1970 United States Senate election in Nebraska

1970 United States Senate election in Nebraska
	County results; Hruska: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; Morrison: 50–60% 60–70%
U.S. senator before election; Roman Hruska; Republican	Elected U.S. Senator ; Roman Hruska; Republican

The 1970 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Republican Senator Roman Hruska ran for re-election and was challenged by former Governor Frank B. Morrison, the Democratic nominee, in a rematch of the 1958 race. Despite a Democratic victory in the gubernatorial election, Morrison was unable to defeat Hruska, who was re-elected to his final term in the Senate with 52% of the vote. Until the election of Deb Fischer in 2012, this was the last time a Republican was elected to this Senate seat.^[a]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Frank B. Morrison, former Governor of Nebraska
Wallace C. Peterson, economics professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln^[1]
David J. Thomas, Doane College economics and business law professor and 1962 and 1966 Democratic nominee for Attorney General^[2]

Results

Democratic primary results^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank B. Morrison	85,293	67.24%
	Democratic	Wallace C. Peterson	34,856	27.48%
	Democratic	David J. Thomas	6,610	5.21%
	Democratic	Others	88	0.07%
Total votes			126,847	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Roman Hruska, incumbent Senator
Otis Glebe, Lincoln farmer^[4]

Results

Republican primary^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Roman Hruska (inc.)	159,057	85.54%
	Republican	Otis Glebe	26,627	14.32%
	Republican	Others	265	0.14%
Total votes			185,949	100.00%

Results

1970 United States Senate election in Nebraska^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Roman Hruska (inc.)	240,894	52.49%	−8.88%
	Democratic	Frank B. Morrison	217,681	47.43%	+8.81%
	Write-in		391	0.00%	—
Majority			23,213	5.06%	−17.69%
Total votes			458,966	100.00%
	Republican hold

By county

County	Roman Hruska Republican		Frank B. Morrison Democratic		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total
County	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total
Adams	4,345	46.72%	4,952	53.25%	3	0.03%	607	6.53%	9,300
Antelope	2,041	55.00%	1,662	44.79%	8	0.22%	379	10.21%	3,711
Arthur	198	67.12%	97	32.88%	0	0.00%	101	34.24%	295
Banner	241	58.07%	174	41.93%	0	0.00%	67	16.14%	415
Blaine	295	72.66%	111	27.34%	0	0.00%	184	45.32%	406
Boone	1,566	51.23%	1,491	48.77%	0	0.00%	75	2.45%	3,057
Box Butte	2,064	59.74%	1,391	40.26%	0	0.00%	673	19.48%	3,455
Boyd	959	55.43%	771	44.57%	0	0.00%	188	10.87%	1,730
Brown	737	60.21%	487	39.79%	0	0.00%	250	20.42%	1,224
Buffalo	4,862	55.36%	3,905	44.47%	15	0.17%	957	10.90%	8,782
Burt	1,926	61.93%	1,184	38.07%	0	0.00%	742	23.86%	3,110
Butler	1,481	38.76%	2,340	61.24%	0	0.00%	859	22.48%	3,821
Cass	2,732	51.62%	2,561	48.38%	0	0.00%	171	3.23%	5,293
Cedar	2,009	47.22%	2,246	52.78%	0	0.00%	237	5.57%	4,255
Chase	857	58.50%	608	41.50%	0	0.00%	249	17.00%	1,465
Cherry	1,591	64.99%	857	35.01%	0	0.00%	734	29.98%	2,448
Cheyenne	1,650	57.13%	1,238	42.87%	0	0.00%	412	14.27%	2,888
Clay	1,541	53.84%	1,321	46.16%	0	0.00%	220	7.69%	2,862
Colfax	1,671	49.00%	1,738	50.97%	1	0.03%	67	1.96%	3,410
Cuming	2,318	56.51%	1,784	43.49%	0	0.00%	534	13.02%	4,102
Custer	3,460	62.30%	2,094	37.70%	0	0.00%	1,366	24.59%	5,554
Dakota	1,940	50.08%	1,934	49.92%	0	0.00%	6	0.15%	3,874
Dawes	1,869	64.05%	1,049	35.95%	0	0.00%	820	28.10%	2,918
Dawson	3,521	61.37%	2,216	38.63%	0	0.00%	1,305	22.75%	5,737
Deuel	644	63.32%	373	36.68%	0	0.00%	271	26.65%	1,017
Dixon	1,532	58.32%	1,095	41.68%	0	0.00%	437	16.63%	2,627
Dodge	6,089	53.90%	5,208	46.10%	0	0.00%	881	7.80%	11,297
Douglas	56,048	50.07%	55,768	49.82%	118	0.11%	280	0.25%	111,934
Dundy	729	64.57%	400	35.43%	0	0.00%	329	29.14%	1,129
Fillmore	1,787	51.50%	1,683	48.50%	0	0.00%	104	3.00%	3,470
Franklin	1,025	55.17%	833	44.83%	0	0.00%	192	10.33%	1,858
Frontier	874	57.50%	646	42.50%	0	0.00%	228	15.00%	1,520
Furnas	1,681	61.73%	1,042	38.27%	0	0.00%	639	23.47%	2,723
Gage	3,454	42.79%	4,618	57.21%	0	0.00%	1,164	14.42%	8,072
Garden	918	67.80%	436	32.20%	0	0.00%	482	35.60%	1,354
Garfield	725	68.72%	330	31.28%	0	0.00%	395	36.46%	1,055
Gosper	458	55.38%	369	44.62%	0	0.00%	89	10.76%	827
Grant	261	74.15%	91	25.85%	0	0.00%	170	48.30%	352
Greeley	590	35.98%	1050	64.02%	0	0.00%	460	28.95%	1640
Hall	5682	47.25%	6344	52.75%	0	0.00%	662	5.50%	12026
Hamilton	1702	57.17%	1275	42.83%	0	0.00%	427	14.34%	2977
Harlan	1071	56.79%	814	43.16%	1	0.05%	257	13.63%	1886
Hayes	410	61.38%	258	38.62%	0	0.00%	152	22.75%	668
Hitchcock	914	58.97%	636	41.03%	0	0.00%	278	17.94%	1550
Holt	2667	56.65%	2041	43.35%	0	0.00%	626	13.30%	4708
Hooker	269	75.14%	89	24.86%	0	0.00%	180	50.28%	358
Howard	996	39.81%	1506	60.19%	0	0.00%	510	20.38%	2502
Jefferson	2307	53.03%	2042	46.94%	1	0.02%	265	6.09%	4350
Johnson	1077	48.34%	1151	51.66%	0	0.00%	74	3.32%	2228
Kearney	1329	52.41%	1207	47.59%	0	0.00%	122	4.81%	2536
Keith	1469	57.54%	1084	42.46%	0	0.00%	385	15.08%	2553
Keya Paha	378	63.53%	217	36.47%	0	0.00%	161	27.06%	595
Kimball	1111	63.05%	651	36.95%	0	0.00%	460	26.11%	1762
Knox	2345	60.58%	1526	39.42%	0	0.00%	819	21.16%	3871
Lancaster	24117	50.33%	23571	49.19%	229	0.48%	546	1.14%	47917
Lincoln	4084	46.42%	4714	53.58%	0	0.00%	630	7.16%	8798
Logan	214	56.76%	163	43.24%	0	0.00%	51	13.53%	377
Loup	247	65.69%	129	34.31%	0	0.00%	118	31.38%	376
McPherson	195	66.78%	97	33.22%	0	0.00%	98	33.56%	292
Madison	5127	58.84%	3586	41.16%	0	0.00%	1541	17.69%	8713
Merrick	1453	52.78%	1299	47.18%	1	0.04%	154	5.59%	2753
Morrill	1164	56.20%	907	43.80%	0	0.00%	257	12.41%	2071
Nance	1001	48.88%	1047	51.12%	0	0.00%	46	2.25%	2048
Nemaha	1738	58.03%	1257	41.97%	0	0.00%	481	16.06%	2995
Nuckolls	1334	46.42%	1540	53.58%	0	0.00%	206	7.17%	2874
Otoe	3219	58.61%	2271	41.35%	2	0.04%	948	17.26%	5492
Pawnee	957	53.73%	824	46.27%	0	0.00%	133	7.47%	1781
Perkins	825	55.04%	674	44.96%	0	0.00%	151	10.07%	1499
Phelps	2101	60.50%	1372	39.50%	0	0.00%	729	20.99%	3473
Pierce	1728	55.38%	1392	44.62%	0	0.00%	336	10.77%	3120
Platte	4569	47.77%	4996	52.23%	0	0.00%	427	4.46%	9565
Polk	1336	53.18%	1174	46.74%	2	0.08%	162	6.45%	2512
Red Willow	2168	55.12%	1765	44.88%	0	0.00%	403	10.25%	3933
Richardson	2284	50.79%	2213	49.21%	0	0.00%	71	1.58%	4497
Rock	533	66.21%	272	33.79%	0	0.00%	261	32.42%	805
Saline	1781	38.24%	2877	61.76%	0	0.00%	1096	23.53%	4658
Sarpy	5397	50.66%	5248	49.26%	8	0.08%	149	1.40%	10653
Saunders	2987	49.99%	2988	50.01%	0	0.00%	1	0.02%	5975
Scotts Bluff	4563	57.84%	3326	42.16%	0	0.00%	1237	15.68%	7889
Seward	2350	53.97%	2004	46.03%	0	0.00%	346	7.95%	4354
Sheridan	1626	66.80%	808	33.20%	0	0.00%	818	33.61%	2434
Sherman	692	40.95%	998	59.05%	0	0.00%	306	18.11%	1690
Sioux	438	67.08%	215	32.92%	0	0.00%	223	34.15%	653
Stanton	1081	56.83%	821	43.17%	0	0.00%	260	13.67%	1902
Thayer	1713	54.96%	1404	45.04%	0	0.00%	309	9.91%	3117
Thomas	308	63.90%	174	36.10%	0	0.00%	134	27.80%	482
Thurston	1061	51.58%	996	48.42%	0	0.00%	65	3.16%	2057
Valley	1366	56.47%	1053	43.53%	0	0.00%	313	12.94%	2419
Washington	2561	57.40%	1901	42.60%	0	0.00%	660	14.79%	4462
Wayne	1790	61.81%	1106	38.19%	0	0.00%	684	23.62%	2896
Webster	1044	45.31%	1260	54.69%	0	0.00%	216	9.38%	2304
Wheeler	260	58.56%	184	41.44%	0	0.00%	76	17.12%	444
York	3066	59.78%	2061	40.18%	2	0.04%	1005	19.59%	5129
Totals	240,894	52.49%	217,681	47.43%	391	0.09%	23,213	5.06%	458,966

References

^ Wilson, Larry (January 25, 1970). "Economist-Educator Eyeing Hruska's Job". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. p. 9B. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
^ "Thomas To Seek Demo Senate Nod". Lincoln Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. February 5, 1970. p. 10. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c Marsh, Frank (1970). Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska (PDF).
^ "Who's Who in the May 12 Primary". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. May 3, 1970. p. 11B. Retrieved February 24, 2025.

^ One Republican, David Karnes, was appointed to this seat in 1987 following the death of Hruska's successor, Ed Zorinsky, to finish out the seat; but was subsequently defeated in 1988 by Bob Kerrey.

[2] Wilson, Larry (January 25, 1970). "Economist-Educator Eyeing Hruska's Job". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. p. 9B. Retrieved February 24, 2025.

[3] "Thomas To Seek Demo Senate Nod". Lincoln Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. February 5, 1970. p. 10. Retrieved February 24, 2025.

[results-4] Marsh, Frank (1970). Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska (PDF).

[5] "Who's Who in the May 12 Primary". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. May 3, 1970. p. 11B. Retrieved February 24, 2025.

[1] One Republican, David Karnes, was appointed to this seat in 1987 following the death of Hruska's successor, Ed Zorinsky, to finish out the seat; but was subsequently defeated in 1988 by Bob Kerrey.

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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