Only one local race contested in primary

Three county commissioners challenged

by Elizabeth Barrett

May 08, 2008

Slim pickings in local and county races is what voters will encounter when they see Tuesday’s primary ballot.

“There’s hardly anything on the ballot in Gothenburg,” said Dawson County election coordinator Sheri Bellamy.

The only contested race in the May 13 primary is for Dawson County commissioner in three different districts.

District 1 commissioner Dean Kugler of Gothenburg is challenged by Robert L. Johnson of Cozad.

Linda Benjamin of Cozad, who represents District 2, is opposed by P.J. Jacobson of Cozad while Butch Hagan of Lexington is challenged by former commissioner John Knapple of Lexington.

Hagan represents District 5.

All candidates are Republicans. The names of the winners will appear on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

Local ballot offerings

The race for a contested Gothenburg east-ward council seat will be decided during the general election.

West-ward councilman Jim Aden is being challenged by Koby Rickertsen while Jeff Kennedy, of Gothenburg west ward, is running unopposed.

Three Gothenburg Memorial Hospital board members, who are unopposed, will retain their seats following the May primary.

The names of incumbents Mike Bacon, Monty Bowman and Carol (Shackleton) Skinner will appear on the ballot.

Three positions open on the District 20 school board will be filled by incumbent Bruce Clark and Gothenburg residents Amber Burge and Lisa A. Geiken.

Their names will be on the November ballot.

Board members Mark Peyton and Kathy Hult did not file for re-election.

State races

On the state level, politics become a bit more exciting in the race for U.S. Senate.

Democrats will choose Scott Kleeb, Larry Marvin, Tony Raimondo or James Bryan Wilson to face the Republican primary winner in the November election.

Republicans will decide between Mike Johanns or Pat Flynn.

Kelly Rosberg is running for the senate seat on the Nebraska Party ticket while Steven Larrick will be on the ballot for the Green Party.

In the Third District Congressional race, incumbent Adrian Smith is opposed by fellow Republican Jeremiah Ellison while Paul Spatz and Jay Stoddard face each other on the Democratic ballot.

Presidential choices

While the names of Democrat presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Mike Gravel appear on the ballot, several states—including Nebraska—chose their candidate during caucuses earlier in the year.

Republicans will choose either John McCain or Ron Paul for president while Nebraska Party presidential candidates are Bryan Malatesta, Diane Templin and Don Grundmann.

Green Party presidential candidates are Kent Mesplay, Kat Swift, Jesse Johnson and Cynthia McKinney.

One proposed amendment appears on the primary ballot.

Nebraskans will decide whether to allow the Legislature to permit certain cities to invest public endowment funds as do investors.

Currently, restrictions prohibit investments in stocks of private corporations and associations.

ebarrett@gothenburgtimes.com 308-537-3636