District details
Day is a mother and former business owner. She and her husband owned Artis Strength and Fitness where she was a certified strength coach. She became involved in advocacy work, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2016. Day said she is running to push back on extremism in the government and find solutions to Nebraskans’ everyday problems. She wants voters to know that she is passionate about young parents being represented in government.
U.S. Air Force veteran Bob Andersen said he is running to represent the district’s values and restore a commonsense conservative approach to government. He works for a defense contractor that supports the U.S. Air Force, and he also co-owns an early childhood education business with his wife. They have two children. He wants voters to know he will do his due diligence and look at issues from all sides and be transparent.
Andersen received endorsements from Nebraska Farm Bureau, Gov. Jim Pillen and four of the five members of the Sarpy County Board, among others. Day has the endorsement of the state teacher’s union, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska and the Nebraska AFL-CIO, among others.
Day listed $81,861 cash on hand as of June, while Andersen had $17,605.
On the issues
Day and Andersen both said they would prioritize property tax relief and seek to cap property valuation increases. Day said the Legislature needs to figure out how to fund education so property owners don’t carry the burden. She also believes the government needs additional revenue streams, such as legalizing medical marijuana and online gambling. Andersen said Nebraska’s current tax policy makes the state less attractive to new businesses and hinders economic growth. Property taxes – the No. 1 issue raised by voters – contribute to the brain drain, he said.
On school choice, Day said she believes public dollars should go to public schools, not fund vouchers for private schools that aren’t held to the same standards. Andersen supports school choice and said, “It is our obligation to ensure every child in Nebraska has access to the best education to prepare them for the future.”
One of Andersen’s top priorities is to ensure people whose sex at birth was male do not participate in women’s sports. Legislation implementing such a ban failed to gain enough support earlier this year. Andersen said “allowing boys to compete as girls in competition steals opportunities away from the ladies” and is unfair. Day was a vocal opponent of the bill that failed earlier this year, calling it an example of legislation “introduced to cause division and stir anger.” She added that the Nebraska School Activities Association has policies in place that the state can follow.
They also differed on abortion. Day, who has opposed abortion-restricting bills in the Legislature, including the state’s current 12-week ban, said she opposes “government overreach into private medical decisions,” adding that it can have “devastating effects on Nebraskans.” Andersen said he personally believes life begins at conception but he recognizes many voters don’t share that position. He supports maintaining the state’s current 12-week ban with limited exceptions.
Location
The Sarpy County district includes the Chalco Hills Recreation Area and parts of La Vista and Papillion. Its southern border is Schram Road and its northern border is the Sarpy County line.
In the primary
Day won 43% of the votes, Andersen won 35% and Caleb Muhs received 22%. Muhs endorsed Andersen after he lost. Day defeated the Republican incumbent in 2020 by just 266 votes.
