Education
general education degree
Current Public Office, dates
none
Military experience
scouts
Volunteer experience
goodwill
Other Social Media
you tube
Talk about this with the news agency.
Empower the soldiers of the national guard, to ensure constitutional rights are secure.
Yes
Education
Michigan State University, B.A. with high honor, 1974; University of Southern California Law School, J.D., 1977
Current Public Office, dates
Nebraska Secretary of State, 2019 - present
Past Public Office, dates held
Nebraska State Board of Education, 2005 - 2012
I have been working for election integrity during the entirety of my service as Nebraska's Secretary of State. I championed a Voter ID law that assures the identity of voters while assuring that all legitimate voters can cast their ballots. We test the accuracy of every ballot tabulator across the state three times before every statewide election, and we conduct a hand count audit of a percentage of the precincts across the state after every statewide primary and general election. There are many other actions that we take to assure that Nebraska's elections are safe, secure and accurate.
Most recently I have asked for legislation that keeps foreign money out of our initiative campaigns. We have such a prohibition now, but it is weak and we have had millions of dollars of foreign money pour into our initiative campaigns in Nebraska. This is wrong and contrary to law. My legislation requires certifications under law that no foreign money was given or received, and imposes stiff monetary penalties for violation.
The U.S. Constitution explicitly makes state legislatures responsible for running the elections in their states. In Nebraska, the Unicameral passed the Election Act many years ago, and designate the Secretary of State as the chief election officer, who by the terms of this statute is responsible to interpret and enforce the Act.
Education
University of Iowa, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
Current Public Office, dates
None
Past Public Office, dates held
None
Military experience
None
Volunteer experience
Former Chairman, Douglas County Republican Party; Member, Nebraska Republican Party Executive Committee; National Delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention; involvement in grassroots civic and election integrity efforts across Nebraska
X and/or Bluesky Handle
@PetersenForNE
Confidence comes from clear, transparent processes. I would strengthen chain-of-custody procedures, expand post-election audits, improve voter roll accuracy, and increase public access to election information. For vote-by-mail, I support maintaining it for those who need it—such as military and absentee voters—while ensuring strong verification standards and secure handling. Elections should be simple, secure, and accessible, with safeguards that allow every legal voter to participate and have confidence their vote is counted accurately.
The initiative process is a fundamental right in Nebraska. I will ensure it is administered fairly, consistently, and in accordance with the law. That includes clear guidance, transparent procedures, and equal application of requirements for all participants. My role is not to influence outcomes, but to safeguard the process so citizens can exercise their rights with confidence.
Yes. The U.S. Constitution gives states primary responsibility for administering elections. That responsibility includes setting procedures, maintaining voter rolls, and ensuring elections are conducted fairly and securely. With that authority comes the duty to follow both state and federal law while protecting the integrity of the process. Nebraska should manage its elections responsibly, transparently, and in a way that maintains public confidence.
Education
Daniel J. Gross High School, class of 2000, Creighton University, BA 2004, Institute for Culinary Arts, Metropolitan Community College, AAS 2011
Volunteer experience
Plattsmouth Library Board, Plattsmouth Bridge Commission, Visiting Nurse Association, March of Dimes, EDGE Nebraska City, American Red Cross, Keep Cass County Beautiful
Other Social Media
Instagram @slatteryfornebraska
Elections in Nebraska have ALWAYS been secure, even before the Voter ID law. Now that our elections are extra secure, we need to look into instituting same-day voter registration so that we can get more eligible voters to show up at the polls!
Democracy thrives with vast voter turnout!
Ballot initiatives are a constitutional RIGHT for Nebraskans. Nothing should stand in their way.
The “picking and choosing” of which ballot initiatives should or should not be unfairly scrutinized needs to stop.
It is the Secretary of State’s job to adhere to and apply the laws as written. It’s not up for interpretation or any kind of partisan influence.
I’ll protect the ballot initiative process by not caving to political pressure to toss out signatures or circumvent the process entirely.
Absolutely. It’s plainly laid out in Article 1 of the United States Constitution, and it has worked for 250 years.
ANY suggestion that this should be changed now is unpatriotic at best and nefarious at worst. Our elections in Nebraska have always been safe and secure, and I intend to keep them that way!
