32 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN December 2024 POLICY Beef Matters at the Ballot Box 2024 General Election Re-Cap Election day is often a time of reflection on what it means to be American. There are many quintessential American experiences such as listening to the Toby Keith classic Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue while watching fireworks on a tailgate with your loved ones, or getting chills when the National Anthem is played at a sold-out game inside Memorial Stadium as you look up to see a massive plane fly over the sea of cheering fans. And who can forget the tune God Bless the USA where Lee Greenwood sings the words, “And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me, and I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend Her still today ʻcause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA.” I’m sure 90 percent of you reading this just sang along in your head. Recently it has felt difficult to be American with the constant political pandering and never-ending piles of propaganda in our mailboxes. I’m sure many miss the days when campaign robocalls, text messages and dishonest TV ads didn’t exist. The 2024 General Election cycle was contentious, and the mood was heavy. Whether this past election went the way you wanted or not, one thing is for sure: our right to vote and make our voices heard at the ballot box is essential to our democratic republic. No matter how we feel about the election results, may we all remember how blessed we are to live in a country where democracy prevails, and we can relish in the freedoms brave men and women have fought and died for. Federal Elections This was one of the most expensive election cycles in Nebraska history, and the nation’s eyes followed Nebraska extra closely. From the controversy surrounding Republican’s proposed change to the winner-takes-all system in Nebraska, to well-seasoned campaign reporters shocked at the closeness of Sen. Deb Fischer’s race, Nebraska voters and candidates stayed in the headlines. The NC-PAC had a 100 percent success rate for the 2024 General Election cycle. In other words, we kept pro-beef candidates in office. Voter turnout in Nebraska was 73.9 percent. As of press time, majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives is still undecided, and it could be days before several close races across the country are called. Republicans won the U.S. Senate, retaking the chamber for the first time in four years. This election was the “red wave” Republicans were hoping for during the primaries, and Donald J. Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. For the 2024 General Election cycle, 100 percent of NC-PAC candidates were elected to federal office. State Elections Twenty-five legislative seats were up for election this year, with nine incumbents running for a second term. Throughout this election cycle, Nebraska Cattlemen supported 23 candidates across 20 races. As of press time, 15 candidates were victorious in their bids for state legislative seats. This gives us a success rate of 75 percent across state elections. Jen Day lost her reelection bid in LC49 to challenger – and NC supported candidate – Bob Andersen. Three districts (LD3, LD13 and LD35) are too close to call. Nebraska Cattlemen is honored to be the recognized voice of the beef cattle industry as we are committed to protecting Nebraska producers from pasture to plate. The importance of grassroots policy making cannot be overstated. We encourage you to make your voice heard not only at the ballot box during an election cycle but year-round by participating in Nebraska Cattlemen. ~NC~ MATTHEW MELCHOR | NC DIRECTOR OF STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, LIBBY SCHANEMAN | NC DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AND LAURA FIELD | NC EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT U.S. Senate – Six-Year Term Deb Fischer* – 53.86% Dan Osborn – 46.14% Pete Ricketts* – 63.15% Preston Love Jr. – 36.85% LD 1: Bob Hallstrom – 51.83% LD 5: Margo Juarez – 57.33% LD 7: Dinixi Guereca – 57.41% LD 9: John Cavanaugh* – 70.27% LD 11: Terrell McKinney – 100% LD 15: Dave Wordekemper – 52.77% LD 17: Glen Meyer – 52.37% LD 19: Rob Dover – 54.48% LD 21: Beau Ballard* – 55.68% LD 23: Jared Storm – 54.89% LD 25: Carolyn Bosn* – 53.17% LD 27: Jason Prokop – 52.34% LD 29: Eliot Bostar* – 100% LD 31: Kathleen Kauth* – 54.52% LD 33: Dan Lonowski – 67.34% LD 37: Stanley Clouse – 58.81% LD 39: Tony Sorrentino – 52.32% LD 41: Dan McKeon – 52.02% LD 43: Tanya Storer – 60.77% LD 45: Rita Sanders* – 52.88% LD 47: Paul Strommen – 77.20% LD 49: Bob Andersen – 52.15% U.S. House of Representatives – Two-Year Term Congressional Election Results (* denotes incumbent) State Legislature Election Winners (* denotes incumbent) Congressional District One Mike Flood* – 60.55% Carol Blood – 39.45% Congressional District Two Don Bacon* – 51.40% Tony Vargas – 48.60% Congressional District Three Adrian Smith* – 80.43% Daniel Ebers – 19.57%
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