Ballard focused on growth; Derner says he represents change in District 21 race

Property taxes remain a top concern for homeowners in northwest Lincoln and northern Lancaster County, according to the two candidates vying to represent those areas in the Legislature as the District 21 state senator.

Incumbent Sen. Beau Ballard and challenger Seth Derner said they offer voters a choice in how to pursue a solution at the statehouse should they be elected in the Nov. 5 general election.

Ballard won the May primary with 54.2% of the vote over Derner, who received 30% of the support in the three-way race. A second challenger, Bryan Paseka, a Democrat, received 15.4% of the votes.

As a small-business owner and former legislative staffer, Ballard said he believes the Legislature can ease the burden of taxpayers by shifting more of the cost of funding public schools to the state.

In 2023, Ballard joined a majority of lawmakers in creating the Education Future Fund, which provides public schools with funding for each student, in theory allowing local school districts to lower their property tax levy.

Ballard, 30, said that program was a good first step and pledged to do more.

"The folks I talk to say they have no problem paying for good schools, good roads, but it's that 15-25% increase year after year that is problematic," Ballard said. "If we can take those increases into account and look at taking that off the property taxpayers, it's going to help."

Derner, a 49-year-old former teacher who started an education technology company in Lincoln, said the conversation with voters about property taxes has shifted following a special session of the Legislature this summer.

Voters have recognized raising other taxes to reduce property taxes "doesn't accomplish much," Derner said, adding they understand the need for high-quality schools and roads.

Derner said he would work with other senators to consider broader ideas, including how to bring new revenue into the state to reduce property taxes in order to "bend the curve back in the other direction."

"I think the majority of people are reasonable," Derner said. "They want us to find efficiencies in spending and target tax relief for the people doing the working and (who) live in the state."

Abortion also a difference

Nebraska voters are going to have their say this fall on whether or not to enshrine the existing law that bans abortions after about 12 weeks into the state constitution (Initiative 434).

Or, alternatively, Nebraska voters could create a constitutional right that would allow women to seek an abortion until fetal viability (Initiative 439).

Ballard voted in support of a bill (LB626) that would have banned abortion after about six weeks that fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster in 2023.

He later joined other Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Legislature in voting for another bill (LB574) banning certain medical procedures for transgender youth that was used as a vehicle to make the current 12-week abortion ban the law.

Ballard said he continues to support that law and will vote for Initiative 434: "I think that's where most Nebraskans are."

"When I explain the vote we took, people do have some understanding on that issue," he added. "Nebraskans are going to decide."

Derner, who has criticized Ballard for supporting a ban, said the majority of voters he's spoken with understand abortion is not a "black and white" issue.

Rather, they understand the nuances involved in a difficult and personal decision, and they agree that the state should not impose overly rigid restrictions.

"I think I'm where a lot of people are," he said. "There are some people who are pretty adamant about their positions, but I think the vast majority of people are pretty reasonable.

"We need to trust people to make decisions because they are going to make the decisions that are best for their family," Derner added.

Ballard focused on growth

A lifelong resident of District 21, Ballard grew up in Raymond and attended Parkview Christian High School before leaving the state to pursue a degree in business finance and political science from Colorado Christian University.

After returning home, he earned a master of business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, opened two businesses including Butterfly Bakery in the Haymarket, and went to work as a staff member for then-Sen. Mike Hilgers, who represented the district at the time.

Ballard was later appointed by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, in partnership with incoming Gov. Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy left by Hilgers' election as attorney general, and said since then he has focused on policies that would lure young people to Nebraska and keep them here.

In his first two years, Ballard sponsored legislation to study construction of the East Beltway in Lincoln, as well as to create a turnback tax to fund a downtown convention center in the Capital City.

Both of those bills have drawn support from Lincoln's bipartisan delegation in the state Legislature, he said, allowing Ballard to work across the aisle on issues that matter locally as well as to the state.

If elected to a full-term in the Legislature, Ballard said he would continue to focus on what he described as a growth agenda, which includes making child care more affordable, expanding housing options and boosting the workforce.

Those are issues that are important in both the rural and urban parts of the district, said Ballard, who lives in Lincoln with his wife, Katie.

"When I talk to my peers, they are of that age where they are relocating and starting families," he said. "It's everything from taxes to recreational opportunities, the cost of living, vibrant urban areas and also good schools."

Ballard said he believes those goals can be accomplished by what he calls "good conservative public policy," including low taxes, less government regulation and prioritizing resources for growth.

"It's actually tackling the issues we hear about going door-to-door," he said.

Derner says representation matters

A native of Wheeler County, Derner grew up on a ranch before obtaining a degree in agricultural science from UNL. Upon graduating, he taught ag and shop class at Elgin High School for four years before moving out of the state for a time.

Then, Derner moved back to Lincoln, where he started Vivayic, an educational technology company, with his wife, Carrie. Vivayic recently celebrated its 18th year of business.

"We've grown a lot the last few years and we've got folks we can turn over responsibilities to," Derner said. "I was in a spot where I had more time and — I know this sounds corny — was looking for ways to give back."

In addition to helping start the Neighbors United Methodist Church and a local farmers market in his Fallbrook neighborhood, Derner said he was looking for other causes or political candidates to support, ultimately landing on seeking office himself.

Derner, a registered Democrat, said he has the skill set needed for the unicameral system's emphasis on nonpartisan consensus-building and unique problem-solving that can move the state forward while representing the people of District 21.

"I'm not the smartest person in the room, but I will ask questions and I'm not afraid of ideas," he said. "We don't have to throw Hail Marys all the time; let's get first downs."

Younger voters have expressed the need for more affordable child care options, as well as affordable housing, he said, which are issues he would tackle if elected, while older voters in the district shared stories about access to health care.

Businesses have communicated a need for qualified employees to grow or stay in Nebraska, which Derner said plays into his support for high-quality education in the state.

But, Derner said he's running to present voters of District 21 with a clear choice for how to proceed.

"If you're frustrated with the culture or frustrated with the direction of things, this is a chance to change those things and have someone who is only interested in representing the people of District 21," Derner said.

Change in political landscape

The redrawing of the Legislature's political boundaries in 2021 resulted in District 21 receding from northwest Lincoln and growing to encompass more of rural Lancaster County.

In addition to the Highlands, Arnold Heights and Fallbrook neighborhoods in northwest Lincoln, the district stretches farther east, occupying all of northern Lancaster County, including Waverly.

The changing boundaries shifted the political landscape somewhat, bringing more Republican voters into the district.

In October 2020, which saw record turnout across the state, a little more than 40% of voters in District 21 were registered Republicans, while 33% were registered Democrats.

By the midterm election in November 2022, a little less than 45% of voters in District 21 were registered Republicans, while the share of Democrats had shrunk to just under 30%.

As of Oct. 1, about 45.3% of voters in District 1 are Republicans compared to 28.4% of the electorate who are registered Democrats. About 24% are registered nonpartisan in the district.

There are a total of 25,755 registered voters in District 21, which is about 500 fewer than at this time in the race four years ago.

In the race for Nebraska Legislature's District 21 seat, Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln seeks a full term after he was appointed by then-Gov. Ricketts. He's challenged by Seth Derner.

Here is the Lincoln Journal Star's comprehensive guide to the 2024 Nebraska general election.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or .

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Higher education/statehouse reporter