Senator Tom Brewer
43rd District
05-18-2018

The primary election is behind us. Once again I was impressed by the people in our district. The percentage of registered voters who turned-out for the election was 24% for the State-wide average. Turn-out in the 13 counties that make up the 43rd Legislative District was 34%. Three of our counties (Blaine, Grant and Logan) were in the top 10 of all 93 counties of the State, with Blaine County having the #1 highest voter turn-out in Nebraska at 74.3%!

2/3 of the population of Nebraska live in just 3 counties (Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy). The average turn-out in those three counties was just 21.6%. The highest percentage of people may live in the Eastern end of the State, but the highest percentage of voters live in the Western end.

Because of our historically high voter turn-out, Western Nebraska is most definitely not taken for granted on Election Day. Candidates know the deciding votes for a lot of elected offices are far away from Lincoln and Omaha. Close races for State-wide or Federal office are often not decided until after the polls close in the Mountain Time Zone part of our State. Western Nebraska decides a lot of elections because WE VOTE. I think that is something Western Nebraska can and should be proud of.

Once of the most important aspects of government in Nebraska is called “local control.” The idea is city councils, town or village boards, county commissioners, the county sheriff, school boards, natural resource districts, the board members of our public power organizations, the board of regents who run our University – all represent local control. The more local government is, the closer to the people government is; the better it is. Local units of government impact the lives of ordinary Nebraskans in a far-more direct and daily way. They are much better able to be responsive and react to the needs of a community than any agency of the State or Federal government ever could.

I think the farther down the ballot you go, the more important the elected officials become. The people who decide to give of themselves, to sacrifice time away from family and career, often for little or no compensation, are the ones who belong at the top of the ballot. They’re your neighbors and friends. They’re on the NRD board or the town council. They’re who the parents go to on the school board. They’re the ones helping make the county the place you want to live in. They work to make our university something you can be proud of, or our public power organizations something that put the people of Nebraska first. Their place on the ballot doesn’t do justice to their importance.

Between now and November I urge everyone to take some time and learn about all the folks “at the bottom of the ballot.” They deserve just as much recognition – and scrutiny – as everybody else.

Please contact my office with any comments, questions or concerns. Email me at; tbrewer@leg.ne.gov. Mail a letter to; Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1202, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509 or call us at (402) 471-2628.