1990 Nebraska Gubernatorial Election
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In the 1990 Nebraska gubernatorial election, Democratic challenger
Ben Nelson Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 37th governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the D ...
narrowly defeated first-term Republican incumbent
Kay Orr Kay Avonne Orr (née Stark; January 2, 1939) is an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, she was the state's first and to date only female governor. Early life and ...
for the governorship of the state of
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
. Orr's popularity had suffered due to changes in the state's income-tax structure enacted in 1987, which were seen as a violation of her pledge not to increase taxes. The impending construction of a low-level radioactive-waste repository in north central Nebraska also occasioned discontent with her administration. In the Republican primary, she easily defeated "perennial candidate" Mort Sullivan, but her winning margin was significantly smaller than expected. Seven Democrats, four of them regarded as serious contenders, vied for their party's gubernatorial nomination. School funding, abortion, and the question of whether to establish a state lottery were among the issues that figured in the campaign. The primary election was so close that it took 48 days to declare Nelson the winner, by a margin of 41 votes. The contest between Orr and Nelson was generally seen as an unusually negative one. Orr accused Nelson of questionable business dealings; Nelson accused Orr of violating the public trust. Each accused the other of negative campaigning. Salient issues included the 1987 tax changes; the radioactive-waste site; and a bill shifting a large portion of school funding from local property taxes to the state general fund, which included increases in the sales and income taxes, and which had passed over Orr's veto. When the election was held, Nelson defeated Orr by a margin of 4,030 votes, with 49.91% of the vote to her 49.23%. It was suggested that a winter storm on the day of the election might have contributed to Orr's defeat, by reducing turnout among elderly and rural voters.


Background

In 1986, Republican
Kay Orr Kay Avonne Orr (née Stark; January 2, 1939) is an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, she was the state's first and to date only female governor. Early life and ...
, who had been
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
's state treasurer for five years, defeated Democrat
Helen Boosalis Helen Boosalis (née Geankoplis; August 28, 1919 – June 15, 2009) was an American Democratic Party politician from Nebraska. Early life Helen Boosalis was born as Helen Geankoplis in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Greek immigrant parents, where s ...
for the governorship. During the campaign, Orr pledged not to increase taxes. In 1987, at Orr's urging, the
state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...
passed LB773, which changed Nebraska's method of calculating its personal
income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
. Up to that time, the state's income tax had been a percentage of the taxpayer's federal liability. Under the new system, Nebraska would base its tax on federal adjusted gross income, with the state establishing its own system of exemptions and deductions. Proponents argued that such a measure was necessary to produce stability and give Nebraska greater control over its state revenues; opponents objected to the fact that the measure would increase taxes on lower- and middle-income taxpayers, while decreasing them for upper-income Nebraskans. The plan as proposed by Orr would have been revenue-neutral, neither increasing nor decreasing state revenue. The final version, however, as passed by the legislature and signed by Orr, increased receipts by an estimated $11–14 million. The increase in revenues was seen as a breach of Orr's pledge concerning taxes, and her popularity fell as the new system went into effect. In December 1987, a poll indicated that 60% of Nebraskans approved of her performance and 25% disapproved; by March 1988, her approval rating had dropped to 48%, while those disapproving had increased to 38%. In December 1989, the numbers stood at 47% approval and 46% disapproval. Orr's popularity was further damaged by the proposed siting of a low-level nuclear waste disposal facility in the state. In 1983, during the tenure of governor
Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vietn ...
, Nebraska had joined
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,
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,
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, and
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to form the
Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact The Central Interstate Low Level Radioactive Waste Compact is made up of the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The compact was established by the "Compact Law" and the "Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments of the 1985." ...
, under which a single disposal site would be constructed for all five states. In 1987, the members of the compact voted 4–1 to place the facility in Nebraska. At that time, Orr declared that she was not pleased with the choice, but had to acquiesce in the other states' decision. U.S. Ecology, the company chosen to construct and operate the facility, considered a variety of sites in the state. In January 1989, they announced that they had narrowed their choices to sites in
Boyd Boyd may refer to: Places Canada * Boyd Conservation Area, a conservation area located northwest of Toronto, Ontario * Boyd Lake (disambiguation) United States * Boyd County (disambiguation) * Boyd, Indiana * Boyd, Iowa * Boyd, Kansas * Bo ...
, Nemaha, and Nuckolls counties; in January 1990, they declared that they had chosen the Boyd County location.


Democratic primary


Governor


Candidates

Seven candidates ran in the Democratic primary. Four of them were regarded as serious contenders for the nomination. *
Mike Boyle Michael David Boyle (January 19, 1944 – September 10, 2021) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from Nebraska who served as mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha and later as a member of the Douglas County, Nebra ...
, former mayor of
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
, Nebraska's largest city. Boyle had been elected mayor in 1981 and re-elected in 1985, but in 1987 had lost a recall election brought about by a petition drive. * Bill Harris, mayor of
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...
, Nebraska's capital and second-largest city. Harris had represented a Lincoln district in the state legislature from 1982 until his election as mayor in 1987. *Bill Hoppner, a former staffer for elected officials J. James Exon and
Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vietn ...
. Hoppner had served on Exon's staff from 1973 to 1982, initially as legal counsel while Exon was governor, then as chief of staff when Exon was elected to the U.S. Senate. He had then returned to Nebraska and served as chief of staff for governor Kerrey from 1982 to 1984; in 1989, when Kerrey took a seat in the U.S. Senate, Hoppner had again served for a year as his chief of staff. *
Ben Nelson Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 37th governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the D ...
, an attorney and insurance executive. Nelson was making his first bid for elective office. In 1986, he had been the state chairman of Boosalis's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign. In 1975–76, he had served as director of the Nebraska Department of Insurance. The other three candidates in the Democratic primary were regarded as unlikely to win; when the election was held, the three combined drew less than 3% of the vote. *Don Eret, a farmer from Dorchester, who had served in the state legislature from 1982 to 1986. *Robb Nimic, a philosopher and theologian from Lincoln, who had filed as a pauper. *Robert Prokop, a forensic pathologist from Wilber, who had held a seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 1971 to 1982.


Issues


=Taxes and school funding

= One of the foremost issues in the Democratic primary concerned school funding. In April 1990, the legislature passed LB1059, which made major changes to the financing of public education in the state. Prior to its passage, roughly 70% of the money for primary and secondary schools came from
property taxes A property tax (whose rate is expressed as a percentage or per mille, also called ''millage'') is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net we ...
and other local sources. The expressed goal of the bill's supporters was to increase the state's contribution to school districts from 25% of operational costs to 45%; this would be funded through a 25% increase in the
sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
and a 17.5% increase in the personal income tax. Proponents maintained that the measure would lessen inequality among school districts and would avert a significant increase in property taxes; they also noted that courts in several other states had struck down locally financed educational systems such as Nebraska's. Opponents argued that the increased taxes would prove burdensome to Nebraskans, particularly the poor, and expressed doubt that the measure would prevent substantial property-tax increases. The bill passed; Orr vetoed it, but was overridden. Of the four leading Democratic candidates, Boyle, Harris, and Nelson declared that they would have vetoed the bill, arguing that it would not in fact lead to long-term property-tax relief. Hoppner expressed enthusiastic support for the measure, "because it's at the heart of the traditional Democratic message of this state, because the people of this state care about our children".


=Other issues

= Another issue raised in the Democratic primary was the question of whether a state lottery should be established in Nebraska; and, if established, what use should be made of the revenues generated thereby. Of the four major candidates, Harris indicated that he was generally opposed to a lottery. Boyle proposed that proceeds be used for property-tax relief; Hoppner declared that they should be used for special one-time expenses, and not for routine spending; and Nelson maintained that they should be used to augment basic spending on education. Harris and Hoppner both declared themselves supporters of abortion rights, and were endorsed by the
pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...
organization Nebraska Voters for Choice. Boyle expressed opposition to abortion, and received the endorsement of
pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in response to the lega ...
organizations Metro Omaha Right to Life and the Nebraska Coalition for Life. Nelson also declared himself an opponent of abortion, but said that if the legislature passed abortion-rights legislation, he would neither veto nor sign it, allowing it to become law without his signature. All four of the major Democratic candidates asserted that illegal drug use was one of the critical issues in the campaign; Harris stated that it was the number-one issue facing Nebraska and the nation. All four were opposed to drug abuse and crime.


=Nelson and junk bonds

= In the final two weeks before the primary election, Nelson came under attack from Harris and Hoppner for his involvement with life-insurance holding company First Executive, for which he had acted as a consultant and director; he and his law firm had collected over $1.8 million in fees from the company. First Executive had large holdings in
junk bonds In finance, a high-yield bond (non-investment-grade bond, speculative-grade bond, or junk bond) is a bond that is rated below investment grade by credit rating agencies. These bonds have a higher risk of default or other adverse credit even ...
, which had recently received a great deal of unfavorable attention related to investment banking firm
Drexel Burnham Lambert Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. was an American multinational investment bank that was forced into bankruptcy in 1990 due to its involvement in illegal activities in the junk bond market, driven by senior executive Michael Milken. At its height, i ...
's February 1990 declaration of bankruptcy, and to Drexel employee
Michael Milken Michael Robert Milken (born July 4, 1946) is an American financier. He is known for his role in the development of the market for High-yield debt, high-yield bonds ("junk bonds"), and his conviction and sentence following a guilty plea on felony ...
's April 1990 conviction for
securities fraud Securities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a deceptive practice in the stock or commodities markets that induces investors to make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information.Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...
and Sarpy counties, which include the Omaha metro area; Lancaster County, including Lincoln; and
Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
and
Saunders Saunders is a surname of English and Scottish origin, derived from ''Sander'', a mediaeval form of Alexander.See also: Sander (name) People * Ab Saunders (1851–1883), American cowboy and gunman * Al Saunders (born 1947), American football c ...
counties. In this election, however, every Democratic vote had to be sought, which made it necessary to direct campaign efforts to the Third Congressional District, consisting of the western three-quarters of the state. Although the Third District was one of the most Republican congressional districts in the nation, its small population of Democrats might prove crucial in the final vote count. The four candidates had four different strategies. Boyle's was based on securing a strong lead in Omaha, from voters who had supported him as mayor, and on doing well among conservative Democrats in the Third District, attracted by his pro-life stance and endorsements. Harris expected to win heavily in Lancaster County, and to draw votes from more socially-liberal Democrats throughout the state because of his pro-choice position; he had secured the endorsement of Democratic former governor Frank Morrison, who campaigned with him throughout Nebraska. Hoppner depended on the support of activist and party-line Democrats, drawn by his pro-choice stance, his support for LB1059, and his association with Exon and Kerrey; four days before the election, he received a formal endorsement from Kerrey, and began broadcasting a television commercial in which the senator declared his support for Hoppner. Nelson's strategy was the most focused on the Third District: his campaign's goal was to minimize his losing margin in Omaha and Lincoln, while winning heavily in rural Nebraska. His advantage in funding proved important in this. While Hoppner relied on television advertising on stations in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island,
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
, Kearney, and
North Platte North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...
, Nelson bought advertising in all of those markets and also on
Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury County, Iowa, Woodbury and Plymouth County, Iowa, Plymouth counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, fo ...
television, which reached northeastern Nebraska, and on radio station KRVN in
Lexington, Nebraska Lexington is a city in Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10,348 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th most populous city in Nebraska. It is the county seat of Dawson County. Lexington is located in southern Nebraska, ...
, with a large listenership in rural central and western Nebraska. To reach more voters who were outside of the areas covered by the eastern and central television stations, he staged a direct-mail campaign, sending up to three letters to registered Democrats in rural areas near the state's northern, southern, and western borders.


Newspaper endorsements

There was no consensus among the daily newspapers of the state regarding the Democratic candidates. The state's largest newspaper, the ''Omaha World-Herald'', which then circulated throughout Nebraska, endorsed Harris, noting in particular his opposition to gambling. The ''
Grand Island Independent ''The Grand Island Independent'' is a daily newspaper published in Grand Island, Nebraska. History In 1869, Maggie Eberhart and Seth Mobley founded the ''Platte Valley Independent'' in North Platte. Eberhart, whose parents had immigrated from I ...
'' also endorsed Harris alone. The ''
Lincoln Journal The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in ...
'' found Harris, Hoppner, and Nelson all worthy candidates. The ''
Lincoln Star The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in ...
'' and the ''
Fremont Tribune The ''Fremont Tribune'' is a daily newspaper in Fremont, Nebraska. History The ''Tribune'' was founded on July 24, 1868, by J.N. Hayes. It was purchased in 1966 by Speidel Newspapers; Gannett Co. acquired the paper in 1977 through its merge ...
'' endorsed Hoppner; the ''
Kearney Hub The ''Kearney Hub'' is a daily newspaper published in Kearney, Nebraska, United States, and is the primary newspaper for south-central region of Nebraska surrounding the city, including Buffalo County, Nebraska and the Kearney Micropolitan Sta ...
'', Boyle; and the '' North Platte Telegraph'', both Boyle and Hoppner.


Results

Polls conducted days before the May 15 election showed no clear winner in the Democratic primary: any of the four major candidates might have won. Further polling showed no clear outcome in hypothetical matchups between any of the four and Orr. Of the 363,778 registered Democrats in the state, 172,812, or 47.5%, voted in the primary; 166,744 of them cast ballots in the gubernatorial race. As the ballots were counted, Harris quickly fell behind the other three major candidates; in Lancaster County, on which he had counted heavily, he ran in third place, behind Hoppner and Nelson. Harris attributed his poor showing to the fact that he and Hoppner had split the pro-choice vote, and to Kerrey's late endorsement of Hoppner. Boyle led Hoppner in Douglas County by 11,000 votes, and until about midnight he held the lead; however, his support outside of the Omaha area was not strong, and he was forced to admit defeat soon thereafter. On the morning of May 16, Hoppner and Nelson were virtually tied, with only a few hundred votes between them, absentee ballots still to be counted, and a recount almost certain to be held, as required by state law for cases when two leading candidates were within one percentage point of one another. The recount in fact proved necessary; and so close was the contest that only on July 3, some 48 days after the election, was Nelson certified the winner, by a margin of 41 votes: 44,556 to Hoppner's 44,515.


Lieutenant governor

Under the state constitution as it existed in 1990, parties chose their nominees for governor and lieutenant governor in separate votes in the primary; the two nominees from each party then ran as a ticket in the general election. In the Democratic lieutenant-gubernatorial race, five candidates ran; the winner was
Maxine Moul Maxine Burnett Moul (born January 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 34th lieutenant governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1993, the first woman to hold that position in the state. Moul is a member of the Democratic Party. Life ...
.


Candidates

*Keith B. Edquist, businessman, owner of Husker-Hawkeye Distributing Co., former member of the
Bellevue, Nebraska Bellevue ( French for "beautiful view"; previously named Belleview) is a suburban city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and had a population of 64,176 as of the 2020 census, ...
, City Council, and member of the
Omaha Public Power District Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) is a public electric utility in the state of Nebraska. It is wholly owned by the Nebraska state government, and controlled by a special district. OPPD serves more than 855,000 people in Omaha and 13 surroundin ...
board *Ken L. Michaelis, disbarred attorney from
West Point, Nebraska West Point is a city in and the county seat of Cuming County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,504 at the 2020 census. History West Point was founded in the spring of 1857, when Omaha businessmen formed the Nebraska Settlement Asso ...
, who was an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 1986 and US Senator in 1988 *
Maxine Moul Maxine Burnett Moul (born January 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 34th lieutenant governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1993, the first woman to hold that position in the state. Moul is a member of the Democratic Party. Life ...
, co-owner with her husband of Maverick Media, which published five newspapers and several shoppers from
Syracuse, Nebraska Syracuse is a city in Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,957 at the 2022 census. History Syracuse was laid out in 1869 when it was certain that the railroad would be extended to that point. The community was named after ...
*Gary L. Rogge, farmer from
Auburn, Nebraska Auburn is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States, and its county seat. The population was 3,470 at the 2020 census. History Auburn is an incorporation of two towns. Calvert and Sheridan combined to form Auburn in 1882, in part to ha ...
, and past vice president of Concerned Citizens of Nemaha County, seeking the office to address issues with radioactive waste *Steve Wiitala, former member of the
Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislative branch, legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators ...
in District 31 from 1981 to 1983, former Douglas County election commissioner, and former campaign manager for
Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vietn ...
's 1982 gubernatorial campaign from
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
.


Results


Republican primary


Governor

Orr faced only nominal opposition in the Republican primary, which drew little media attention. Only two names appeared on the Republican ballot.


Candidates

*
Kay Orr Kay Avonne Orr (née Stark; January 2, 1939) is an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, she was the state's first and to date only female governor. Early life and ...
, one-term incumbent governor. *Mort Sullivan, described by the ''
Omaha World-Herald The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ...
'' as a "perennial candidate". Sullivan owned an Omaha company that operated automatic telephone-dialing machines; in 1989, he had run in the Omaha mayoral election, placing sixth.


Results

In the Republican primary, Orr had been expected to win easily, and did. However, Sullivan received about 31% of the vote, unpleasantly surprising Orr, who had expected him to win from 15% to 25%. Orr attributed this to Republican dissatisfaction with some of her decisions as governor, including the tax changes of 1987. Sullivan's unexpectedly high percentage was also attributed in part to Orr's failure to oppose the proposed radioactive-waste repository: he defeated her in Boyd County, chosen for the site; in Nuckolls County, which had been one of the three finalists considered by U.S. Ecology; and in Webster County, which borders Nuckolls County and which had been among the locations initially considered for the disposal site.


Lieutenant governor

Orr's incumbent lieutenant governor, Bill Nichol, did not run for re-election. Jack Maddux, backed by much of the state's Republican establishment and endorsed by Nichol, won with 67.2% of the vote to Brettman's 32.5%.


Candidates

*Roy Brettmann, businessman and owner of Big Sur and Tops Real Estate from
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
*Jack Maddux, cattleman, former mayor of
Wauneta, Nebraska Wauneta is a village in Chase County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 577 at the 2010 census. It lies along U.S. Route 6, southeast of the city of Imperial, the county seat of Chase County. Its elevation is 2,942 feet (897  ...
, and member of the
Ameritas Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (established in 1887 as Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska) is a mutual insurance company. It is owned by Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. The compa ...
board, the
Nebraska Wesleyan University Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) is a private Methodist-affiliated university in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2017, it had approximately 2,100 students, including 1,500 full-time students and 300 ...
board of trustees, and the
University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
Foundation board


Results


General election

The campaign leading up to the general election was regarded as an unusually negative one; an ''Omaha World-Herald'' editorial described it as a "long, cruel, issue-less campaign". Nelson's campaign manager accused Orr's campaign of "negative cheap shots"; Orr's campaign manager accused Nelson of "stridently negative attacks". Nelson's campaign declared that Orr had "no credibility because she has violated the public trust"; Orr's accused Nelson of "vicious attacks". In an October debate, Nelson accused Orr of "constant attacks on my character, constant attacks on my family relations", while Orr accused Nelson of "the worst type of negative campaigning this state has ever seen".


Issues


Junk bonds redux

In July, Nelson announced that he would not seek re-election to First Executive's board when his term expired at the end of the month, stating that his campaign would not leave him time to fulfill his duties as a director, and that his resignation had nothing to do with the company's history of junk-bond dealings. In September, Orr's campaign ran a commercial stating that Nelson, as a consultant and director of the company, must have been involved in its decisions to invest in junk bonds. In an October radio interview, she said "My opponent owns a company with Mike Milken"; she subsequently issued a partial retraction, calling Nelson "a business associate with Mike Milken". Nelson declared that Orr had "resorted to negative campaigning in order to save her job", and denied any relationship with Milken. Orr called for Nelson to make his income-tax return public, providing her own to the ''Omaha World-Herald'' in a sealed envelope, to be opened if Nelson's were also made available. Nelson declined to do so, for reasons of "privacy and security", declaring that he had provided all the records required by the law, and accusing Orr of demanding them as a diversionary tactic.


Taxes and spending

Nelson pressed the issue of taxes, maintaining that the 1987 restructuring had increased taxes on lower- and middle-class taxpayers, while decreasing them for the wealthy. Orr responded by citing a
Deloitte and Touche Deloitte is a multinational professional services network based in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest professional services network in the world by revenue and number of employees, and is one of the Big Four accounting firms, along wit ...
study finding that taxes on most low and middle incomes were lower in 1989 than they had been in 1986; state senator
Don Wesely Donald Raymond Wesely (March 30, 1954 – March 18, 2025) was an American politician who served as the 49th mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, having previously sat in the Nebraska Legislature from 1979 to 1999. Background Wesely was born March 30, 195 ...
, a Nelson consultant, denounced the study as "political propaganda to mislead the public". Nelson accused Orr of profligate spending, noting that the state budget had increased by 40% during the first three years of her governorship. Orr's campaign responded that the steep increase was partly due to essential spending deferred during the nationwide recession of the early 1980s and the farm recession of the mid-80s; partly due to the state takeover of the welfare system, which had previously received some of its funding from the counties; and partly due to a 65% increase in
Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...
costs. A petition drive was launched to repeal school-finance bill LB1059. Orr ran radio commercials in support of the repeal, calling the bill "a record tax increase" and noting that she had vetoed it. Nelson declined to sign the petition, stating that the bill, though flawed, should be corrected by the legislature rather than repealed altogether. Orr's campaign condemned this, declaring that Nelson was "trying to get votes from people on both sides by riding the fence".


Boyd County

In July 1990, Kerrey withdrew his support from the proposed radioactive-waste repository in Boyd County, asserting that the facility might no longer be needed and might not be economically feasible. Nelson joined Kerrey in calling for a moratorium on further work. Orr declared that she would be willing to suspend the process, if Kerrey could guarantee that Nebraska taxpayers and power consumers would not suffer, but expressed concern that such a move might be a violation of federal law; an Orr staffer cited a study indicating that costs of withdrawing from the waste-disposal compact would be at least $150 million, and might be as high as $425 million. Nelson declared that " I am elected governor, it is not likely that there will be a nuclear dump in Boyd County or in Nebraska". He called for a debate in Boyd County, and accused Orr of a "lack of leadership" on the matter; in mid-October, he held a rally in the county at which he chided his opponent for her unwillingness to campaign there, and declared that more forceful opposition by Orr would have prevented the decision to locate the site in Nebraska. Following the rally, the Boyd County Republican Committee announced its unanimous endorsement of Nelson over Orr.


Other issues

Orr accused Nelson of "lacking leadership" on abortion, declaring that she would veto any bill that relaxed restrictions on the procedure. The Nebraska Coalition for Life endorsed Orr, with the comment that " elson'sposition is no position at all". The candidates differed on a measure on the ballot, promoted by the
Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States Armed Forces, United States war veterans who fought in wars, Military campaign, campaig ...
, that would legalize video slot machines. Nelson supported the measure, and stated that if elected, he would propose an amendment to the Nebraska constitution that would authorize a statewide lottery. Orr opposed the video-slot measure, and any attempt to establish a state lottery. Orr claimed credit for the state's 2% unemployment rate. She emphasized her party affiliation, declaring "This is a Republican state." She asserted that Nebraskans knew her and her record as a public official, while Nelson was an unknown quantity.


Campaigns and spending

Orr spent twice as much as Nelson, in what the ''Omaha World-Herald'' described as "the most expensive governor's race in state history". President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
visited Omaha to raise funds for her and for two Republican Congressional candidates. She secured an endorsement from University of Nebraska athletic director
Bob Devaney Robert Simon Devaney (April 13, 1915 – May 9, 1997) was a college football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career record of . ...
, revered in Nebraska for his success as the coach of the university football team. Twelve of Nebraska's daily newspapers, including the ''World-Herald'' and the ''
Lincoln Star The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in ...
'', endorsed Orr. Nelson garnered two endorsements, from the '' McCook Daily Gazette'' and the ''
Fremont Tribune The ''Fremont Tribune'' is a daily newspaper in Fremont, Nebraska. History The ''Tribune'' was founded on July 24, 1868, by J.N. Hayes. It was purchased in 1966 by Speidel Newspapers; Gannett Co. acquired the paper in 1977 through its merge ...
'' (the latter of which endorsed Orr as well). The ''
Lincoln Journal The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in ...
'' declined to endorse either candidate, accusing both of negative and mean-spirited campaigning. Two weeks before the election, the Orr campaign discovered that Dresner Sykes, their media-consulting firm, had charged the campaign for television advertising time that was never purchased. A ''World-Herald'' analysis after the election determined that Creative Media, the firm's advertising placement agency, had charged the campaign $34,860 for October advertising on Omaha station
KMTV KMTV-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station has studios on Mockingbird Drive in southwest Omaha, and its transmitter is located on a "tower ...
, while actually purchasing $6,115 worth of time, or 17.5% of that ordered. A similar pattern obtained on other stations in Omaha, Lincoln, North Platte, and Sioux City, with Creative Media actually purchasing between 12% and 88% of the time ordered by the campaign. Although the campaign had ordered advertisements placed on Omaha television stations every day during the period October 5–22, nothing ran on at least four days of the period. Dresner Sykes reimbursed the Orr campaign with a $50,000 check and with the cancellation of unpaid bills; but Orr could not recover the lost advertising time in the past, and found that the most desirable advertising times for the rest of the campaign's duration were already taken.


General election results

On November 6, the day of the election, a winter storm struck central Nebraska, depositing up to of snow and ice. Secretary of State Allen Beerman estimated that up to 50,000 voters might have been kept from the polls by the weather. The storm reduced turnout in the Third District and among elderly voters, who historically tended to support Republicans. Before ballot-counting was complete, Beerman suggested that the weather might have cost Orr the election. Unofficial results on election night gave Nelson a lead of 4,658 votes out of nearly 570,000. As absentee ballots were counted, it became clear that they would not change the outcome; Orr conceded to Nelson on November 9. The official results gave Nelson 292,771 votes (49.91%) to Orr's 288,741 (49.23%). Sullivan, running as a write-in, garnered 1887 votes (0.32%); other write-ins received 3143 votes (0.54%). Nelson won 19 counties that the Republicans had won in the 1986 gubernatorial election, many of them in areas that had been suggested as locations for the radioactive-waste disposal site.


Other votes

Nebraska voted on four seats in the U.S. Congress: one in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
and three in the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
. All three incumbents running were re-elected. Exon, a Democrat, won re-election to the Senate, securing 59% of the vote to defeat Republican
Hal Daub Harold John Daub Jr. (born April 23, 1941) is an American lawyer and politician from Nebraska who served four terms in the United States House of Representatives and as the 48th Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. In 2012, Daub was elected to the Board of R ...
. Republican Doug Bereuter was re-elected to the First District House seat, with 65% of the vote to Democrat Larry Hall's 35%. In the Second District, one-term incumbent
Peter Hoagland Peter Jackson Hoagland (November 17, 1941 – October 30, 2007) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. A member of the Democratic Party, Hoagland represented Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Repre ...
, a Democrat, received 58% of the vote to Republican Ally Milder's 42%. In a race for an open House seat in the Third District, Republican
Bill Barrett William Emery Barrett (February 9, 1929 – September 20, 2016) was an American Republican politician from Nebraska who served five terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2001 as the congressman for Nebraska's third ...
defeated Democrat Sandra K. Scofield, taking 51.1% of the vote to her 48.8%. The LB1059 repeal effort, which Orr had supported and Nelson opposed, failed: 44% of the votes cast supported repeal, while 56% favored keeping the measure. A ''World-Herald'' article noted that opposition to repeal was especially high in areas where rural school districts were receiving large amounts of state aid, and that support for repeal was strongest in Douglas County. The ballot measure to legalize and regulate video lotteries, which Nelson had supported and Orr opposed, also failed. Votes in favor of the measure amounted to only 35% of the total, while 65% were opposed. Nationally, the Democratic Party made small gains in the U.S. Congress, with an increase of one seat in the Senate and eight in the House of Representatives. Incumbent governors fared poorly: the incumbent party lost in 14 of the 36 contests, including two in which independent candidates won. Governors who had reneged on pledges not to allow tax increases suffered badly; beside Orr, Republicans
Mike Hayden John Michael Hayden (born March 16, 1944) is a retired American politician and veteran who served as the 41st governor of Kansas, from 1987 to 1991. He subsequently served as the Secretary of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department under Kans ...
of Kansas and
Bob Martinez Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first Hispanic American governor since colonial Flori ...
of Florida were rejected by the voters.


Notes

"Ben's Biography".
Ben Nelson U.S. Senate website. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
"Bereuter, Douglas Kent, (1939–)".
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2016-01-22.

KOLN/KGIN TV. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
"Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", general election, p. 5. "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", general election, p. 42. "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", general election, p. 44. "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", primary election, pp. 1, 10. "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", primary election, p. 5. "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", primary election, p. 10. "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", primary election, p. 11. "Earl Benjamin Nelson".
''San Francisco Chronicle''. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
"Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 1990"
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. p. 22. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
Robbins, William

''New York Times''. 1990-09-30. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
Nelson quoted i
Entergy Arkansas, Inc. et al. v. Nebraska.
U.S. District Court, Nebraska. p. 85. 2002-09-30. Retrieved 2015-02-23
Archived 2015-02-05
a
Wayback Machine
U.S. General Accounting Office
"Nuclear Waste: Extensive Process to Site Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility in Nebraska".
Report to U.S. Senator J. James Exon, July 1991. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
Discoe, Connie Jo

ttp://www.mccookgazette.com/ ''McCook Daily Gazette''.2011-01-05. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
"Hoagland, Peter J., (1941–2007)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Retrieved 2016-01-22.
Walton, Don
''Lincoln Journal Star''.
2013-02-10. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
University of Nebraska College of Journalism and Mass Communications Archive.
Retrieved 2016-01-20.
According t
''Sioux City Journal''
2006-12-01, retrieved 2016-01-22, Nichol "retired from public service after he and Orr were defeated for re-election... in 1990". This is apparently an error: Nichol's name does not appear in "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", primary election, p. 11, which lists the results of the Republican lieutenant-gubernatorial primary.
Retrieved 2011-12-15. ''New York Times''.
1989-03-05. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
Robbins, William

https://www.nytimes.com/ ''New York Times''. 1990-02-09. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
Eichenwald, Kurt

''New York Times''. 1990-04-21. Retrieved 2011-12-18.

''New York Times''. 1990-07-04. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
Toner, Robin

''New York Times''. 1990-11-08. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
Apple, R. W., Jr

''New York Times'' 1990-11-08. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
Rasky, Susan F

''New York Times''. 1990-11-08. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
Schmidt, William E

''New York Times''. 1990-11-03. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
Rosse, Sharon. "Nelson Says Rivals Wrong About Lottery Proposal". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-02. p. 32. Kotok, C. David. "Harris Says Critics Wrong In Charging He's Indecisive". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-02. p. 32. Koopman, John. "Democrats Exchange Final Debate Blows". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-03. p. 1. Koopman, John. "Boyle Criticizes Out-of-State Gifts". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-05. p. 37. Kotok, C. David. "4 Candidates For Governor Give Views". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-06. p. 8B. Gauger, Jeff. "Nelson's Links to Firm Date to '85". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-08. p. 12. "Harris Has What It Takes To Be a Good Governor". Editorial, ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-08. p. 18. Gauger, Jeff. "Hoppner Says Nelson's Stands Are 'Election Losers'". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-10. p. 25. Kotok, C. David. "Loans Help Finance Late Ad Blitz". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-10. p. 26. Kotok, C. David. "Tight Race to Pick Orr Opponent". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-10. p. 51. "Campaign Watch". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-12. p. 39. Gauger, Jeff. "Hoppner Gets Backing From Former Boss Kerrey". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-12. p. 35. "Survey: Democrats' Race For Governor Still Close". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-13. p. 1. Kotok, C. David. "Four Democrats See 3rd District As Key to Primary". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-13. p. 1. "Poll Indicated 4 Governor Hopefulls Tied, Many Democrats Undecided". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-13. p. 6A. Gauger, Jeff. "Focus of Race For Governor Turns to Polls". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-14. p. 1. Stern, Gabriella. "Harris: Kerrey Backing of Hoppner Hurt Bid". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-16. p. 15. Stern, Gabriella. "Gov. Orr Says She Sees 'Hard Work' Ahead". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-16. p. 15. Kotok, C. David. "Nail-Biter Election Comes Down to Hoppner, Nelson". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-16. pp. 1, 15. Thomas, Steve. "Both Sides of Abortion Issue Say They Scored Victories in Primary". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-17. p. 43. Dorr, Robert. "Mort Sullivan Outpolled Gov. Orr in Three Counties". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-17. p. 43. "Gov. Orr Plots Strategy to Unite Republican Voters for November". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-17. p. 43. Stern, Gabriella. "Gov. Orr Launches Attack on Nelson". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-19. p. 59. Kotok, C. David. "State's Border Counties Proving Essential to Nelson's Campaign". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-05-22. p. 1. Cordes, Henry J. "Jobs, Tax Hike Put Orr Team, Nelson at Odds". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-06-30. p. 35. Stern, Gabriella. "Nelson to Leave Board Tied to Junk Bond Issue". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-07-08. p. 1. Kotok, C. David. "GOP Critics Assail Nelson on Two Fronts". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-07-11. p. 27. "Gov. Orr Joins Effort To Repeal LB 1059". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-07-11. p. 27. de Zutter, Mary. "Kerrey: Do Not Construct Radioactive Waste Facility". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-07-16. p. 1. Garfield, Daniel. "Orr Aide Calls Nelson's Timing on Waste Site Political". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-07-18. p. 13. Anderson, Julie. "Nelson Denies Playing Politics With Issue of Waste Facility". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-07-19. p. 17. "Nelson Calls for Debate in Boyd County". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-08-04. p. 25. Kotok, C. David. "Both Camps Put Best Face on Poll". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-09-05. Kotok, C. David. "Orr Ad Mentions Junk Bonds; Nelson Says TV Spot Is Negative". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-09-08. p. 15. Kotok, C. David. "Nelson Criticizes Orr Spending Increase". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-09-28. Cordes, Henry J. "Tax Study Attacked As Political". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-09-29. p. 33. Kotok, C. David. "Orr Spending Called Answer to 'Lean Years. ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-09-30. p. 1. Kotok, C. David. "Gov. Orr, Nelson Clash On 2 of 7 Ballot Issues". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-09-30. p. 1. "Abortion Opponents Back 21 Candidates". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-03. Kotok, C. David. "Nelson Rallies Site Opponents In Boyd County". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-15. p. 9. Kotok, C. David. "Boyd GOP Backs Nelson". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-16. Kotok, C. David. "Gov. Orr, Ben Nelson Land Debate Punches". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-17. p. 1. Kotok, C. David. "Gov. Orr Says 'Wrong Word' Used in Comment About Nelson". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-18. p. 1. Kotok, C. David. "Handshake and Heated Words Mark Final Orr-Nelson Debate". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-24. p. 1. Kotok, C. David. "Nelson, Gov. Orr Squabble on Tax Returns". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-27. Gauger, Jeff. "Orr Camp Paid $19,200 for Bush Visit". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-10-31. Gauger, Jeff. "Gov. Orr Calls on Nelson to Release Returns." ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-01. p. 23. Gauger, Jeff. "Candidates Feud Over Finances". ''Omaha world-Herald''. 1990-11-02. p. 21. "12 Daily Papers Endorse Gov. Orr; 2 Tab Nelson". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-02. "Nelson-Kerrey Blitz Deceptive". ''Omaha World-Herald'' editorial. 1990-11-04. p. 28A. Kotok, C. David. "Governor's Race a Squeaker". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-07. p. 1. Flanery, James Allen. "Senator: Coalition Saved LB1059". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-08. p. 21. Dorr, Robert. "Some Areas Saw Snow, Turnout Fall". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-09. p. 1. Brennan, Joe. "Gov. Orr Concedes to Nelson". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-10. p. 1. Kotok, C. David, and Gabriella Stern. "Orr, Tauke Audits Found TV Time Lost". ''Omaha World-Herald''. 1990-11-11. p. 1. County data from "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers", general election, p. 5. In Stanton and Hall counties, Nelson won a small plurality of the vote; however, because of write-in votes, he failed to secure a majority. Thus those counties are colored in shades of red on the map, although Nelson can be said to have won them. O'Hanlon, Kevin

''
Lincoln Journal Star The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in ...
''. 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
Schneider, Keith
"Among Farmers, Anger Greets Prospect of Cuts".
''New York Times''. 1990-10-04. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
"Tax plan to provide stability—commissioner". ''Unicameral Update''. 1987-02-13. p. 3. "Income tax measure passed, signed". ''Unicameral Update''. 1987-05-08. p. 6. "Education, Revenue panels advance public school finance measure". ''Unicameral Update''. 1990-01-26. pp. 10-11. "Legislature advances major bill to change school finance system". ''Unicameral Update''. 1990-03-09. pp. 4-5. "Lawmakers override Orr veto on school finance measure." ''Unicameral Update''. 1990-04-13. pp. 12-13. "Previous Election Commissioners".
Douglas County Election Commission. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
''Nebraska Blue Book 1980–1981''
, p. 259. Retrieved 2016-01-20.


References


"Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election May 15, 1990, General Election November 6, 1990".
Retrieved 2016-01-19. {{United States elections, 1990
Gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
November 1990 in the United States