District details

Erickson, a Democrat, is an attorney. His immediate and extended family were public school teachers, according to his campaign website. As an attorney, he has served as a guardian ad litem for juveniles, working in their best interests in court proceedings. He has served on the Grace Cancer Foundation and the Third City Community Clinic board of directors, respectively.

Jones, a Republican, is a retired educator of 35 years. Nebraskans elected her to the Nebraska State Board of Education in 2022, and she was a member of the Association of American Educators during her last 24 years of teaching.

Multiple former state senators, local community members and organizations, including local political parties, have endorsed Jones. See all individual endorsers on her campaign website.

On the issues

Erickson said he’s running because of a trend of destabilizing public education and elected officials’ ignorance of Nebraska voters’ will on school voucher programs. Jones said she’s running again because the work she started after “the Lord called me to run in 2021” is not yet finished.

Jones said she’s the most qualified candidate because of her background. Beyond her 35 years of being an educator, she said she has attended both public and parochial schools, her kids attended public schools and she knows people who homeschool, making her familiar with all forms of education. Erickson said he’s the most qualified because his career has trained him to see all sides of any argument, seek commonality where possible and stand on principle when needed. He said he’s uniquely qualified to focus on what’s best for students.

Erickson said his top priority would be addressing chronic absenteeism, as he has seen the path students could find themselves on as a result. He said he would focus on giving younger students paths toward feeling more successful in school. Jones said her priorities would be the same as those in the Nebraska Department of Education’s strategic plan: the educator workforce shortage, improving student proficiency and decreasing chronic absenteeism.

Jones said she would boost teacher retention by encouraging school districts to consider Educator Rising clubs in high schools. She said local school districts can impact retention the most, specifically in the context of issues like student misbehavior and insufficient administrative support. Erickson said bureaucracy, local pressures and financial constraints are causing teachers to leave the profession. He said the State Board of Education and other entities should work together to implement policies that solve these issues.

Erickson said he would first propose that a subcommittee look into school districts labeled as needing support to improve when asked about efforts to boost proficiency scores. He said the subcommittee could see if there are commonalities in the problem, whether it’s unique to those areas of the state or if there’s a systemic barrier. Jones said statewide efforts to boost scores are ambitious yet attainable. She said the board should continue monitoring the gains of grant-funded efforts and ensuring Nebraska’s educator preparation programs are preparing people to effectively teach reading.

Jones said the current education commissioner’s performance is commendable, and she has confidence in his ability to advance the board’s strategic plan. Erickson said the commissioner’s resume speaks for itself, and his character is beyond reproach.

Erickson said his personal and professional experiences allow him to examine the short- and long-term implications of issues simultaneously, which most distinguishes him from his opponent. He said he is the only person running for the district with the ability to bring objectivity back to the board. Jones said her educational background and previous tenure set her apart from her opponent, as there would be no learning curve and already-established relationships if she is elected. She said her conservative beliefs align well with the majority of District 6, and being retired allows her to fully examine board matters.