Orr, supporters retain hope
in tight match with Nelson
By Michael Ho
Staff Reporter
Supporters of Republican Gov.
Kay Orr endured an emo
tional ride on election night,
and by 1 a m. Wednesday, the roller
coaster was still spinning.
With 94 percent of precincts
reporting by 1:30a.m., Democratic
challenger Ben Nelson led Orr by
about 4,000 votes, 258,000 to
254,(XX). Both held 50 percent of
votes, making a recount likely.
The mood was one of quiet
confidence as Orr’s backers filed
into the party at Haymarkct Square,
7th and P streets.
Despite early returns showing a
Nelson lead, campaign leaders
maintained their optimism.
“As far as the campus goes, I
feel great,” said Kristine Hubka,
coordinator of the University of
Ncbraska-Lincoln’s chapter of
Collegians for Orr.
Her organization spent Monday
nighi covering campus with Orr
posters, she said.
“We just plastered them every
where,” she said. “A lot of them
were down this morning, but oh,
well, that’s life.”
The consensus among partygo-.
ers w as that early returns reflected
mostly Omaha and Lincoln voters.
Orr pulled away from Nelson in
the 10 p.m. election reports, but
tressing supporters’ optimism and
evoking cheers and cries of “Four
More for Orr” from the crowd.
Deb Fiddclke, a senior advertis
ing and political science major and
state co-chairwoman of Young
Nebraskans for Orr, predicted that
3rd District voters would nail down
an Orr win.
“She’s very strong out there,”
Fiddclke said. “I have a feeling
she’ll maintain or increase her lead.”
But the next television report
gave the lead back to Nelson, and
by 11 p.nt., he led by about 3,500
votes.
Even the six-piece band couldn’t
lift the spirits of the shocked and
surprised Orr supporters.
The governor joined her back
ers in huddling around the big
* screen television awaiting better
news. Scattered cheers came as
other Republicans solidified their
leads, but it was clear that these
were small victories for those w ho
worked on the governor’s cam
Gov. Kay Orr rests in a private office Tuesday at her
Depot headquarters while trailing Ben Nelson in the
governor’s race.
paign.
Scott Mailer, an Orr campaign
spokesman, warned Nebraskans 10
brace themselves for what would
be “a long night.”
Orr’s stunned supporters looked
on as Nelson’s lead built to nearly
8,000 before midnight.
Jennifer Jorges, a freshman
political science major and Orr’s
canvassing coordinator for Abcl
Sandoz Residence Hall complex,
said she could barely believe the
news.
“It’s just a shock to me,” she
said. “Western Nebraska was what
\vc expected to carry the gover
nor.”
But even with the had news, she
didn’t give up hope of an Orr win.
“I think it’s still very possible,"
he said. “I know she still has strong
support in western Nebraska. I’m
still optimistic.”
As of 1 a.m., Orr declined to
concede defeat, especially after
reports showed her closing to within
3,3(X) votes of Nelson. She urged
Nebraskans to "w ait it out.”
She returned to the parly at 1:50
a.m., thanked her supporters, and
left.
Jeff Willett/Daily Nebraskan
Jim Exon and his family thank supporters after his victory in
Tuesday's election.
Exon
Continued from Page 1
paign effort. Tower had called Exon a
“boozer” in an October campaign
appearance in Omaha.
“When an outsider comes into
Nebraska and makes accusations about
a man who has served the state as a
governor and a senator, the home
town folks don’t like it,” Wcscly said.
Mike King, a UNL graduate stu
dent, said he thought Daub’s mistake
was in the way he ran his campaign.
“Daubcouldn't really attack Exon
on the basis of his record so mud
slinging was the only choice he had,”
King said.
Maxine Moul, Democratic candi
date for lieutenant governor, said
Exon’s strengths were his name rec
ognition and his seniority in the Sen
ate.
“Exon’s seniority and his posi
tions on many key committees gives
Nebraska a lot of clout in Washing
ton,” Moul said.
Other Exon supjx)rters also pointed
to his success in representing Ne
braska.
r
“Exon is a people’s senator be
cause he votes on legislation with
Nebraska’s best interests at heart,”
said Jerry Edmunds of Lincoln, a
clerk for Burlington Northern Rail
road.
Chris Beutler, who won his bid for
state senator, said Exon represents
“something solid and stable” in Ne
braska politics.
-44 -
He (Exon) is not asso
ciated with the kind of
skullduggery and de
ceptive practices going
on in Washington D. C.
Beutler
newly elected state senator
--99 ~
“He is not associated w ith the kind
of skullduggery and deceptive prac
tices going on in Washington, D.C.,”
Beutler said.
“Exon is a straightforw ard, honest
man,” said Ron Mclbye, a member ol
the Waverly City Counc il who worked
for Exon during his first term as gov
ernor of Nebraska. “He really cares
about Nebraska.”
i
Daub congratulates Exon on Senate win
By Sara Bauder Schott
Senior Reporter
OMAHA — A Christmas tree covered with
red Hal Daub balloons stood in the corner
waiting with more than 3(X) Daub supporters at
the Holiday Inn.
The campaign volunteers had begun gather
ing at S o’clock. At 9:30 p.m., Daub arrived and
went to the microphone. With the crowd on its
Icct, Daub thanked his volunteers and told
them he wasn't ready to throw in the towel.
Early returns showed Daub’s opponent,
incumbent Dem. James Exon, had 60 percent
of the vote.
“Onl> 21 percent of all the votes that arc
going to be counted have been counted so far,’’
Daub said. “It’s like in Washington — they
can’t count.”
Waiting until hall the vole came in to con
cede the race was a fair way to do things, he
said, since 21 percent of the vote did not
represent enough of the stale.
Less than an hour and a half later, the crowd
\ had dwindled to about KO people. Daub and his
w ife Cindy went to the podium again.
This tunc it w as to concede victory to Exon.
Daub said he had tried to call Exon but
couldn’t get through. He left a message, how -
ever, to congratulate the senator on his victory
and wish him w'ell in his third term.
S The election loss had not dimmed Daub’s
outlook.
i When asked if Nebraska would sec Daub
again, he said, “You can count on it.”
In interviews after his concession speech.
Daub said that if he runs for office again, he
will once again turn down political action
committee contributions._
See DAUB on b
Staci McKee/Daity Nebraskan
Republican Senate candidate Hal Daub enters the ballroom of the Holiday Inn
at 72nd and Grover Streets in Omaha Tuesday night.
Attorney general
matchup remains
too close to call
The Associated Press
The race lor Nebraska attorney gen
eral was still loo close to call Tuesday
nighi with Republican Don Stcnberg
maintaining a slim 51 percent to 49 per
cent lead over Democrat Gene Crump.
Crump, 43, current deputy attorney
general, and Stcnberg, 42, a Lincoln at
torney, were locked in a close battle for
the attorney general’s office in a poll
before Election Day.
Stcnberg led Crump 33 percent to 30
percent with 35 percent undecided and 2
percent refusing to answer in a newspa
per poll published last week. But the
margin of error of plus or minus 3 per
centage points made the lead statistically
insignificant.
Crump, a New York native, has prac
ticed law- in Lincoln since 1976. He was
legal counsel to former Gov. Bob Kerrey
and served as acting attorney general In
1985 before Robert Spire w as appointed.
Stcnberg, a David City native, has
practiced law in Lincoln for 15 years. He
was legal counsel to Gov. Charles Thonc
and served as director of the Nebraska
Policy Research Office, assistant to the
governor and director of the Department
of Administrative Services.