The 1996 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator J. James Exon decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican nominee Chuck Hagel won the open seat by 14 points, defeating incumbent Democratic governor Ben Nelson. Nelson would later be elected to Nebraska's other U.S. Senate seat in 2000 when Bob Kerrey retired and served alongside Hagel until 2009, when Hagel left the Senate after retiring.
As of 2025, this is the last time an incumbent governor failed to hold a Senate seat for his party. This was also the first time since Carl Curtis was elected to his final term in 1972 that a Republican was elected to either of Nebraska's Senate seats.[a]
No candidates filed for the Libertarian Party's nomination, but a primary election was still held, and 60 write-in votes were cast. Of those, 14 votes were cast for Republican Chuck Hagel and 11 for former State Senator John DeCamp. The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers voted 3-2 to certify Hagel as the nominee,[2] but Hagel ultimately declined the nomination, which then went to DeCamp, who accepted it.[3] Though the Nebraska Republican Party filed a lawsuit seeking to block DeCamp's nomination, the lawsuit was dismissed by a state trial court judge and DeCamp was placed on the ballot.[4]
^David Karnes was appointed to the Senate seat left vacant following the 1987 death of Democratic Senator Ed Zorinsky but was defeated in his bid for a full term by Democratic candidate and former Governor Bob Kerrey.
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