Nebraska Legislature, District 15: Firefighter, businesswoman vie to replace Sen. Lynne Walz

A businesswoman who says she has the credentials to promote growth is vying against a firefighter supported by several firefighter groups and labor unions in the District 15 race for Nebraska Legislature.

The two Republican candidates, Roxie Kracl and Dave Wordekemper, are vying to replace State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, who is barred by term limits from running again.

Walz is finishing up her second term in the eastern Nebraska district that includes the communities of Fremont, Valley, Waterloo and North Bend, as well as Hooper, Scribner, Snyder, Uehling and Dodge.

Fremont — the county seat — is in Dodge County, where registered Republican's outnumber Democrats by more than 2-1. About one-fifth of voters are nonpartisan.

Kracl is president of the Credit Bureau Services in Fremont, a credit and collections company that provides programs for Nebraska businesses.

She is a former chair of the Dodge County Republican Party and endorsed by the Nebraska Farm Bureau, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg and former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman. Her campaign received $5,000 from the Nebraska Realtors PAC, $2,500 from Credit Bureau Services of Fremont and contributions from various business-related entities.

For 30 years, Kracl said, she's been involved in efforts to grow the city of Fremont. She's served on boards and committees, including the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Improvement District and the board overseeing the annual John C. Fremont celebration.

"I've spent 34 years here at Credit Bureau," Kracl said. "I represent over 500 Nebraska businesses. I'm working on developing and implementing good strong financial policies to keep businesses healthy. And those are the same philosophies I would take to Lincoln."

Wordekemper, a Fremont firefighter, is the eastern vice president for the Nebraska Professional Fire Fighters Association, the AFL-CIO affiliated union representing more than 1,300 Nebraska fire fighters and emergency medical personnel. Wordekemper was formerly president of the Fremont Fire Fighters Local 1015.

His campaign has received $2,500 from the Nebraska State Education Association PAC, $5,000 from Firefighters for Better Government in Omaha, $5,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC Voluntary Fund in Washington, D.C., and $500 from the Nebraska State AFL-CIO.

As a firefighter and paramedic, Wordekemper said, he has spent 30 years helping people during their worst times, trying to make things better for them.

"My goal when I go down to the Legislature is to carry that forward," he said. "I want to go down there, represent them and try to make things better for them in the state."

Among his top priorities will be resolving the property tax issue and ensuring that all kids have an equal opportunity to get a good education.

He said he also wants to find ways to make life more affordable for the state's elderly population.

"I think they're getting priced out of their homes with the property taxes, insurance rates," he said.

Both candidates were asked for their positions on abortion, gender-affirming medical care for minors, school choice and online sports betting.

"I'm Catholic," Wordekemper said. "I'm pro-life. And I don't agree with the ending of life, whatever phase they are."

He said he can "live with" the state's current law, passed in 2023, that prohibits abortions after 12 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

"Is it ultimately what I believe? No. I don't believe in ending a life. If there's a heartbeat, I believe it's another person. But I understand I represent the community, and the voters will decide" on Election Day, he said.

Two abortion-related initiatives are on the Nov. 5 ballot. One would secure the right to abortion up until the point of fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the mother. The other would essentially affirm what's in state law, prohibiting abortion in the second or third trimesters, with exceptions for medical emergencies, sexual assault or incest.

Kracl said she's not in favor of changing the law.

"I currently just stand with the current law that we have into place, allowing the 12 weeks. . . with the exceptions for incest, rape, those types of things," she said.

Regarding gender-affirming care, Kracl said minors should not be getting surgeries or taking drugs.

"Kids don't necessarily know exactly what they want in life, for the rest of their lives, at a young age," she said. "Once they're an adult, they can do what they want to do."

Wordekemper expressed a similar position.

"I don't think minors should be able to make those decisions," he said. "We don't let kids at a young age drive. We don't let them vote until they're 18. I'm not okay with them making those kinds of decisions before they're mature enough."

Candidates were also asked about the issue of allowing transgender boys access to girls' locker rooms and sports teams — an issue that prompted introduction of the unsuccessful Sports and Spaces Act in the Legislature.

Kracl said access to locker rooms and teams should be on the basis of biological sex.

"I don't believe in allowing them, boys, to be in girls' restrooms," she said. "I would hope that we can just keep it separate while they're in school."

Wordekemper said: "I believe the gender you were born at at birth is the bathroom that you use," he said. "And I'm for protecting women's sports."

Debate over "school choice" boiled over this year in Nebraska stemming from the passage of a law appropriating $10 million for education scholarships for qualifying students to attend K-12 private or parochial schools. A measure on this year's ballot would repeal the measure.

Kracl said she opposes the repeal. Wordekemper said he's OK with question going to the ballot, because the voters will decide.

"We'll have the makeup of the population of the whole state decide on it versus 49 state senators," he said.

Advocates of online sports betting say they'll try to make betting via phones legal when lawmakers convene next year.

Currently, sports bettors must place their bets in person inside one of Nebraska's casinos.

"To me," Wordekemper said, "it would make sense that, if you're going to allow gambling in the state, you should be able to allow people to do it from their phone if they want."

Kracl said she would probably support mobile sports gambling.

"Individuals are already doing it," she said. "So if we can find some revenues, some tax dollars that we can get in on it, I think it's silly not to."

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