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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1994)
Spence spirits high after expected defeat By Matthaw Woody Senior Editor OMAHA — Republican candi date Gene Spence was in good spirits on Tuesday night despite a landslide defeat in Nebraska’s governor race. “I can’t say I enjoy losing, be cause I don’t,” Spence said in his concession speech. “But the Repub lican Party is still alive, and it will be back in four years, and it will win.” With 97 percent of the precincts counted, Gov. Ben Nelson won 74 percent to Spence’s 26 percent, mak ing the Democrat the first re-elected governor in 20 years. The victory was no surprise to Spence. He had all but conceded the election to Nelson more than a week earlier. “We’ve known for a long time that I was a long shot,” Spence said Tuesday night. “We were prepared for a trouncing, and we were trounced.” Spence stayed upbeat during an election night party at the Omaha Club, although he conceded less than 30 minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m. Fund-raising difficulties prevented him from running on an even keel with incumbent Nelson, Spence said. But he will finish the campaign in the black, said Matt Butler, Spence’s campaign financial chairman. “I don’t anticipate any debt for the campaign,” Butler said. ‘‘Gene is a fiscal conservative, and debt is very much alien to that way of thinking.” Besides funds, other factors hint the Republican challenger, campaign aide Cara Catlett said. Nelson did not have a large record ofhis positions on issues, said Catlett, a 3rd Congressional District field rep resentative for Spence’s campaign. Therefore, the Spence campaign had difficulty pinning the governor down on issues to stress the candidates’ differences. Nelson agreed with Spence on some key issues, like abortion and the death penalty, on which Spence had planned to campaign, Catlett said. David Spence, the candidate’s son, emphasized that his father had noth ing to hang his head about. “I know our campaign worked all the way through,” the younger Spence said. Shaun Sartln/DN Bono tpanca, loft, thanks supporters In Omaha oarly Tuosday night after concodlng tho gubernatorial raoo to Oov. Bon Wolson. tpsncs oonoodsd after rooolvlng only 21 psroont of tho vote. Races end with two new faces on board __ Skrupa Rosemary Skrupa retained her 8th Skrupa District regent post on Tuesday in a narrow win over challenger Richard Berk shire. With 80 percent of the precincts reporting, two term incumbent Skrupa of Omaha took 53 percent of the vote. Skrupa said she was positive about the future but disappointed with what she called “negative campaigning.” Because of negative tactics, Skrupa said she didn’t have time to delve into issues during the campaign. "I felt it was a sad race because the issues weren’t addressed,” she said. “When your opponent’s campaign runs a totally negative campaign... as the incumbent I have to spend time defending my record. "You don’t have time to discuss the issues." Skrupa said she planned to con tinue her past agenda. "We need to make the campus more comfortable for learning,” she said. "We can’t have so many drop outs." Skrupa proposed streamlining the University of Nebraska’s budget to fund this goal. Berkshire said he was pleased with his campaign and hoped the NU Board of Regents would keep the needs of all Nebraskans in mind. "I hope the regents put aside paro chial territorial bickering, which is really damaging the university sys tem to the detriment of the students,” he said. Allen By e#n McCarthy__ Staff Reporter With his victory in the race for the Alton 5th District seat on the NU Board of Resents, Rob ert Allen said he planned to keep working for the students’ inter ests. Incumbent Allen defeated former regent Robert Prokop 62 percent to 38 per cent with 70 percent of precincts reporting. Besides thanking his supporters, Allen would only comment on his plans. Improving undergraduate educa tion was a key issue, Allen said, and renovating some of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's oldest buildings would accomplish that. “When buildings such as Richards Hall begin to deteriorate, then some thing needs to be done," Allen said. “When they let the Arts and Sciences buildings go, that's just wrong." Preparing students for their ca reers is another of his goals, Allen said. Allen said Nebraskans wanted higher educational standards. How ever, classroom education is not get ting better, he said. Allen plans to improve education through better organization. “If we focus our resources, we can make our strong resources go even further," he said. To build name recognition throughout the campaign, Allen said, he used many traditional media sources. But he said he also cam paigned door-to-door. Miller ly Chad Uwtu Staff Reporter In the race for the 4th District seat on the NU Board of Regents, chal lenger Drew Miller defeated two-term incum bent Nancy Hoch. Miller said he had expected to win about 60 per cent of the votes. Miller, who said Gov. Ben Nelson’s endorsement of Hoch hurt his campaign, received 53 percent of the vote. Hoch won 47 percent with 80 percent of precincts reporting. “We didn’t just have to run against Hoch; we also had to run against Gov. Nelson,” Miller said. Lack of name recognition was a major obstacle in the campaign, Miller said. As chairman of the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners, “People don’t like their representing officials not telling them things about what they're doing." ■ DREW MILLER 4th District regent-elect Miller said he represented 20,000 Nebraskans, compared to the 200,000 Hoch represented as regent. Miller said “hard-core campaign ing,” such as attending parades and going door-to-door, was required to overcome Hoch’s name. He said en dorsements from the Omaha World Herald and Daily Nebraskan also helped. A majority of his votes came from Nebraskans’ positive response to his campaign theme: cutting administra tive costs at the university. Miller said. Hoch probably lost votes because of her involvement in the removal of former NUpresident Ronald Roskens, Miller said. “People don't like their represent ing officials not telling them things about what they're doing,” he said. Hassebrook By JafT Randall Staff-Reporter IlMMhWlf Chuck Hassebrook won the 3rd District regent seat on Tuesday over Keith Vrbicky, but the race was a close one. With 66 percent of precincts re porting. Hassebrook had S3 percent of the vote compared to Vrbicky’s 47 per cent. Hassebrook took the seat va cated by Margaret Robinson of Nor folk, who did not run. Hassebrook said he looked for ward to putting his ideas to work. “I see myself as a representative of the average struggling family in this state,” Hassebrook said. ‘‘I pro vide a voice that needs to be heard.” 7 see myself as a representative of the average struggling family in this state. I provide a voice that needs to be heard. ” ■ CHUCK HASSEMtOOK 3rd District regent-elect Hassebrook focused his campaign on keeping down tuition costs, im proving the agriculture programs and enforcing equity programs. Vibicky expressed no regrets about the race. "We ran a positive campaign with integrity," he said. "We stayed away from the traditional negative aspects, and I wouldn't change a thing if I could go back." During the campaign, Vrbicky focused on improving the quality of higher education, putting more fac ulty in classrooms and increasing re cruitment of top Nebraska students. 3 Lincoln senators re-elected By John Fulwldor 9tidl Reporter Three incumbents in Lincoln’s four legislative dis tricts won re-election in Tuesday’s election. Incumbent Don Wesely won 69 percent of the vote in Dis trict 26, while challenger Rob ert Van Valkenburg claimed 30 percent. “It’s great to have a chance to serve my district again,” Wesely said. “It’s back to work, and I’m excited to go back for four years.” Wesely said he ran no nega tive ads during the campaign and his victory was proof that positive campaigning could win. Incumbent David Landis defeated challenger Charles Reinsch 77 percent to 22 per cent in the District 46 race. Landis said before his victory that he would be “honored to have a chance to represent north Lincoln again in the Legisla ture.” Landis told the Daily Ne braskan during the campaign that Nebraska faced a $15 mil lion budget shortfall, but he didn’t want to raise taxes. Bud get cuts for the University of Nebraska are possible, he said, but he supports higher pay for university professors. In the District 28 race, in cumbent Chris Beutler defeated challenger Carol McShane 58 percent to 41 percent. Beutler said the race was tough. ”1 think it’s the most diffi cult campaign I’ve been in be cause of the energy that Carol put into it,” he said, “and be cause dealing with negative campaigning was new for me.” In District 30, where incum bent Dennis Byars did not run, David Maurstad won with 53 percent of the vote compared to Bev Bennett’s 47 percent. Maurstad said he was ex cited to get to work. ”I’m ready to work and be a strong voice for southeast Ne braska in the Legislature.”