District details

Winter, a registered nonpartisan, is a farmer.

Hughes is endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business and the Nebraska Farm Bureau. 

On the issues

Hughes said she’s running to continue the momentum built during her first term. She said she wants to see through the progress that has been made on Nebraska’s funding of schools, the Prescription Drug Donation partnership with Iowa, vape regulations and other policies. Winter said he’s running to give Nebraskans a choice on the ballot.

Winter said a loss of revenue surplus is a significant issue in the district. Affordability is the largest issue of the district, Hughes said, because of rising costs. Hughes said legislators need to continue adjusting state taxes and fees while examining hidden costs that come with unnecessary regulations. 

Hughes said legislators need to modernize its sales tax code, and compare Nebraska to other states when it comes to it. She said the state should broaden the base of what is assessed a sales tax rather than raise the rate, and eliminate unnecessary tax exemptions. Winter said he disagrees with Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to increase Nebraska’s sales tax as it would make everyday purchases more expensive. He said the state could increase the property taxes of non-resident landowners, charging them a premium.

Winter said he generally agrees with the changes made to recent voter-approved ballot measures as they eased their implementation, but certain language changes were wrong. He said he disagrees with lawmakers’ lowering the inflation threshold of the minimum wage initiative and restrictions on the medical marijuana initiative. Hughes said she supports the changes made to voter-approved ballot initiatives. The language on the ballot does not contain the nuance of a state statute, she said, and being able to tweak language creates the best policy for the state.

Hughes said data centers will have to report water and electricity usage, incentives received and other information. She said the law passed that allows large data centers to sell excess energy capacity was a win. Winter said the economic boosts that data centers provide dwindle after construction, and Nebraska should be a good steward of its natural resources.

Hughes said lawmakers lowered the income tax rate and did not have any replacement revenue for the annual loss. She said broadening the sales tax base is a solution that would create a structural change. Winter again proposed increased property taxes for non-resident landowners and linking corporate tax cuts to the percentage of their employees on government aid. He said this would lessen the burden of property taxes while improving the income tax rate.

Winter said brain drain is happening because people feel Nebraska isn’t providing them opportunities for “The Good Life.” He said the state should increase green energy incentives, support businesses that focus on alternatives to corn and soybeans and make targeted investments in research and development grants for the university system. Hughes said the state needs to be better at reaching out to people in their late 20s and 30s who moved out of Nebraska. She said the state could attract people back to the state by reminding them of the quality of life Nebraska offers.