2010 Nebraska gubernatorial election
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| Elections in Nebraska |
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 Government |
The 2010 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the governor of Nebraska, who would serve a four-year term that began in January 2011. Republican incumbent Dave Heineman won, defeating Democrat Mike Meister in a landslide. Heineman easily won his party's nomination. Mark Lakers ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, but dropped out in July 2010.[1] Attorney Mike Meister was chosen as a replacement.[2] As of 2022[update], this was the last time Lancaster County voted for the Republican candidate. To date, this is the last time that the winner of the Nebraska gubernatorial election carried all counties in Nebraska.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Paul Anderson
- Christopher Geary, retired Marine
- Dave Heineman, incumbent Governor of Nebraska
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Heineman (incumbent) | 152,931 | 89.91 | |
| Republican | Paul Anderson | 8,980 | 5.28 | |
| Republican | Christopher Geary | 8,179 | 4.81 | |
| Total votes | 170,090 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Mark Lakers, investment banker
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark Lakers | 57,463 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 57,463 | 100.00 | ||
Lakers was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. However, he dropped out of the race on July 2, 2010, due to a scandal involving campaign fundraising. Several donors listed on a campaign finance report denied ever giving money to Lakers, prompting criticism from both parties.[4]
After being forced from the race due to investigations by the Nebraska Attorney General's Office and the Nebraska Campaign Disclosure Board, Lakers pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor charge of abuse of public records and admitted to falsifying his campaign finance reports. As part of the plea, Lakers acknowledged that 51 of the 80 pledges listed on his reports were false and agreed to pay a $500 fine.[5]
Mike Meister, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Nebraska in 2002, was selected to replace him[6] and he selected Nebraska Public Service Commissioner and former state Democratic Party chairwoman Anne Boyle as his running mate.[7]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report[8] | Safe R | October 14, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[9] | Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
| RealClearPolitics[10] | Safe R | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[11] | Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[12] | Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Dave Heineman (R) |
Mike Meister (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | October 7, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 66% | 24% | 3% | 6% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 2, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 61% | 28% | 3% | 8% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 19, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 71% | 18% | 2% | 8% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Dave Heineman (R) |
Mark Lakers (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | March 4, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 61% | 23% | 2% | 14% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Heineman (incumbent) | 360,645 | 73.90% | +0.50% | |
| Democratic | Mike Meister | 127,343 | 26.10% | +1.64% | |
| Majority | 233,302 | 47.81% | -1.13% | ||
| Turnout | 487,988 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ^ "NE StatePaper.com - Mark Lakers Drops Out of Nebraska Governor's Race". Nebraska.statepaper.com. July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ "Microsoft Word - Candidate List.rtf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Mark Lakers Drops Out of Nebraska Governor's Race - NE StatePaper.com
- ^ "Lakers fined $500 for false campaign reports | Crime and Courts | journalstar.com". Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
- ^ "Mike Meister says he'd provide leadership as Nebraska's governor". Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ "August Surprise: Anne Boyle on the Democratic Ticket". Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Governors Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ "Governor Ratings". Rothenberg Political Report. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ "2010 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ "THE CRYSTAL BALL'S FINAL CALLS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ "Race Ratings Chart: Governor". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Elections at Nebraska Secretary of State
- Nebraska Governor Candidates at Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions for 2010 Nebraska Governor from Follow the Money
- Nebraska Governor 2010 from OurCampaigns.com
- 2010 Nebraska General Election graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Election 2010: Nebraska Governor from Rasmussen Reports
- 2010 Nebraska Governor's Race[permanent dead link] from CQ Politics
- Race Profile in The New York Times
- Official campaign sites (Archived)