Nebraska voters are inundated with advertisements, yard signs and text messages from political candidates.Â
Much of the messaging, particularly among this year's crop of gubernatorial candidates, has centered on topics such as illegal border crossings or critical race theory. Â
But other topics, and ones that hit closer to home, are top-of-mind for Nebraska voters.
Nebraskans who responded to a Lee Enterprises survey said they cared most about attracting and retaining workers, affordable housing and school funding.
The survey, which was conducted online from late February to mid-March, asked participants to rate a dozen topics on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 the most important. Nearly 900 individuals responded.Â
Other important issues were slowing the loss of nursing homes and hospitals in smaller communities and addressing prison overcrowding or criminal justice reform.
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Rankings differed by region, although only slightly. In Omaha-area replies, prison overcrowding and criminal justice cracked the top three. Meanwhile, school funding topped the priority list made by Lincoln and Southeast Nebraska residents, with climate change also landing higher.
Jeri Lundblad of Omaha said affordable housing and the loss of nursing homes in small towns are important to her. She said some of the topics she hears candidates talking about are like "dog whistles." Instead, the 68-year-old wants to hear candidates talk about issues that affect her and her community.Â
"I find those issues that are broad topics are not anywhere specific enough to help," said Lundblad, a registered Democrat.
Saving nursing homes in rural communities is important, she said, because many of the elderly in those places have nowhere else to go. Concerning prison overcrowding, she said the problem won't be solved by building more facilities if the people who are released from prison haven't had adequate training or rehabilitation.
Some issues are related, Lundblad said. If you want to attract and retain workers, she said, you should be able to provide them with affordable housing options.
Many political candidates are trying to appeal to their voter base by addressing hot-button issues, said John Hibbing, a professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Meanwhile, what actually appeals to voters could vary.
Real-life issues, such as what the Legislature has been addressing, are ones that affect Nebraskans daily, Hibbing said. Hearing candidates talk more about those issues, he said, would be better than what's in campaign ads.
Hibbing said he was surprised to see that property taxes consistently ranked low in the survey. Overall and among Omaha respondents, property taxes came in at No. 8 out of 12. In Lincoln, property taxes were 10th on the list.Â
It makes sense, he said, that attracting and retaining workers ranked high. That could relate to fears of "brain drain" and the state losing residents, he said.Â
"Getting jobs was the issue," Hibbing said. "Now, it's getting people to fill the job."
Lisa Lee of Lincoln said she saw most of the items in the survey as priorities for the state, whether they affect her directly or not.Â
Lee said the No. 1 problem is a shortage of workers. Having more people to fill jobs would be a boost to the economy and state revenue, she said.Â
Other priorities for Lee, a 60-year-old lifelong Republican, are climate change and prison reform. Addressing the climate is complicated, she said, but she thinks solutions are out there. As for prison reform, Lee said it needs to be talked about, but it's going to take more than just adding beds.
Lee said it's concerning to see top Republican candidates for governor "worrying more about a border problem." While she thinks that is an issue, the best course of action from a Nebraska perspective would be having members of Congress act on reform.
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51¶ÌÊÓƵ posed questions for candidates on the May 4 general election ballot. Read the responses and watch the videos from Lincoln City Council, Lincoln Board of Education and Lincoln Airport Authority candidates.
Learn about the six at-large Lincoln City Council candidates' positions on the issues before voting in the May 4 general election.
Learn about the candidates' positions on the issues before voting in the May 4 general election.Â
Learn about the candidates' positions on the issues before voting. Two will be elected in the May 4 general election.