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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1994)
TJPUBUCANS ■ GOP takes control of A ^ Congress. See page 2. T&iocrats 1 Jm Kennedy wins; Cuomo falls. See page 2. \fBRASKA X ■ Term-limit initiative NOV 8 1994 approved. See page 7. SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION Republicans surge to claim control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. But in Nebraska ... Kerrey bucks U.S. trend Travis Haying/DN In Bob Kerrey Is congratulated after hl» acceptance speech In Omaha Tuesday night Belew: Republican candidate Jan Stoney hugs supporters after she conceded the Senate race. Stoney loses, says campaign wasn’t in vain iy HMKiniw wane Senior Reporter OMAHA — Jan Stoney, a political un known at the beginning of the campaign, conceded defeat to incumbent Democrat Bob Kerrey Tuesday night. Her husband. Larry, summed up the night in one phrase “The voters have spoken,” he said. Stoney said in her concession that Kerrey had run a good race, and that her campaign did everything possible to unseat the junior senator. ‘Tonight we witnessed a miracle,” she said. “Democracy has worked. We may not like the outcome, but we cannot deny the results.” The evening was dotted with cheers from Stoney supporters about Republican victo ries announced on television. The mood among supporters was tense but upbeat as the first returns appeared on local news broadcasts. Stoney told the more than 250 supporters See STONEY on 7 Michelle PauHnan/DN Incumbent wins 55% iy Brian Sharp Senior Reporter OMAHA — After all the trash talking and mudslinging in the sena torial race the past few weeks, Sen. Bob Kerrey found himself on top of the heap Tuesday night. The same could not be said for the rest of the Democratic party. By taking 55 percent of the vote, Kerrey defeated Republican chal lenger Jan Stoney, who had 45 per cent. His victory was cheered by hun dreds of supporters at the Old Mill Holiday Inn as the balloons came down and the band struck up “Happy Days Are Here Again.” “I thank you very, very much for your support, for your friendship, for your hard work and for this victory of all the people in the state of Ne Tfilska,” Kerrey said. But the Senate he will return to will look much different. Democrats lost nine seats in the Senate and 54 seats in the House, as Republicans took control of Congress for the first time in 40 years. “It’s ^fragile thing, the trust that people have in you,” Kerrey said laterofthe Democratic loss. “And we lost it tonight. The entire Democratic party received a rebuke this evening. ” Kerrey said the swing in parties meant he would not become the chair man of the Intelligence Committee and instead would be a ranking mem ber. It will be a “big step down,” but Kerrey said he planned to have a voice in the committee’s agenda dur ing the next six years. Joe Bataillon, chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, blamed the tough fight waged by Democrats this election year on a variety of things. The party with a president in of fice always loses ground in Con gress, he said, and incumbents al ways suffer from backlash. The nega tive campaigning in the senatorial race also discouraged voters. In the end, the races came down simply to who could get their sup porters to the polls. Kerrey said he hoped Democrats would not impose gridlock on Con gress similar to Republicans’ actions in past years. “The difficulty in progress doesn’t have to do with beliefs,” Kerrey said. See KERREY on 7 ‘Landslide Ben’s’ 74 percent of vote beats Spence By PtOwi Jmt—n Senior Reporter OMAHA — Gov. Ben Nelson toppled two Nebraska landmarks Tuesday in a decisive victory over Republican challenger Gene Spence. Not only was Nelson the first gov ernor to gain a second term in Ne braska in 20 years, he won the office by the largest margin of victory since 1964. Nelson claimed 74 percent of the vote with 97 percent of precincts reporting. “That gives new meaning to the term ‘Landslide Ben/" Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, who also was elected, said during Nelson’s victory party at the Old Mill Holiday Inn in Omaha. Nelson earned the nickname after his narrow victory over Kay Orr four years ago. Spence received only 26 percent of the vote and conceded defeat by 9 p.m. “Seventy-four to 26,” Nelson said as be took the stage to give his accep tance speech. “That’s going to be the score when Nebraska wins the na tional championship. ‘Tonight the people of Nebraska have spoken,” Nelson said to a crowd of supporters wearing Nelson stick ers and carrying yard signs bearing his name. “They have spoken loudly and clearly. They have given us a vote of confidence for the past four years, and they have given us a vote of confidence for the next four years.” Nelson said Nebraskans had spo ken for holding the line on spending, bipartisan government and innova tive state programs. “Tonight Nebraskans have spo ken in support of innovative and com petitive programs that move our state ahead in creative ways,” he said. “We have proven we can create jobs, stabilize taxes and compete anywhere in the \*orld.” Sonny Foster, Nelson’s campaign manager, said Nelson’s victory was large because he was able to win votes from Democrats, Republicans and independents. Foster said that as governor, Nelson had striven to bring Nebras kans together. See NEL80N on 7
