District details
Ray Aguilar and Dan Quick will have a rematch of a 2020 race that saw Aguilar oust Quick from office. It appears to be one of the few competitive legislative races involving candidates of opposing parties, meaning it could have implications for the political makeup of the Legislature.
Aguilar, a Republican, is a retired business owner and a former building and grounds director, construction supervisor and production manager, according to his Unicameral biography. He served two terms in the Legislature before running again and narrowly winning in 2020.
Quick, a Democrat, worked 28 years for the Grand Island Utilities Department, according to his campaign website. He served as president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1597 and president of the Nebraska State Utilities Conference.
Both men have crossed party lines at times.
Aguilar broke with other Republicans over accepting federal assistance – specifically rental assistance for lower income Nebraskans and money for a federal summer food program for kids. Overall, Aguilar has a conservative voting record. He supported the current 12-week abortion ban and signed onto the Sports and Spaces Act, a bill seeking to restrict K-12 students bathroom access and sports participation to their gender assigned at birth.
Quick also crossed the political aisle on controversial votes in the Legislature. He supported a 2020 bill prohibiting “dismemberment abortion.” And he supported a 2019 bill, opposed by most other Democrats, requiring abortion providers to share information with patients about how they could “reverse” their abortion if the patient had taken the first of two drugs needed for a medication abortion and changed their mind.
In a nod to the competitiveness of the race, both candidates have spent significant sums this year. Aguilar reported spending $100,015 this year. As of June, he had a campaign balance of $31,102. Quick reported $81,038 in expenditures for the year. He had $81,736 on hand as of June.
Aguilar has the endorsement of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Right to Life and most elected Republicans in state and federal offices. Quick has the endorsement of the state teacher’s union, the Nebraska Association of Public Employees and the Nebraska AFL-CIO.
On the issues
Aguilar did not complete the Flatwater Free Press questionnaire. His campaign website states that he will invest in schools, create jobs and support law enforcement and veterans. He wants to provide property tax relief and advocate for responsible state spending. His website promotes his work to secure funding for the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery in Grand Island and his support for the exemption of military retirement benefits from income taxes. He also co-sponsored the bill that allowed permitless concealed carry of firearms in Nebraska.
Quick did not complete the Flatwater Free Press questionnaire. His campaign website states he would enhance Nebraska’s economy through job creation, workforce training and attracting new businesses. He wants to stop wasteful government spending and control property taxes. Quick wants Grand Island to receive more state aid for education to reduce property taxes. Additionally he touted his legislative work to help cities prioritize early childhood education centers and combat human trafficking.
Aguilar, who voted “present” on the final vote for a 2024 bill allowing tax dollars to fund private school scholarships, told the Nebraska Family Alliance’s voter guide that he supports school choice. Quick has the endorsement of the state teacher’s union, which generally opposes school choice legislation. In 2018, Quick put forward an amendment to a school choice bill that would have required private schools benefiting from the program to submit a financial report to the state. The bill did not end up going to a vote.
Location
The district covers most of Grand Island east of U.S. Highway 281 and north of Stolley Park Road.
In the primary
Quick received 92 more votes than Aguiliar in the primary – marking one of the narrowest contests in the spring.
