By Jeff Bahr, Grand Island Independent —
In the first of two races between Loren Lippincott and Michael Reimers for the District 34 legislative seat, Lippincott easily came out ahead in Tuesday’s primary.
Lippincott captured 69.7% of the vote while Reimers had 30.3%.
The two men will face each other again in November for the right to succeed Curt Friesen of Henderson, who was term-limited.
In all legislative races, the top two finishers run off against each other in the general election.
Lippincott thanked the voters for their vote of confidence. The outcome was humbling, he said.
“However, the work is far from over,” said Lippincott who said he’s committed to spending the next six months continuing to connect with voters in the district.
In the primary campaign, he knocked on 5,100 doors and attended “dozens and dozens” of events, he said.
Lippincott, 67, lives halfway between Central City and Fullerton. He was an F-16 pilot in the U.S. Air Force and had a 30-year career as a Delta Air Lines pilot. He now helps on the family farm. He has never run for office before.
Reimers, who lives in Central City, is a service technician and does traveling sales for automotive support equipment. An Aurora native, he has also farmed and raised livestock.
He served for 26 years in the Nebraska Air National Guard at Lincoln.
While Reimers has not served in government or been elected to public office before, he has been active in the American Legion as a district and state level commander.
District 34 consists of Hamilton, Merrick and Nance counties and a portion of Hall County, including part of the city of Grand Island.
