Laura Ebke

Laura Ebke is a politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. A resident of the city of Crete in the southeastern part of the state, she was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2014. Ebke describes herself as "a Republican and a conservative libertarian".^[1]

Early life and career

Ebke was raised in Fairbury, Nebraska. Her family has a history of political involvement in the Fairbury area. One of her grandfathers served as the city's mayor; the other, on the city council. Her mother sat on the Fairbury School Board. Her father, Ron Schwab, was also the city's mayor and, in 2006, ran unsuccessfully against Russ Karpisek for the 32nd District seat in the Nebraska Legislature.^[2][3]

Ebke graduated from Fairbury High School in 1980. While in college, she married Russ Ebke. Russ attended medical school in Omaha; then, after his residency, had a five-year committment to the U.S. Navy, during which the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and then to North Carolina. During their stay in Tennessee, Ebke completed her bachelor's degree, then earned a Master of Arts degree in political science at the University of Memphis. Russ completed his stint in the Navy in 1995, and the family moved to Crete. In 2005, Ebke received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She subsequently taught part-time at several colleges, among them Southeast Community College.^[2][4][5]

In 2002, Ebke won election to the Crete School Board, on which she served for 12 years. In 2008, she became the chair of the newly-chartered Nebraska chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus, an organization promoting libertarian positions within the Republican Party.^[2][4][6][7]

2014 election

Crete and Fairbury both lie within the 32nd Legislative District, which encompasses Fillmore, Jefferson, Saline, Thayer, and the southwestern corner of Lancaster counties.^[4][8] In 2014, incumbent legislator Russ Karpisek, who had defeated Ebke's father in 2006 and then run unopposed in 2010, was ineligible to run for a third consecutive term under Nebraska's term-limits law.^[3][9] In June 2013, Ebke announced that she would run for the seat.^[8]

In January 2014, Crete veterinarian Phil Hardenburger announced his candidacy.^[10] Hardenburger, a registered Democrat who described himself as "more of a centrist",^[3] stated that high property taxes were among his chief concerns; he favored relieving them by revenue-increasing adjustments in the state's corporate tax and by increasing state aid to cities and counties.^[3][11] Ebke, too, expressed concern about property taxes, but favored keeping them in check via a lid on local tax levies.^[3] Hardenburger supported the use of human embryonic stem cells in research, and abortion in cases of rape, incest, or danger to maternal health;^[3] Ebke described herself as "unequivocally... pro-life".^[12] Hardenburger decried the Legislature's decision not to expand Medicaid under the provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act;^[3] Ebke declared herself opposed to the expansion of Medicaid.^[13]

In the nonpartisan primary election, Ebke received 4401 votes, or 55% of the total; Hardenburger, 3576 votes, or 45%.^[14] Hardenburger attributed his loss in the primary to a low turnout of Democratic voters.^[3] The Democratic party hoped for a higher turnout of sympathetic voters in the general election, when a measure to increase the state's minimum wage was on the ballot;^[15] in the District 32 race, Hardenburger favored an increase^[3] while Ebke opposed it.^[5]

In the general election, Ebke narrowly defeated Hardenburger, with 6102 votes, or 50.7% of the total, to Hardenburger's 5941 votes, or 49.3%.^[16] Hardenburger won in Saline County, where Crete is located; but Ebke won in the other four counties that lie wholly or partly in the district.^[17]

Legislative tenure

In the 2015 session of the Legislature, Ebke was named to the Business and Labor, the Judiciary, and the Urban Affairs Committees.^[18]

References