler (R)
1877Othman A. Abbott (R)Alvin Saunders (R)Frank Welch (R)
1878
Thomas Jefferson
Majors
(R)
1879Albinus Nance (R)Edmund C. Carns (R)S. J. Alexander (R)C. J. Dilworth (R)F. W. Liedtke (R)George M. Bartlett (R)Edward K.
Valentine
(R)
1880Garfield/
Arthur (R)
1881John Wallichs (R)Charles Van Wyck (R)
1882
1883James W. Dawes (R)Alfred W. Agee (R)Edward P. Roggen (R)Isaac Powers, Jr. (R)D/A-Mo maj.R maj.Charles F. Manderson (R)3R
1884Blaine/
Logan (R)
1885Hibbard H. Shedd (R)William Leese (R)H. A. Babcock (R)Charles H. Willard (R)R maj.R maj.
1886
1887John Milton Thayer (R)Gilbert L. Laws (R)Algernon Paddock (R)2R, 1D
1888Harrison/
Morton (R)
1889George de Rue
Meiklejohn
(R)
Thomas H. Benton (R)John E. Hill (R)3R
1890Benjamin R. Cowdery (R)
1891Thomas Jefferson
Majors
(R)
John Clayton Allen (R)George H. Hastings (R)Pop maj.Pop maj.2Pop, 1D
1892James E. Boyd (D)Harrison/
Reid (R)
1893Lorenzo Crounse (R)Eugene Moore (R)Joseph S. Bartley (R)D/Pop maj.D/Pop maj.William V. Allen (Pop)3R, 2Pop, 1D
1894
1895Silas A. Holcomb (D/Pop)Robert E. Moore (D/Pop)Joel A. Piper (R)Arthur S. Churchill (R)R maj.R maj.John M. Thurston (R)5R, 1Pop
18964 – Bryan/
Sewall (D/Sv)
4 – Bryan/
Watson (Pop)
1897James E. Harris (D/Pop)William F. Porter (D/Pop)Constantine Joseph
Smyth
(D/Pop)
John F. Cornell (D/Pop)John B. Meserve (D/Pop)D/Pop/SvR maj.D/Pop/SvR maj.4Pop, 2R
1898
1899William A. Poynter (D/Pop)Edward A. Gilbert (R)R maj.R maj.Monroe Hayward (R)3Pop, 2R, 1D
1900William V. Allen (Pop)McKinley/
Roosevelt (R)
1901Charles H. Dietrich (R)Ezra P. Savage (R)George W. Marsh (R)Frank N. Prout (R)Charles Weston (R)William Stuefer (R)Joseph Millard (R)2D, 2Pop, 2R
Ezra P. Savage (R)vacantCharles H. Dietrich (R)
1902
1903John H. Mickey (R)Edmund G. McGilton (R)Peter Mortensen (R)5R, 1D
1904Roosevelt/
Fairbanks (R)
1905A. Galusha (R)Norris Brown (R)Edward N. Searle Jr. (R)Elmer Burkett (R)6R
1906
1907George L. Sheldon (R)Melville R. Hopewell (R)George C. Junkin (R)William T. Thompson (R)L. G. Brian (R)Norris Brown (R)5R, 1D
1908Bryan/
Kern (D)
1909Ashton C. Shallenberger (D)Silas Reynolds
Barton
(R)
D maj.D maj.3D, 3R
1910Arthur F. Mullen (D)
1911Chester Hardy Aldrich (R)Addison Wait (R)Grant G. Martin (R)Walter A. George (R)Gilbert Hitchcock (D)
1912vacantWilson/
Marshall (D)
1913John H. Morehead (D)Samuel Roy McKelvie (R)W. B. Howard (R)R maj.D maj.George W. Norris (R)
1914
1915James Pearson (D)Charles W. Pool (D)Willis E. Reed (D)William H. Smith (D)George E. Hall (D)D maj.D maj.
1916
1917Keith Neville (D)Edgar Howard (D)
1918
1919Samuel Roy McKelvie (R)Pelham A. Barrows (R)Darius M. Amsberry (R)Clarence A. Davis (R)George W. Marsh (R)Daniel B. Cropsey (R)R maj.R maj.6R
1920Harding/
Coolidge (R)
1921
1922
1923Charles W. Bryan (D)Fred Gustus Johnson (R)Charles W. Pool (D)Ora S. Spillman (R)Charles D. Robinson (R)Robert B. Howell (R)3D, 3R
1924Coolidge/
Dawes (R)
1925Adam McMullen (R)George A. Williams (R)
1926
1927Frank Marsh Sr. (R)L. B. Johnson (R)W. M. Stebbins (R)4D, 2R
1928Hoover/
Curtis (R)
1929Arthur J. Weaver (R)Christian A. Sorensen (R)4R, 2D
1930
1931Charles W. Bryan (D)Theodore W. Metcalfe (R)George W. Marsh (R)Truman W. Bass (R)4D, 2R
1932Roosevelt/
Garner (D)
1933Walter H. Jurgensen (D)Harry R. Swanson (D)Paul F. Good (D)William B. Price (D)George E. Hall (D)D maj.D maj.5D
William H. Thompson (D)
1934
Richard C. Hunter (D)
1935Robert Leroy Cochran (D)William H. Wright (D)Edward R. Burke (D)4D, 1R
Fred C. Ayres (D)
1936George W. Norris (I)
H. J. Murray (D)

1937–present

YearExecutive officesState LegislatureUnited States CongressElectoral votes
class=unsortable Governor!class=unsortable Lieutenant
Governor
!
class=unsortable Secretary
of State
!
class=unsortable Attorney
General
!
class=unsortable Auditor!class=unsortable Treasurer!class=unsortable Senator
(Class I)
!
class=unsortable Senator
(Class II)
!
class=unsortable House
1937Robert Leroy Cochran (D)Walter H. Jurgensen (D)Harry R. Swanson (D)Richard C. Hunter (D)William H. Price (D)Walter H. Jensen (D)43NP
(22R, 21D)
Edward R. Burke (D)George W. Norris (I)4D, 1R
1938
Nate M. Parsons (D)
1939William E. Johnson (R)Walter R. Johnson (R)Ray C. Johnson (R)Truman W. Bass (R)43NP
(24R, 19D)
3R, 2D
John Havekost (D)
1940Willkie/
McNary (R)
1941Dwight Griswold (R)Frank Marsh Sr. (R)L. B. Johnson (R)43NP
(26R, 17D)
Hugh A. Butler (R)
1942
1943Roy W. Johnson (R)Carl G. Swanson (R)43NP
(26R, 13D; 4 not reported)
Kenneth S. Wherry (R)4R
194443NP
(25R, 13D; 5 not reported)
Dewey/
Bricker (R)
194543NP
(28R, 7D; 8 not reported)
1946Edward Gillette (R)
1947Val Peterson (R)Robert B. Crosby (R)43NP
(20R, 9D; 14 not reported)
1948Dewey/
Warren (R)
1949Charles J. Warner (R)James Hodson
Anderson
(R)
43NP
(22R, 5D; 16 not reported)
3R, 1D
1950Clarence S. Beck (R)43NP
(23R, 5D; 15 not reported)
1951James S. Pittenger (R)Frank B. Heintze (R)43NP
(25R, 5D, 1I; 12 not reported)
4R
1952Fred A. Seaton (R)Eisenhower/
Nixon (R)
Dwight Griswold (R)
1953Robert B. Crosby (R)Frank Marsh (R)43NP
(26R, 5D, 1I; 11 not reported)
195443NP
(26R, 4D, 1I; 12 not reported)
Samuel W. Reynolds (R)Eva Bowring (R)
Roman Hruska (R)Hazel Abel (R)
1955Victor E. Anderson (R)Ralph W. Hill (R)43NP
(23R, 8D, 2I; 10 not reported)
Carl Curtis (R)
1956vacant
1957Dwight W. Burney (R)43NP
(25R, 13D, 1I; 4 not reported)
1958Bertha I. Hill (R)
1959Ralph G. Brooks (D)Richard R. Larsen (D)43NP
(31R, 9D, 3I)
2D, 2R
1960Nixon/
Lodge (R)
Dwight W. Burney (R)
1961Frank B. Morrison (D)Clarence A. H. Meyer (R)Clarence L. E. Swanson (R)43NP
(26R, 11D, 3I; 3 not reported)
4R
196243NP
(27R, 10D, 3I; 3 not reported)
196343NP
(29R, 12D, 2I)
3R
1964P. Merle Humphries (R)43NP
(28R, 13D, 2I)
Johnson/
Humphrey (D)
1965Philip C. Sorensen (D)Fred Sorensen (D)49NP
(31R, 12D, 2I; 4 not reported)
2R, 1D
1966
1967Norbert Tiemann (R)John E. Everroad (R)Wayne R. Swanson (R)49NP
(33R, 12D, 2I; 2 not reported)
3R
1968Nixon/
Agnew (R)
196949NP
(36R, 11D; 2 not reported)
1970
1971J. James Exon (D)Frank Marsh (R)Allen J. Beermann (R)Ray A. C. Johnson (R)49NP
(36R, 12D, 1I)
1972
197349NP
(33R, 15D, 1I)
1974
1975Gerald T. Whelan (D)Paul L. Douglas (R)Frank Marsh (R)
1976Ford/
Dole (R)
197749NP
(30R, 17D, 2I)
Edward Zorinsky (D)2R, 1D
197849NP
(28R, 19D, 2I)
1979Charles Thone (R)Roland A. Luedtke (R)49NP
(25R, 22D, 2I)
J. James Exon (D)
1980Reagan/
Bush (R)
1981Kay A. Orr (R)49NP
(30R, 17D, 2I)
3R
198249NP
(31R, 16D, 2I)
1983Bob Kerrey (D)Donald McGinley (D)49NP
(30R, 17D, 2I)
198449NP
(29R, 19D, 1I)
1985Robert M. Spire (R)49NP
(26R, 22D, 1I)
198649NP
(25R, 23D, 1I)
1987Kay A. Orr (R)William E. Nichol (R)Frank Marsh (R)49NP
(26R, 22D, 1I)
David Karnes (R)
198849NP
(27R, 21D, 1I)
Bush/
Quayle (R)
198949NP
(28R, 20D, 1I)
Bob Kerrey (D)2R, 1D
199049NP
(29R, 19D, 1I)
1991Ben Nelson (D)Maxine Moul (D)Don Stenberg (R)John Breslow (D)Dawn Rockey (D)49NP
(27R, 21D, 1I)
199249NP
(26R, 22D, 1I)
Bush/
Quayle (R)
1993
Kim M. Robak (D)
199449NP
(25R, 23D, 1I)
1995Scott Moore (R)John Breslow (R)Dave Heineman (R)49NP
(26R, 22D, 1I)
3R
1996Dole/
Kemp (R)
199749NP
(27R, 21D, 1I)
Chuck Hagel (R)
199849NP
(26R, 21D, 2I)
1999Mike Johanns (R)David Maurstad (R)Kate Witek (R)49NP
(28R, 19D, 2I)
200049NP
(29R, 18D, 2I)
Bush and
Cheney (R)
2001John A. Gale (R)49NP
(31R, 16D, 2I)
Ben Nelson (D)
Dave Heineman (R)Lorelee Hunt Byrd (R)
2002
2003Jon Bruning (R)49NP
(34R, 13D, 2I)
2004Ron Ross (R)
2005Dave Heineman (R)Rick Sheehy (R)49NP
(32R, 15D, 2I)
2006Kate Witek (D)
2007Mike Foley (R)Shane Osborn (R)49NP
(30R, 17D, 2I)
20084 – McCain/
Palin (R)
1 – Obama/
Biden (D)
200949NP
(31R, 18D)
Mike Johanns (R)
201049NP
(30R, 19D)
2011Don Stenberg (R)49NP
(32R, 17D)
2012Romney/
Ryan (R)
2013Lavon Heidemann (R)49NP
(29R, 19D, 1I)
Deb Fischer (R)
2014
John E. Nelson (R)
2015Pete Ricketts (R)Mike Foley (R)Doug Peterson (R)Charlie Janssen (R)49NP
(34R, 14D, 1I)
Ben Sasse (R)2R, 1D
201649NP
(35R, 13D, 1I)
Trump/
Pence (R)
201749NP
(31R, 16D, 1L, 1I)
3R
2018
2019Bob Evnen (R)John Murante (R)49NP
(30R, 18D, 1I)
20204 – Trump/
Pence (R)
1 – Biden/
Harris (D)
202149NP
(32R, 17D)
2022
2023Jim Pillen (R)Joe Kelly (R)Mike Hilgers (R)Mike Foley (R)Pete Ricketts (R)
Tom Briese (R)49NP
(32R, 16D, 1I)
2024

See also