With incumbent Sen. Mike Johanns (R) retiring in 2014, a number of candidates are looking to become Nebraska's junior senator. Currently, four candidates have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in the race: Sid Dinsdale, Bart McLeay, Ben Sasse and Shane Osborn. The GOP primary to become Nebraska’s next senator is scheduled to take place on May 13th, 2014.
The Pledge, sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform, commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."
In 2012, Pledge Signer, Senator Deb Fischer (R) won the election to become Senator of Nebraska, replacing the retiring Democratic Senator Ben Nelson. Running against former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey (D), Fischer won the general election with 58 percent of the vote, winning 88 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.
The Cook Political Report rates the Nebraska Senate race as a solid Republican race. Mitt Romney carried the district with 60 percent of the vote in November of 2012. While it is uncertain who will represent the GOP after the Nebraska Senate Primary, all four individuals have taken the Pledge to taxpayers in Nebraska to go to Washington and fight against increasing the tax burden of Nebraskan’s and the American people.