Four incumbents win bids for reelection to NU Board of Regents
All four incumbents up for reelection to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents appeared to win another term in Tuesday's election.
Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice once again outdistanced challenger Gary L. Rogge of Auburn for the District 5 seat encompassing 11 counties in Southeast Nebraska.
In totals reported at 10:05 p.m. Tuesday, Schafer, a 56-year-old attorney and business owner who chairs the board, received 62% of the vote cast in Tuesday's general election to Rogge, a 78-year-old retired farmer who received 38%.
With the win, Schafer will serve a second six-year term on the board responsible for hiring NU's president, setting tuition rates and approving the university's budget.
Two Omaha-area regents also sailed to second terms Tuesday on the NU board.
Regent Elizabeth O'Connor, who represents the eastern third of Douglas County which makes up District 4, defeated challenger Jim Rogers, a former professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
O'Connor, 34, received 68% of the general election vote, while Rogers earned 32%.
Also in Omaha, Regent Barb Weitz defeated challenger Zachary Mellender for the District 8 seat, which encompasses northwestern Douglas County as well as a swath of central Omaha.
Weitz, a 76-year-old former faculty member at UNO, ran ahead of Mellender, a 29-year-old business systems manager at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, by a margin of 65% to 35%.
The District 3 seat, which represents northeastern Nebraska, was decided in May's primary.
Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Jim Pillen in 2023, earned a full six-year term in Tuesday's election.
Photos: 2024 Election Day in LincolnCheck out photos from around Lincoln on Election Day.
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