Steve Lathrop
has knocked on countless doors across
Legislative District 12.
Jean Stothert has made hundreds of phone calls to
registered
voters in the district, which covers Ralston and portions of Millard.
Each hopes to be elected to the seat currently held by
State
Sen. Pam Redfield, who is leaving the Legislature after nine years
because of
term limits.
District 12's race is shaping up to be one of the most
hotly
contested in the state. It also is on track to be the costliest in the
metro Omaha
area.
Stothert's campaign will spend an estimated $100,000 for
the
general election, according to filings with the Nebraska Election
Administration. Lathrop's campaign is expected to spend $90,000 to woo
voters.
Because they were the only two candidates in the primary,
both automatically advanced to the fall election. The race is
officially
nonpartisan.
Stothert, a Republican who is a registered nurse, has
received campaign contributions from some of the state's most prominent
Republicans, including U.S. Senate candidate Pete Ricketts, Attorney
General
Jon Bruning and the political action committee of U.S. Sen. Chuck
Hagel. She
also has received contributions from a number of healthcare lobbying
groups and
construction companies. Gov. Dave Heineman has distributed fliers
endorsing
Stothert.
Lathrop, an attorney and a Democrat, isn't lagging far
behind in campaign donations, despite the fact that the district
traditionally
goes to Republicans. He has received contributions from several law
firms.
Grass-roots campaigning and heavy spending aren't the
only
things Stothert and Lathrop have in common, however.
Both candidates call themselves fiscally conservative, and
say reining in state spending is a priority. Still, neither supports
Initiative
423, the constitutional amendment that would limit state spending to
the rate
of inflation plus population growth.
"It's the right message, but it's not the best way to
implement it," Stothert said.
Both said Initiative 423 would shift the state's tax burden
to local taxing authorities such as cities and school boards.
Property tax relief is a focus of both campaigns.
With say Nebraska
should spend more on state aid for schools, which would lessen the
property tax
burden on homeowners. Each said additional state aid could be
generated, in
part, by reducing the state's spending on the Health and Human Services
System
and Medicaid.
"We need to find and eliminate waste," said
Lathrop, who suggested an efficiency audit on state agencies.
Stothert also said state agencies need to be
"streamlined."
There are a few issues that divide the candidates, however.
Stothert describes herself as more "pro-business"
than Lathrop, and favors state medical tort reform to cut down on
malpractice
lawsuits that she says are driving up medical care costs.
Lathrop said he has a business background
and is focused on
creating a climate that attracts businesses.
He said he does
not
support changing the
state medical
malpractice law or making it more difficult for people to collect
workers'
compensation benefits. Nebraska
law caps medical malpractice damages at $1.75 million.
"She may have the endorsement of the state
Chamber of
Commerce, but my support comes from the guys who punch the clock,"
Lathrop
said. "I'm concerned about labor and about working families."
Beyond the issues, Stothert and
Lathrop say their experience
and ability to lead should distinguish them to voters.
Stothert highlights the eight years she has
served on the
Millard school board, which she said has given her years of experience
in
budgeting and prioritizing projects.
"The difference is experience," she said. "I
live, breathe and do it every day."
Though Lathrop hasn't held public office
before, he said he
has a keen understanding of how the Legislature works, due partly to
the fact
that he has testified there on numerous occasions.
"I can move something through the Legislature
because I
know what goes on there," he said. "I understand how the process
works."
