Burke Harr

Background

Harr was born in Illinois. He grew up in Omaha, where he graduated from Creighton Preparatory School in 1990. He then attended the University of Saint Thomas in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Education

He subsequently studied law at the University of Notre Dame.

Career

He returned to Omaha for a clerkship with the Nebraska Court of Appeals, then worked as a Douglas County prosecutor, practiced real-estate law, and co-founded a business consulting firm. In 2010, incumbent legislator Tom White declined to run for re-election, instead running for the position of United States. Representative. As the top two vote-getters, Harr and Comstock moved on to the general election.

In the general election, Harr defeated Comstock by a margin of 51%–49%.

In 2014, Harr sought re-election to his legislative seat. He was challenged by Gwenn Aspen, a Republican property manager.

In the May primary, Aspen obtained 2183 votes to Harr"s 2076. Both candidates moved on to the general election, in which a proposal to raise Nebraska"s minimum wage was also on the ballot.

Harr supported the increase.

Aspen opposed lieutenant In the general election, Harr prevailed, with 4834 votes to Aspen"s 3916. Harr was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Business and Labor Committee in 2013.

He also serves on the Agriculture and Revenue Committees.

Achievements

• In the nonpartisan primary election, Harr won 41% of the vote. Businessman John Comstock won 31%. And Richard Ream won 28%. In April, an Aspen mailing accused Harr of ignoring problems with Nebraska"s "good time" law, which allowed convicts to win early release from prison. In 2013, one such convict, Nikko Jenkins, had committed four murders in Omaha.

Membership

Harr is a member of the Nebraska Legislature, in which he represents the 8th legislative district in Omaha, consisting of the midtown neighborhoods of Dundee and Benson and the neighborhoods that surround Creighton Preparatory School. Harr, a member of the Democratic Party, opposed proposed across-the-board spending cuts to balance the state budget. Comstock, a Republican described as a Tea Party supporter, favored reducing the government"s budget and ultimately eliminating the state"s income tax

Harr is a member of The Tax Modernization Committee, which has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive examination of Nebraska"s tax system.