Wednesday, november 5, 1980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 105, no. 53
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Eeagam victory is big in Nebraska
By Patti (iallnghcr
There was "never a doubt" that Repub
lican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan
would win big in Nebraska, according to
the Republican slate parly leader, but the
margin of Reagan's win nationally was sur
prising to all three ol the party leaders.
Republican leader Dave llememan said
during preliminary results Tuesday night
that he expected a 60 to 65 percent Rea
gan win in Nebraska. At about 8:45 p.m.,
Reagan had a 63 to 2() margin over Presi
dent Carter in Nebras i.
Ileineman said h. "thought tor some
time that Reagan would lake the national
election." but said he was surprised at the
'ectoral landslide.
Nebraska totals pegged Reagan at 66
percent of the popular vote. Carter at 26
percent, Anderson at 7 percent, and Liber
tarian candidate lid Clark at about I per
cent. Ileineman said that there were three
factors that contributed to Reagan's strong
finish in the final days of the election.
The state of the economy was a major
strike against Carter. Ileineman said, and
Reagan's gained momentum after the
debate last Tuesday. Carter's inability to
solve the hostage crisis also worked against
the president.
Democratic state party leader DiAnna
Scliimek agreed with Heineman's reasons
for the Reagan gain near the election end.
Scliimek said that the similarity of her
own and Heineman's reasons for Reagan's
national showing were because of the joint
appearance they had Tuesday night on a
private television station in Kearney. The
two leaders were featured on the pre
election program as election results came
in.
Scliimek said she was surprised at
Reagan's large national win in popular
votes. Although most national polls show
ed Reagan and Carter neck to neck through
last week, Scliimek said you "have to take
polls with a grain of salt."
She added, however, that because the
most recent polls those released over the
weekend showed a slight dip for Carter,
she started to brace herself for a Democra
tic loss.
In the Anderson camp Tuesday night,
stale party coordinator Joan Nigro llolt
haus said the Nebraska Anderson showing
was "phcnominal."
She said Anderson's 7 percent showing
in Nebraska's "Reagan country," when
national totals were only 6 percent, shows
how hard the Anderson volunteers worked
Nebraska.
In Anderson's nationally televised con
cession speech, Anderson supporters
chanted "84, 84." Scliimek said the candi
date will meet with leaders from around
the country in the coming weeks to decide
what direction his career and his followers
should take next.
Scliimek said that Anderson came across
very positive in his concession speech, add
ing that "he was at his best, his most presi
dential." "I wish he had been able to campaign
with that much media coverage and with
that much humor during his campaign,"
she said.
During his speech. Anderson was at
ease, smiling and jokingly told his daughter
that she should be at home studying nuc
lear proliferation.
Ileineman said the Reagan win will be
good for N'ebraskans with an improved
farm policy and economic policy.
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Doug Bereuter
Photo by Mark Billingsley
Bereuter wins by landslide
By Steve Miller
The greatest contrast between the Doug
Bereuter Rex Story post-election parties
was not that of winners and losers but of
money.
Story, who was losing to Bereuter by a
wide margin, said lie was not greatly disap
pointed by the loss.
"I might have had the thought in mind
of winning." Story said. "H- Ahen you
know you are up against a strong incum
bent and that you are out spent about eight
to one, you can't expect too much."
Story sat in the aimer of a Clayton
House hotel room calmly watching the re
sults over a portable television. The room
was small and cramped. People bumped
into the bed as they shoved into the room.
No one was crying, no one seemed ter
ribly depressed.
Story said he was pleased with the race,
especially with the number of people who
got involved. He said that he thought that
there would be greater numbers to work
for a Democratic ticket in the future.
"We all knew we were underdogs,"
Story said. "But we expect something like
30 percent and we did a good job for the
money spent."
Story said he was disappointed with
President Carter's loss to former Californ
ia governor, Ronald Reagan.
'1 thought there might be a chance
that Carter would lose, but certainly not
by this much." he said.
The mood at the Bereuter camp, al
though somewhat anticlimatic after
Carter's concession, was a bit more enlight
ed. Continued on Page 3
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Ronald Reagan
Photo by Mark Billingsley
Fowler apparent winner
in 27th District race
By Mary Kempkes
With 85 percent of the precincts report
ing. Sen. Steve Fowler was the apparent
winner in the 27th Legislative District race.
Fowler and his opponent Jerry Sellentin
ran neck-and-neck all Tuesday evening. At
12:30 a.m., Fowler had 6,661 votes and
Sellentin had 6,268. Fowler appeared late
at his campaign party at the Lincoln Hilton
Hotel, wanting to wait until the winner was
certain to make his appearance.
Fowler's campaigners were enthusiastic
with the 12:30 ajii. precinct reports.
ASUN President Renee Wessels, a former
Fowler aide, said, "I think it's fantastic.
Steve Fowler has been a true leader in the
Legislature for the university.
Wessels said she and other UNL student
campaigners had been out in force since
5:30 a.m. Tuesday stuffing Fowler litera
ture in doors of residences in the 27th Dis
trict. Sellentin, supported by the state Repub
lican party, spent more money on the race
than any legislative candidate in liistory.
He had defeated two-term incumbent
Fowler in the May primary.
In Nebraska legislative primaries, the
top two candidates in the primary race face
off in the general election. The seats are
non-partisan, even though Fowler is strong
ly identified with local Democrats and
Sellentin was supported by Republicans.
Earlier in the evening, Sellentin said he
knew the race would be close when he be
gan the campaign. With 72 percent of the
vote counted, he would say only that the
voters would have to make the decision.
Continued on Page 2
'ft-
Steve Fowler
Photo by Mitch Hrdticka
