Nebraska's 3rd congressional district

Nebraska's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Nebraska that encompasses its western three-fourths; it is one of the largest non-at-large districts in the country, covering nearly 65,000 square miles (170,000 km2), two time zones and 68 counties. It includes Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, North Platte, Alliance, and Scottsbluff. Additionally, it encompasses the Sandhills region and a large majority of the Platte River. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+29, it is the most Republican district in Nebraska, a state with an all-Republican delegation.[2]

Nebraska's 3rd congressional district
Nebraska's 3rd congressional district (from 2023)
Representative
  Adrian Smith
RGering
Distribution
  • 53.79% rural
  • 46.21% urban
Population (2022)649,904
Median household
income
$61,627[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+29[2]

Political history

Nebraska has had at least three congressional districts since 1883. The district's current configuration dates from 1963, when Nebraska lost a seat as a result of the 1960 United States Census. At that time, most of the old 3rd and 4th districts were merged to form the new 3rd district. It is one of the most Republican districts in the nation, as Democrats have only come close to winning it three times as currently drawn, in 1974, 1990, and 2006, all years where the incumbent was not running for reelection.

Republican presidential and gubernatorial candidates routinely carry the district with margins of 40 percent or more, while Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win a plurality within the current district boundaries. Excepting historically Democratic Saline County on the district's eastern boundary, Thurston County which only moved into the district in 2023, and Dakota County which has only been within the district since 2013, the last Democrat to carry any county within the district at a presidential level was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Although the Nebraska Legislature is elected on a nonpartisan basis, all but two members representing significant portions of the district are known to be Republicans. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI) of R+29, it is the most Republican congressional district outside Appalachia. Because Nebraska awards an Electoral College vote from each district, it is the most Republican Electoral College constituency. It is currently held by Republican Adrian Smith, who was first elected in 2006.

Recent results in statewide races

Year Office Results
1992 President George H.W. Bush 50% – Bill Clinton 24%
1996 President Bob Dole 59% – Bill Clinton 29%
2000 President George W. Bush 71% – Al Gore 25%
2004 President George W. Bush 75% – John Kerry 24%
2008 President John McCain 69% – Barack Obama 30%
2012 President Mitt Romney 70% – Barack Obama 28%
2016 President Donald Trump 74% – Hillary Clinton 20%
2020 President Donald Trump 75% – Joe Biden 22%
2022 Governor Pillen 75% – Carol Blood 21%

List of members representing the district

Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history
District established March 4, 1883

Edward K. Valentine
(West Point)
Republican March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1885
48th Redistricted from at-large district and re-elected in 1882.
Retired.

George W. E. Dorsey
(Fremont)
Republican March 4, 1885 –
March 3, 1891
49th
50th
51st
Elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Lost re-election.

Omer Madison Kem
(Broken Bow)
Populist March 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1893
52nd Elected in 1890.
Redistricted to the 6th district.

George de Rue Meiklejohn
(Fullerton)
Republican March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1897
53rd
54th
Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Retired.

Samuel Maxwell
(Fremont)
Populist March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1899
55th Elected in 1896.
Retired.

John Seaton Robinson
(Madison)
Democratic March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1903
56th
57th
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Lost re-election.

John J. McCarthy
(Ponca)
Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1907
58th
59th
Elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Lost renomination.

John Frank Boyd
(Neligh)
Republican March 4, 1907 –
March 3, 1909
60th Elected in 1906.
Lost re-election.

James P. Latta
(Tekamah)
Democratic March 4, 1909 –
September 11, 1911
61st
62nd
Elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Died.
Vacant September 11, 1911 –
November 7, 1911
62nd

Dan V. Stephens
(Fremont)
Democratic November 7, 1911 –
March 3, 1919
62nd
63rd
64th
65th
Elected to finish Latta's term.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Lost re-election.

Robert E. Evans
(Dakota City)
Republican March 4, 1919 –
March 3, 1923
66th
67th
Elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Lost re-election.

Edgar Howard
(Columbus)
Democratic March 4, 1923 –
January 3, 1935
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
73rd
Elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Lost re-election.

Karl Stefan
(Norfolk)
Republican January 3, 1935 –
October 2, 1951
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
82nd
Elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Died.
Vacant October 2, 1951 –
December 4, 1951
82nd

Robert Dinsmore Harrison
(Norfolk)
Republican December 4, 1951 –
January 3, 1959
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
Elected to finish Stefan's term.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Lost re-election.

Lawrence Brock
(Wakefield)
Democratic January 3, 1959 –
January 3, 1961
86th Elected in 1958.
Lost re-election.

Ralph F. Beermann
(Dakota City)
Republican January 3, 1961 –
January 3, 1963
87th Elected in 1960.
Redistricted to the 1st district.

David Martin
(Kearney)
Republican January 3, 1963 –
December 31, 1974
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Retired and then resigned early.
Vacant December 31, 1974 –
January 3, 1975
93rd

Virginia Smith
(Chappell)
Republican January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1991
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
Elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Retired.

Bill Barrett
(Lexington)
Republican January 3, 1991 –
January 3, 2001
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
Elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Retired.

Tom Osborne
(Lemoyne)
Republican January 3, 2001 –
January 3, 2007
107th
108th
109th
Elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Retired to run for Governor of Nebraska.

Adrian Smith
(Gering)
Republican January 3, 2007 –
present
110th
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
118th
Elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.

Election history

2004

General election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Osborne (Incumbent) 218,751 87.5%
Democratic Donna J. Anderson 26,434 10.5%
Nebraska Joseph A. Rosberg 3,396 1.4%
Green Roy Guisinger 1,555 .6%
Total votes 250,136 100.0%
Republican hold

2006

General election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith 113,687 54.99%
Democratic Scott Kleeb 93,046 45.01%
Total votes 206,733 100.0%
Republican hold

2008

General election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 183,117 76.87%
Democratic Jay C. Stoddard 55,087 23.13%
Total votes 238,204 100.0%
Republican hold

2010

General election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 117,275 70.12%
Democratic Rebekah Davis 29,932 17.9%
Independent Dan Hill 20,036 11.98%
Total votes 167,243 100.0%
Republican hold

2012

General election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 187,423 74.2%
Democratic Mark Sullivan 65,266 25.8%
Total votes 252,689 100.0%
Republican hold

2014

General election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 139,440 75.4%
Democratic Mark Sullivan 45,524 24.6%
Total votes 184,964 100.0%
Republican hold

2016

General election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 226,720 100%
Total votes 226,720 100.0%
Republican hold

2018

General election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 163,650 76.7%
Democratic Paul Theobald 49,654 23.3%
Total votes 213,304 100.0%
Republican hold

2020

General election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (Incumbent) 225,157 78.5%
Democratic Mark Elworth Jr. 50,690 17.7%
Libertarian Dustin C. Hobbs 10,923 3.8%
Total votes 336,962 100.0%
Republican hold

2022

General election, 2022[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adrian Smith (incumbent) 172,700 78.30%
Democratic David Else 34,836 15.79%
Legal Marijuana Now Mark Elworth Jr. 13,016 5.90%
Total votes 220,552 100%
Republican hold

Historical district boundaries

2013–2023
2003–2013

See also

References

  1. "My Congressional District".
  2. "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  3. Evnen, Robert B. (November 8, 2022). 2022 General Canvass Book (PDF). Nebraska Secretary of State. p. 11. Retrieved December 14, 2022.

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