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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1996)
Christensen enjoys easy win, thanks opponent By Joshua Gillin Senior Editor OMAHA — Republican Jon Christensen enjoyed a comfortable win Tuesday, two years after a narrow vic tory over a Democratic incumbent. Christensen, 33, easily defeated challenger James Martin Davis, a 50 year-old Omaha attorney, to retain Nebraska’s 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1994, he gained 1,443 votes more than three-term incumbent Peter Hoagland. As of early this morning Christensen had 56.6 percent of the vote to Davis’ 40.6 percent. Christensen had received 119,232 votes, while Davis captured only 85,586 votes. “In this race, (we were) ready to talk about the issues,” Christensen said. “And believe me, no one is happier than I am that the race stayed positive. It’s because of the issues that we won. “Tonight, Nebraskans voted for someone, not against someone,” he said. Christensen, who rose quickly in the House ranks during his first two years in office, said he was ready to work hard to represent Nebraskans and their families. “This is not an end, this is the be ginning,” he said. “There’s a lot of hard work to do.” Davis conceded victory to Christensen shortly before 9 p.m. Christensen gave his victory speech not (( This is not an end, this is the beginning. There's a lot of hard work to do * Jon Christensen 2nd District Representative long after receiving Davis’ phone call, jovially claiming his respect for the Democrat. “He (Davis) worked hard, and I want to continue to thank him for run ning the kind of race that he did,” Christensen said. The freshman Republican’s victory marked the end of a heated campaign full of disagreements. Christensen’s campaign focused on support for tax relief, a balanced budget amendment and stronger sentencing for criminals. Christensen had argued that his pro posed fight on crime was trivialized by Davis, citing Davis’ questioning of Christensen’s credentials and ability to effectively institute proposed changes. Christensen voted to repeal the fed eral ban on the possession of assault weapons. In defense of his actions, he said stronger sentencing was essential for fighting crime. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the freshman representative also voted for last year’s defeated balanced budget amendment and praised former Republican presi dential challenger Bob Dole’s pro posed 15-percent tax cut. Christensen’s re-election marks the second-consecutive term Nebraska has had an all-Republican House delega tion. Republicans Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett also won their districts by considerable margins. Before Christensen’s victory over Hoagland, Nebraska had not had an all Republican delegation since 1988, when 2nd District Representative Hal Daub resigned to run for the U.S. Sen ate. Daniel J. Luederx/DN FRESHMAN U.S. REP. Jon Christensen talks to one of his younger j supporters at a victory rally in Omaha Tuesday night. The Republican defeated Democratic challenger James Martin Davis to capture the \ 2nd District U.S. House seat. Campaign spending, not issues, key to Republican win, Davis says By Brian Carlson Staff Reporter James Martin Davis conceded de feat Tuesday night, but the Democratic candidate praised his own campaign for taking the “high road” and bring ing the public’s attention to vital policy issues. Saying it was “better to lose with honor than to win with shame,” Davis, 50, an Omaha attorney, said he had accomplished his goal of avoiding a negative campaign against U.S. Rep. Jon Christensen. He mentioned the swashbuckling campaign waged between Christensen, 33, a native of St. Paul, and then-in cumbent Rep. Peter Hoagland in 1994. “We made politics—at least at the Congressional level—a little bit bet ter in Omaha, Nebraska,” he said. Davis lost in the race for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District seat by an unnofficial count of 56.5 percent to 40.6 percent, according to results at 2 a.m. today. He delivered his concession speech at 9:05 p.m. at the Democratic Party’s rally in Omaha at the Holiday Inn on u An educated populace is the quickest way to elevate society” James Martin Davis 2nd District Democratic congressional canadiate 72nd and Grover streets. Davis said he would continue his career as a trial lawyer now that Elec tion Day is past. Standing by his wife Sarah and his daughter Victoria, Davis thanked his supporters for “a lifetime worth of memories.” But in interviews following his speech, Davis criticized Christensen’s campaign tactics. He compared the freshman Republican’s campaign ad vertisements to “Chinese water tor ture,” and said money, not issues, de cided the outcome. He noted that Christensen spent 10 times as much money as the Davis cam paign in the Omaha district. That amount was equal to Gov. Ben Nelson’s campaign spending in his unsuccessful statewide bid for U.S. Senate. The result, Davis said, was that too many voters received their information solely from political advertisements and 30-second sound bites, rather than from newspapers and in-depth news programs. “We were swamped by a tidal wave of special interest money,” he said. “This was an issue-oriented campaign, but it was not decided by the issues.” Davis said he felt his campaign had focused public attention on a variety of important issues, especially educa tion. “An educated populace is the quickest way to elevate society,” he said. “I think we definitely got the word out that we don’t need to be cuttingthe Department of Education.” Lane Hickenbottom/DN JAMES MARTIN DAVIS smiles and stands by his wife Sarah after he conceded defeat to U.S. Rep. Jon Christensen Tuesday during a Clinton triumphs in electoral landsliderally for Democratic candidates in Omaha. Barrett credits loyal voters for sweep of 3rd District Republican winner did not use television advertising in House race. By Kasey Kebbeb Senior Reporter Without a single television adver tisement, Republican incumbent Bill Barrett wen the 3rd District U.S. House race by about 75 percent over Democratic challenger John Webster. Barrett, 67, a three-term representative from Lexington, said he was happy with the oarrett outcome. “I’m naturally pleased,” Barrett said. “I’m humbled.” Webster, 60, a farmer from Gibbon, said if he hemm his campaign in February and raised at least $250,000 in funds, the outcome could have been different. Webster also said he had hoped to “ride on the coattails of Ben Nelson” if the governor won die U.S. Senate race. When Republican Chuck Hagel pulled ahead in that race, those coat tails ripped. \ “We had a message to carry, and we carried it,” Webster said, “but we still didn’t have the name recognition.” Barrett did. “We had a good, low-key campaign with no advertisements on television,” Barrett said. “We advertised in news papers and on the radio, but that was about it.” Webster said he had not yet decided whether he would run for the 3rd Dis trict seat in the next election. As Barrett heads into his fourth term, he credits his campaign success to loyal voters. “It might be fair to say that people of the 3rd District have liked what they’ve seen.”