Incumbent Schafer faces retired farmer in regents race

Four seats are up for election this November on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, which is responsible for governance and oversight of the state's only public university system.

The eight-member Board of Regents is responsible for hiring NU's president, setting tuition and room and board rates for students, approving annual operating budgets and reviewing academic programs.

Each of the four elections features a sitting incumbent, but only three of the races will be contested this fall, including District 5, which includes Gage County.

Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, who currently serves as the chair of the board, will seek his second full term on the board this November.

The 56-year-old attorney was first appointed by then-Gov. Dave Heineman in 2013 to fill a vacancy left by Lavon Heidemann, who after winning the District 5 seat in 2012 was asked to become lieutenant governor.

Schafer later won a contentious race to complete the term in 2014 before winning a full six-year term in 2018.

An alum of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who went on to become a business owner, farmer and member of the Nebraska National Guard, Schafer said he is "living proof" of the American dream and the power of higher education.

Schafer said he will focus on keeping tuition affordable for Nebraska families and making NU a stronger force for economic development in the state.

A registered Republican, Schafer won the primary election with 55% of the vote in District 5, which stretches across Southeast Nebraska.

His opponent, Gary Rogge, a 78-year-old retired farmer from Auburn, received 25% of the 41,000 votes cast in May.

Rogge, a UNL alum, said he'll "bring common sense to the board" by reducing spending on infrastructure projects and using that money instead to pay instructors more and provide scholarships to students.

A registered independent, Rogge indicated he'll reexamine NU's push to rejoin the prestigious Association of American Universities to determine if it is feasible or not.

NU's main focus, Rogge said, should be to "promote forward thinking" and advance the state's economy through education.

Jerome Wohleb, who was also seeking the District 5 seat, was eliminated in May's primary with 19% of the vote.

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