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1996 United States Senate election in Nebraska

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1996 United States Senate election in Nebraska

← 1990 November 5, 1996 2002 →
 
Nominee Chuck Hagel Ben Nelson
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 379,933 281,904
Percentage 56.14% 41.65%

County results

Hagel:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Nelson:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

J. James Exon
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Chuck Hagel
Republican

The 1996 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator J. James Exon decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican nominee Chuck Hagel won the open seat by 14 points, defeating incumbent Democratic governor Ben Nelson. Nelson would later be elected to Nebraska's other U.S. Senate seat in 2000 when Bob Kerrey retired and served alongside Hagel until 2009, when Hagel left the Senate after retiring.

As of 2024, this is the last time an incumbent governor failed to hold a Senate seat for his party. This was also the first time since Carl Curtis was elected to his final term in 1972 that a Republican was elected to either of Nebraska's Senate seats.[a]

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ben Nelson 93,140 97.00%
Democratic Write-ins 2,882 3.00%
Total votes 96,022 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chuck Hagel 112,953 62.24%
Republican Don Stenberg 67,974 37.46%
Republican Write-ins 544 0.30%
Total votes 181,471 100.00%

General election

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Candidates

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Results

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General election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Chuck Hagel 379,933 56.14% +15.21%
Democratic Ben Nelson 281,904 41.65% −17.25%
Libertarian John DeCamp 9,483 1.40%
Natural Law Bill Dunn 4,806 0.71%
Write-ins 663 0.10%
Majority 98,029 14.48% −3.49%
Turnout 676,958
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ David Karnes was appointed to the Senate seat left vacant following the 1987 death of Democratic Senator Ed Zorinsky but was defeated in his bid for a full term by Democratic candidate and former Governor Bob Kerrey.

References

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  1. ^ "Election and voting information".
  2. ^ "Election and voting information".
  3. ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".