Chris Janicek
Chris Janicek (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Nebraska. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Janicek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Janicek was a 2018 Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Nebraska. He lost the primary on May 15, 2018.
Biography
Janicek was born in David City, Nebraska. His professional experience includes working as a small business owner and property investor. He attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and earned his bachelor's degree in May 1983. Janicek reported affiliations with the following organizations: Big Brothers/Sisters, Nebraska Aids Project, Open Door Mission, Stephen Center, and Youth Emergency Services. [1]
Elections
2020
See also: United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2020
United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2020 (May 12 Democratic primary)
United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2020 (May 12 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Ben Sasse defeated Chris Janicek, Preston Love Jr., and Gene Siadek in the general election for U.S. Senate Nebraska on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ben Sasse (R) | 62.7 | 583,507 |
 | Chris Janicek (D)  | 24.4 | 227,191 | |
 | Preston Love Jr. (D) (Write-in) | 6.3 | 58,411 | |
 | Gene Siadek (L) | 5.9 | 55,115 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 5,788 | ||
| Total votes: 930,012 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Eric Dilliard (L)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Janicek | 30.7 | 46,247 |
 | Angie Philips | 23.8 | 35,929 | |
 | Alisha Shelton | 22.7 | 34,284 | |
 | Andrew Stock | 11.4 | 17,156 | |
 | Larry Marvin | 4.6 | 6,868 | |
 | Daniel Wik | 3.8 | 5,765 | |
 | Dennis Macek | 3.0 | 4,453 | |
| Total votes: 150,702 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Ben Sasse defeated Matt Innis in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Sasse | 75.2 | 215,207 |
 | Matt Innis | 24.8 | 70,921 | |
| Total votes: 286,128 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Gene Siadek advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gene Siadek | 100.0 | 2,517 |
| Total votes: 2,517 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Deb Fischer defeated Jane Raybould and Jim Schultz in the general election for U.S. Senate Nebraska on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Deb Fischer (R) | 57.7 | 403,151 |
 | Jane Raybould (D) | 38.6 | 269,917 | |
 | Jim Schultz (L) | 3.6 | 25,349 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 466 | ||
| Total votes: 698,883 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Jane Raybould defeated Chris Janicek, Frank Svoboda, and Larry Marvin in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jane Raybould | 63.7 | 59,067 |
| Chris Janicek | 20.2 | 18,752 | |
| Frank Svoboda | 11.4 | 10,548 | |
| Larry Marvin | 4.7 | 4,393 | |
| Total votes: 92,760 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Deb Fischer defeated Todd Watson, Jack Heidel, Jeffrey Lynn Stein, and Dennis Macek in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Deb Fischer | 75.8 | 128,157 |
 | Todd Watson | 11.6 | 19,661 | |
 | Jack Heidel | 5.6 | 9,413 | |
| Jeffrey Lynn Stein | 3.8 | 6,380 | |
| Dennis Macek | 3.2 | 5,483 | |
| Total votes: 169,094 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Jim Schultz advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Schultz | 100.0 | 1,202 |
| Total votes: 1,202 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mark Elworth Jr. (L)
Endorsements
To view Janicek's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chris Janicek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Janicek's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Hi, my name is Chris Janicek, and I am seeking the United States Senate seat to represent Nebraska. This 2020 election is about representing people. We are sick and tired of politicians who care more about money and special interest than they do about us. I am a small business owner in Omaha, NE. I want to work for the people. I am originally from a farming family, and know the struggles and successes of rural life. We must realize that government is not about moving further right or further left, it is about moving our state and this country forward. Participating in Democracy is not an option, it is our obligation.
- Affordable and attainable healthcare for all.
- Human Rights for All. Women, race, immigrants, LGBTQ, and every American citizen.
- Our Planet. Climate change is real and must be addressed now. I want a democracy to live in and a planet to live on.
The environment, protecting our natural resources . Treating education and healthcare as an investment, not an expense. Immigration reform, and documentation for new immigrants. Support for our farmers and agriculture. Women's reproductive rights.
My parents and my grandparents. They are the best teachers, doctors, business advisors and understanding, supportive people I know.
An elected official should be honest, ethical, and care about the people they represent, not themselves. People should be treated with integrity, respect and worth.
Compassion and empathy. Negotiation skills. Management skills. Problem solving and fixing. Financial accountability.
To represent the people. To deliver the solutions and representation people are asking for.
Working and doing for the people. A legacy of representation and policy making for the greater good. Having left a mark on what one can accomplish by working with others.
At 30 years old I sat and watched in disbelief as terrorist hijacked our airplanes and flew them into the World Trade Center in NYC. Then the buildings fell.
I delivered newspapers in Omaha, Nebraska for 3 years.
"Carry On " by Donna Summer
A struggle gives you purpose and the drive and energy to overcome and produce something better. I find a solution and concentrate on how to achieve it.
Our national debt. Our standing and reputation in the world. Living wages and the care for people of our country.
The US Senate has the authority to make policy for the American people and our country everyday. It is unique as a branch of government that must co-equally work with the executive and judicial branch when making law and decisions for the people.
Not necessarily government experience. Some of the best experience is life and work experience.
It needs to be amended to promote more robust argument and decision making in legislating in the Senate. Government needs to start functioning again.
Background, life experience, education and reputation.
Yes, there are 99 other senators I have to work with in creating and passing legislation. We must all work together for the benefit of the American people and our country.
Agricultural Committee. Nebraska is an agricultural state, 25% of our income comes from the farming industry. I want to be sure we are represented.
No it will be determined in the Senate once I am elected.
We have had several good Senators here in Nebraska. Bob Kerry and Ben Nelson are role models for myself.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Noteworthy events
Nebraska Democratic Party rescinds endorsement due to sexual harassment of campaign staffer
On June 15, 2020, the Nebraska Democratic Party withdrew their endorsement of Janicek due to sexually explicit text messages he sent about a campaign staff member to a text message group in which she was included.[2] The Associated Press obtained copies of the text messages sent on June 4, in which Janicek asked the other people on the message group if his campaign should "spend some money" on "getting [the staffer] laid," and used graphic language to describe sexual acts. Janicek sent a subsequent message in the group text apologizing for the messages.[3]
Members of the Nebraska Democratic Party met with Janicek on June 11 and requested that he withdraw from the race for the U.S. Senate seat.[4] On June 15, Janicek announced that he would not withdraw from the race. His campaign manager, Scott Howitt, issued the following statement: "We are not dropping out. This is between our campaign and a staffer. It is unfortunate and inexcusable. Yes, it happened. Chris apologized. He apologized in person and she accepted."[5] In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Janicek said that state Democrats "are using [the situation] as a crutch" to pressure him to withdraw due to political differences.[3]
In response to Janicek's decision to stay in the race, the Nebraska Democratic Party voted unanimously on June 15 to withdraw its support and resources from Janicek's campaign.[4] In a statement issued on June 16, party chair Jane Kleeb said, "Our Democratic Party has no tolerance for sexual harassment. Our Party will not extend resources or any type of support to any candidate that violates our code of conduct and doesn’t treat men and women with the dignity and respect they deserve." The statement also indicated that the staff member quit Janicek's campaign and filed a formal complaint with the Nebraska Democratic Party regarding the incident, which she said violated the party's code of conduct.[6]
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 30, 2020
- ↑ Nebraska Democratic Party, "Nebraska Democratic Party demands that Chris Janicek drop out of Senate race after sexual harassment complaint," June 16, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 AP News, "Nebraska Democrats renounce their Senate pick over comments," June 16, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 New York Times, "Nebraska Democrat Urged to Quit Senate Race Over Sexual Texts to Aide," June 16, 2020
- ↑ Omaha World-Herald, "Democrats ask Chris Janicek to quit Senate race after 'sexually inappropriate' text messages," June 16, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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