Candidates backed by conservative PAC win most Nebraska education board races

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The conservative slate of candidates won at least three of the Nebraska State Board of Education races on Tuesday.

The elections were under a brighter spotlight than usual after an attempt to implement health education standards sparked backlash.

The proposed standards originally included instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation that some parents thought was age-inappropriate.

One political action committee formed amid the backlash, Protect Nebraska Children, poured more than $38,000 into elections this cycle.

Almost all of that money was spent on the four education board races, according to filings with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

Kirk Penner, who was appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2021, won a full term by about 7,600 votes, according to unofficial results.

He represents much of southeast Nebraska, including part of Lincoln.

In District 6, which includes Grand Island and Kearney, Sherry Jones defeated Danielle Helzer by a 2-to-1 margin.

And Elizabeth Tegtmeier won more than 70% of the vote in western Nebraska’s District 6, ousting incumbent Robin Stevens.

Both are Republicans, but Tegtmeier had the support of Protect Nebraska Children.

But the group may come up short in Omaha, where incumbent Democrat Deborah Neary currently leads Republican Marni Hodgen by about 2,000 votes.

Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse estimates that his office still has 12,000 to 15,000 ballots to count.

The Board of Education is officially nonpartisan.