The statewide primary for Nebraska was held on May 12, 2020. Candidates competed to advance to the general election scheduled for November 3, 2020.
Candidates ran in primaries for one U.S. Senate seat and three U.S. House seats.
In the U.S. Senate Republican primary, incumbent Ben Sasse (R) faced one challenger and received 75% of the vote, advancing to the general election. Chris Janicek (D) won the Democratic primary after facing six challengers. Janicek advanced to the general election, receiving 31% of the vote.
In the U.S. House District 1 primaries, incumbent Jeffrey Fortenberry (R), Kate Bolz (D), and Dennis Grace (L) advanced to the general election. Bolz was the only primary winner to run in a contested race.
In the U.S. House District 2 primaries, incumbent Don Bacon (R), Kara Eastman (D), and Tyler Schaeffer (L) advanced to the general election. Schaeffer was the only winner to run unopposed.
In the U.S. House District 3 primaries, incumbent Adrian Smith (R), Mark Elworth Jr. (D), and Dustin Hobbs (L) advanced to the general election. Smith was the only primary winner to run in a contested race.
Nebraska’s primary was the 9th to take place in the 2020 election cycle. The next primary is on May 19 in Oregon.
Going into the 2020 elections, both U.S. Senate seats and all three U.S. House seats in Nebraska are held by Republicans. The U.S. Senate has 45 Democrats, 53 Republicans, and two independents who caucus with the Democrats. Only 33 out of 100 Senate seats are up for election. A majority in the chamber requires 51 seats. The U.S. House has 233 Democrats, 196 Republicans, one Libertarian, and five vacancies. All 435 seats are up for election. A majority in the chamber requires 218 seats.
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