District details
Storer has endorsements from U.S. Rep. Mike Flood and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts — who also donated $10,000 to her campaign. State Sen. Tom Brewer, who currently holds the seat, is backing Tangwall, as is the Nebraska GOP and the Republican parties in Dawes, Sheridan and Garfield counties.
Storer, a rancher who served two terms on the Cherry County Board, challenged Brewer for his seat in 2020. Brewer won with 58% of the vote. Her website states she’s running for the Legislature to fight for families and the district’s conservative, rural values. Storer also received an endorsement from the Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Tangwall is a first-generation farmer and rancher based in Whitney. Tangwall told the Flatwater Free Press he is running for office to “defend constitutional values and restore the people’s voice in their state government.” He wants to bring common sense to the Legislature “that can only be acquired by truly having lived life in the same manner that most other Nebraskans have …”
Storer holds a significant cash advantage. Her campaign has received $115,325 in cash contributions this year. It had $42,701 as of June. Meanwhile, Tangwall has received $21,891 and had a balance of $1,217 as of June.
On the issues
Storer and Tangwall both attended a candidate forum in Broken Bow. According to KRVN Rural Radio, Storer called for adjusting the state aid school funding formula to lessen dependence on property taxes. Tangwall expressed his support for the EPIC tax initiative, which would replace income, property and inheritance taxes with a 7.5% consumption tax. He told the Flatwater Free Press that he believes this will help people keep the money they earn.
While the candidates have different ideas on property tax relief, they align on social issues. Storer, who did not respond to the Flatwater Free Press’ questionnaire, told the Nebraska Family Alliance’s voter guide that she supports legislation to restrict students’ sports participation and bathroom access to their gender assigned at birth. She also said she would not expand abortion. Storer’s priorities listed on her campaign website include attacking “the woke left agenda,” providing real tax relief and being a voice for agriculture, among others.
Tangwall’s priorities include “the defense of our children and their right to be free from ungodly indoctrination and to reel back and remove oppressive regulation that is choking … the very life out of our state and its people.” He said he would strongly support legislation similar to the bathroom and sports participation bill and he supports a total ban on abortion. He also supports the school choice bill passed by the Legislature earlier this year.
Location
The district covers a large part of the Sandhills and Nebraska’s northern border. It includes Blaine, Brown, Boyd, Cherry, Custer, Dawes, Garfield, Keya Paha, Loup, Rock and Sheridan counties.
In the primary
Storer received about 59% of the vote compared to Tangwall’s 41%.
