All 5 members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation easily won their Republican primaries, 3 of them despite having opponents who’d been endorsed by the state party.
3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith of Gering received 74% of the vote against two challengers.
Hastings discount store owner John Walz, who embraced former President Donald Trump’s “MAGA approach” and was endorsed by the party, got 19% while Robert McCuiston, a welder from Holdrege, secured 7% of the vote.
In November, Smith will face Democrat Daniel Ebers, who attended middle school with Smith in Gering. Ebers defeated David Else, a previous 3rd District candidate, 53% to 47%. The 3rd District was the only race with a contested Democratic primary.
In the most closely watched race, 2nd District incumbent Don Bacon defeated combative Trump conservative Dan Frei, who also drew the state GOP endorsement, 62% to 38%.
In the 1st District, Mike Flood topped former gubernatorial candidate Michael Connelly with 82% in a race without an endorsement.
As expected, two-term Senator Deb Fischer of Valentine outpaced perennial candidate Arron Kowalski, a central Nebraska farmer, with 80% in another race without a state party endorsement.
Pete Ricketts, appointed to succeed Ben Sasse and now running for the final 2 years of Sasse’s term got 79% to 15% for party-endorsed John Glen Weaver of Omaha and 6% for Panhandle resident Mac Stevens of Bushnell