2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska

2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska

← 2006 November 6, 2012 2018 →
 
Nominee Deb Fischer Bob Kerrey
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 455,593 332,979
Percentage 57.77% 42.23%

Fischer:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Kerrey:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Ben Nelson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Deb Fischer
Republican

The 2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Incumbent Democratic senator Ben Nelson chose to retire instead of seeking a third term.[1] Democrat Bob Kerrey, who held this seat from 1989 to 2001, and Republican state senator Deb Fischer won their respective parties' primary elections on May 15, 2012.

Fischer won the general election with 57.8% of the vote. Her election marked the first time since 1970 that a Republican was elected to Nebraska's Class 1 Senate seat, as well as the first time that a woman was elected to a full Senate term in the state's history. This was the only Republican flip of the 2012 U.S. Senate elections. Fischer's inauguration marked the first time since the resignation of Roman Hruska in 1976 where Republicans held both Senate seats from Nebraska.

  1. ^ "Ben Nelson retiring from Senate". Politico. December 27, 2011.