The 1994 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, and featured incumbent Governor Ben Nelson, a Democrat defeating Republican nominee and businessman Gene Spence with 73% of the vote to win a second term. As of 2022, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of Nebraska.
Though Nelson ultimately did approve of an action to prevent foster children from living with homosexuals or unmarried couples after he was re-elected, Spence hammered the governor for not supporting restrictions on foster homes.[2] Ultimately, four weeks before the elections, many prominent Republicans accused Spence of "throwing in the towel" and essentially conceding defeat to Nelson before any ballots were cast.[3] The divided Republican primary and Gene Spence's inability to unite the party following his plurality victory in the primary eventually led to Nelson's overwhelming re-election.[4]