Cheyenne County Republicans Hear From Candidates

The Cheyenne County Republicans met in the basement conference room at Security Bank on March 22.

The night included a briefing on the Primary election by Cheyenne County Clerk Beth Fiegenschuh.

Fiegenschuh talked about how the Primary ballot may not appear as some voters expect. The only races to be decided in the Primary election are contested races, she said. She said there needs to be more candidates than open seats to have an election; including incumbents and challengers.

“Locally, there's not a lot of races at this time,” she said.

All of the races will be on the General Election ballot in November, she said.

Also, a non-partisan voter can request to vote non-partisan Republican, non-partisan Democrat or non-partisan Legalize Marijuana Now.

She also said some of the villages have changed polling sites to accommodate for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Sidney voters will continue to vote at the 4-H Building at the Fairgrounds.

Mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. election night. Fiegenschuh said a voter can be an agent for one other person and return his or her ballot with that of one other person.

The last day to register to vote is the second Friday before the election.

Next on the agenda, candidates were allowed time to share their positions. Two candidates for the Nebraska Board of Education were present. Pat Moore, Kathy Wilmot and Elizabeth Tegtmeier of North Platte are running for the 7th District seat. Tegtmeier is from North Platte.

Moore is from Hazard, Neb., and spoke in support of local control. He encourages local people to take care of what need to happen.

His interest in public office has been a long time in the making.

“For me, it all started with a phone call in the early 80s,” he said.

He said while living in Kearney, he got onto a curriculum committee. Then in 1994, he ran for the state board of education. He made it to the General Election where he missed the seat by 300 votes. He then moved on to a pastorship, then to interim pastoring.

He believes parents are the primary educators and trainers of children, and in school choice. He says he is pro-life and wants to see more oversight by the board over the Department of Education.

Tegtmeier is also seeking the 7th District seat. She said the state board of education oversees public, private and home school programs. As with Moore, she said she is not against sex education; she is against the comprehensive sex education program that starts at kindergarten.

“I like to listen, see what the people on the ground need,” she said.

She said one issue that concerns her is the student achievements. She said statewide this year's seniors are 40 percent proficient in English. She added there is a growing teacher shortage that needs addressed.

“There are issues, things that need to be dealt with,” she said.

The only local candidate was Mindy Wiegand, who is competing against Debra A. Hume for the office of County Clerk of the District Court. She said she has worked in the Cheyenne County District Court for 3 ½ years. Prior to the District Court, she worked for Crossroads Coop for 15 years. She said she was hired in the District Court office in 2018 to be the next court clerk.

She said decisions regarding training go by her desk. She added she would like to offer more paperwork in the office. She said she is passionate about people having efficient and fair access to the justice system.

“We're the first face you see,” in the court system,” she said.

She said in 2021, 91 percent of Civil cases were self-represented.

“We have an incredibly large indigent population,” she said.

It was also announced Republican Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles W. Herbster will be in Sidney today (March 30) at 6 p.m. at Beans & Steams Coffee House.