The 2000 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey retired after two terms in office, and Democrat Ben Nelson, a former two-term governor, won the open seat despite Republican nominee George W. Bush winning the state in the concurrent presidential election. This is the last time that Nebraska voted for a Senate candidate and a presidential candidate of different political parties. Nelson’s Republican opponent in this election, Don Stenberg, would later run for this seat again in 2006 and 2012 and lose the Republican primary both times.
Democratic primary Candidates Ben Nelson, former Governor of Nebraska and 1996 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate Al Hamburg, perennial candidate
Results
Republican primary Candidates Don Stenberg, Attorney General of Nebraska Scott Moore, Secretary of State of Nebraska David Hergert George Grogan John DeCamp, former State Senator Elliott Rustad
Results
General election Candidates Ben Nelson (D), former Governor of Nebraska and 1996 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate Don Stenberg (R), Attorney General of Nebraska
Debates Complete video of debate, September 21, 2000
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Burt (largest village: Tekamah) Box Butte (largest city: Alliance) Butler (largest city: David City) Clay (largest city: Sutton) Colfax (largest city: Schuyler) Furnas (largest city: Cambridge) Gosper (largest city: Elwood) Harlan (largest city: Alma) Hitchcock (largest city: Culbertson) Knox (largest city: Creighton) Kearney (largest city: Minden) Merrick (largest city: Central City) Nemaha (largest city: Auburn) Nance (largest city: Fullerton) Boone (largest city: Albion) Polk (largest city: Stromsburg) Richardson (largest city: Falls City) Sarpy (largest city: Bellevue) Thayer (largest city: Hebron) Washington (largest city: Blair) Franklin (largest city: Franklin)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Lincoln (largest city: North Platte)
See also 2000 United States Senate elections
References