Deb Fischer won the Republican senate primary in Nebraska on Tuesday, beating out long-time favorite Attorney General Jon Bruning. Fischer consistently polled in third place behind Bruning and conservative state treasurer Don Stenberg.
Fischer won the primary with 41 percent of the vote with 98 percent of the precincts reporting Wednesday morning. Bruning came in at 36 percent and Stenberg at a distant third with 19 percent.
The rural rancher and mother received a significant bump last week when former Alaska governor Sarah Palin endorsed her. A PAC supported by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts ran $200,000 worth of ads attacking Bruning and propping up Fischer as the best candidate.
However, the win was still a surprise as Bruning and Stenberg both benefited from far higher campaign donations than Fischer. Club For Growth, the Senate Conservatives Fund and Dick Armey's FreedomWorks spent $2 million on Stenberg while Bruning spent $1.2 million on ads alone.
Fischer, 61, will face her first statewide contest against former governor and Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey in November. Kerrey is a Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam and who has strong ties to Nebraska's business community. November's winner will replace retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson.
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