The Hill’s 50 races to watch

Nebraska Senate

Bob Kerrey (D) vs Deb Fischer (R)

Bob Kerrey served three terms in the Senate from Nebraska, but he is a significant underdog in his bid to return to Washington after a 12-year absence.

Kerrey has lived in New York for much of that time as president of The New School, and Republicans have used his Big Apple hiatus against him from the moment he began eyeing the race. The Republican is Deb Fischer, a state legislator who won an upset victory in a three-way GOP primary over heavily-favored state Attorney General Jon Bruning and state Treasurer Don Stenberg. 

Fischer and Kerrey are running to replace the retiring centrist Sen. Ben Nelson (D) in a state that has moved further to the right since Kerrey last lived there. The most recent poll for the Omaha World-Herald gave Fischer a 16-point lead, and the race is considered the GOP’s most sure-fire opportunity to gain a seat in the Senate.

The Hill rates this race as likely Republican.

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