NEBRASKA CITY – A 2,000 vote advantage for Robert Hallstrom in Otoe County was enough to push the Syracuse lawyer to victory in the race for First District State Legislature.

The Secretary of State’s Office reports Hallstrom edging Table Rock businessman Dennis Schaardt 8,847 votes to 8,221. Hallstrom received 51.8 percent of the votes.

Schaardt led most of the night with wins in Pawnee, Johnson, Nemaha and Richardson County, which was a pattern similar to the May primary election.

However, the Otoe County vote tipped the scales in favor of Hallstrom, who campaigned on his experience with lawmakers in Lincoln and tax proposals that include ending the inheritance tax and causing property levies to automatically fall if property valuations rise.

Schaardt also campaigned on property tax relief and proposed support for infrastructure in rural Nebraska.

Votes by county

Johnson County

Schaardt, 1,208, 60 percent

Hallstrom, 795, 39 percent

 

Nemaha County

Schaardt, 1,633, 52 percent

Hallstrom, 1,450, 47 percent

 

Otoe County

Schaardt, 2,536, 35 percent

Hallstrom, 4.644. 64 percent

 

Pawnee County

Schaardt, 959, 71 percent

Hallstrom, 382, 28 percent

 

Richardson County

Schaardt, 1,885, 54 percent

Hallstrom, 1,576, 45 percent