Nebraska Democrats battle GOP numbers

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By DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star

Nebraska Democrats trust in  James Thurber.

“There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else,” the wry essayist once wrote.

So the latest evidence of declining Democratic voter registration fortunes in Nebraska should be viewed more as challenge or opportunity than death warrant, Democrats say.

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Sen. Ben Nelson shakes hands with supporters Arson Rayford (left) and Dorothy Echols-Rayford after accepting his 2006 victory over Republican challenger Pete Ricketts. (LJS File)

Sen. Ben Nelson shakes hands with supporters Arson Rayford (left) and Dorothy Echols-Rayford after accepting his 2006 victory over Republican challenger Pete Ricketts. (LJS File)

And, in fact, they can lob some numbers back in return.

Here are the newest December voter registration figures for Lincoln:

Republicans, 65,399

Democrats, 55,338

Independents: 28,203

In Lancaster County, the Republican registration margin over Democrats has risen from about 4,300 in 1999 to nearly 14,000 this month.

Daunting.

Here’s the Democratic response:

Chris Beutler, 24,993

Ken Svoboda, 24,104

Those are the numbers that elected Beutler, a Democrat, over Svoboda, a Republican, in May’s nonpartisan race for mayor.

But look at these statewide voter registration numbers:

Republicans, 572,869

Democrats, 370,600

Independents, 187,004

The Republican registration advantage over Democrats has jumped from 145,000 in 2000 to 202,000.

Overwhelming.

Here’s the Democratic response:

Ben Nelson, 378,388

Pete Ricketts, 213,928

Those are the numbers that re-elected Nelson, a Democrat, over Ricketts, a Republican, in the 2006 Senate race.

“We believe Nebraskans vote more for the candidate than the party,” says Eric Fought, the Democratic Party’s state communications director.

“We find there’s a strong independent streak among Nebraska voters.”

That may be true, but Nelson is a lonely Democratic exception this decade.

Republicans won landslide gubernatorial elections in 2002 and 2006.  Sen. Chuck Hagel was a landslide winner in 2002. 

Since 2000, Republicans have won all 12 elections for House seats, most of them by tidy margins.

Voter registration figures give Republicans an advantage, GOP State Chairman Mark Quandahl says, but that doesn’t mean the party takes elections for granted.

“We still have to offer citizens good, quality candidates that represent and reflect the values and principles of Nebraskans.”

And the growing GOP registration advantage over Democrats indicates more new voters identify with Republican principles, he says.

The 202,000 statewide advantage in the 2006 election was up sharply from 179,000 in 2004.

Since 2000, the number of registered Republicans has increased by 35,000, while the number of Democrats decreased by 22,000.

The number of registered independents jumped by 34,000 during that period.

The newest Lancaster County figures are: Republicans, 75,017; Democrats, 61,131; independents, 31,301.

“Although the Republican margin keeps increasing,” county Election Commissioner Dave Shively says, “the percentage of registered voters who are Republicans remains about the same.

“One thing I’m noticing is that younger voters are tending to register more as nonpartisan.”

Meanwhile, Democratic voters who changed their registration to vote for Tom Osborne in last year’s Republican primary election are gradually starting to shift back to their original party, Shively says.

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com.