Nebraska Legislature, District 3: Two Air Force veterans vying for Sarpy County seat

Two Air Force veterans are vying to replace State Sen. Carol Blood representing Sarpy County's legislative District 3.

Republican Felix Ungerman and Democrat Victor Rountree will face off in the general election. In the May primary election, Ungerman received 53.1% of the vote in the primary election, while Rountree received 46.9%.

District 3 encompasses most of Bellevue west of South 25th Street and the portion of Papillion east of 72nd Street and south of Cornhusker Road.

In 2022, the district was 72.7% White, 5.3% Black, 17% Hispanic and 2.4% Asian. As of October, the Nebraska Secretary of State reported 9,330 registered Republicans, 6,642 registered Democrats and 6,528 registered nonpartisan voters in the district.

Blood, a Democrat, has represented the district since 2016 but is term-limited. Blood is now challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood in Nebraska's 1st Congressional District.

Who are the candidates for legislative District 3?

Ungerman, 55, lives in Bellevue with his wife Katina. They have three children and five grandchildren.

Ungerman worked as an electronic warfare officer in the Air Force. After two years spent in Michigan, he moved to Offutt Air Force Base in 1994 and remained there for the majority of his career.

Ungerman also worked under President George W. Bush from 2002 to 2005 as part of the White House Advance Team and as an officer managing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. He also commanded a counterinsurgency battalion in the Army in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 and was in Pakistan from 2014 to 2015 working on counterterrorism.

"That helped me to understand what strategic executive leaders learn and do," he said of his military experience, "and having those kind of skills to be able to walk in and be able to engage at a strategic level of, 'What's best for all of Nebraska?'"

Ungerman retired from the Air Force in 2016 as a colonel. He then worked on U.S. Rep. Don Bacon's 2016 campaign and joined the staff after Bacon was elected, eventually becoming deputy chief of staff. Ungerman resigned from that role in June to focus full-time on his campaign for the Legislature.

Ungerman also worked as the director for Omaha Rapid Response, a nonprofit focused on disaster recovery, during the Arbor Day tornado response in April.

Rountree, 65, lives in Bellevue with his wife Cheryl. They have three children and one grandchild.

Rountree joined the Air Force in 1980 and was first assigned to Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. Assignments after that took him to the United Kingdom, Washington D.C., Germany, North Dakota and New Mexico. He served primarily as a comptroller, culminating in his role a comptroller squadron and wing staff superintendent.

Rountree also served five years as a first sergeant, during which he deployed to Bahrain from September 2001 until January 2002. He also deployed to Qatar from September 2007 to January 2008 as a comptroller superintendent, during which he also spent time in Iraq and Kyrgyzstan. The Air Force brought Rountree to Offutt in 2008, where he retired in 2010 as a chief master sergeant.

Rountree later served in a civilian role as the budget officer at Offutt. He also worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 2019 until January 2024 and a substitute teacher from 2017 to 2019. He recently renewed his substitute teacher license following his retirement from FEMA.

Rountree is also pastor of Endure to the End Ministries, Church of God in Christ in Bellevue.

"I want to understand what everyone's needs are, and how we can bring those together so that we can best effect what's good for Nebraskans," he said, "and I think my collaborative efforts and my background positions me to do that."

Rountree had raised a total of $202,346 as of Oct. 1, while Ungerman had raised $244,822, according to campaign statements. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts donated to Ungerman and Susanne Shore, Ricketts' wife, donated to Rountree.

Property taxes and cost of living top issues

Both candidates said property taxes and cost of living concerns are issues on which they would focus if elected.

Ungerman said he has met widows on the campaign trail struggling to keep up with property taxes after the loss of their spouses' income.

"Expanding the homestead exemption to anyone who's in that category of the struggling elderly, who can't do anything about their situation, would be my first priority," Ungerman said.

Ungerman also said he would look at ways to broaden the tax base, including potential tourism-related taxes and considering how to reduce burdensome taxes like the annual vehicle tax paid for the first 14 years of a vehicle's life.

Rountree said he is concerned about increased property taxes forcing people out of their homes. He also said he believes building up the state's workforce is essential and could be a way to decrease tax burdens on individuals.

Rountree said he has also heard from voters about the importance of having starter homes available for young families and working to make healthcare affordable and accessible.

"I want to ensure that we can attract and retain a good workforce and make it attractive for other businesses and other individuals to come into our state, into our district," he said.

Rountree said he does not believe the government should legislate on abortion.

Ungerman has said he is anti-abortion and believes "life at all stages should be cherished and protected," according to his campaign website.

Rountree is endorsed by Blood, the Nebraska State Education Association and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska.

Ungerman's endorsements include Bacon, Flood, U.S. Sens. Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer, Papillion Mayor David Black, Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike and Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

News Reporter