Mark Kolterman (born March 16, 1951) is a politician from the state of
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
in the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
. In 2014, he was elected to the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...
, representing a district in the southeastern part of the state. Kolterman is a member of the
Republican Party.
Personal life and professional career
Kolterman was born March 16, 1951, in
Seward, Nebraska
Seward is a city and county seat of Seward County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,964 at the 2010 census. Seward is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is known for its large Fourth of July (Independ ...
. He graduated from Seward High School in 1969. From 1969 to 1971, he attended the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a public land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as the Universit ...
; in 1974, he received an associate degree in building construction from
Southeast Community College
Southeast Community College (SCC) is a public community college system in the southeast portion of Nebraska.
Locations
The college offers three campuses, six learning centers and two additional locations in Lincoln that are within the 15-county ...
in
Milford, Nebraska
Milford is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,090 at the 2010 census.
History
Milford was platted in 1866. It took its name from a mill at a f ...
. He received a bachelor's degree in industrial technology from
Peru State College
Peru State College is a public college in Peru, Nebraska. Founded by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1865, making it the first and oldest institution of higher education in Nebraska, it underwent several name changes before receiving ...
in
Peru, Nebraska
Peru is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 648 at the 2020 census. Peru State College is located in Peru.
History
The first attempt to settle the community took place in 1853, by some residents of Peru, Illino ...
, in 1994.
[
Kolterman began working as an insurance professional in 1976. In 1980, he founded Kolterman Agency, Inc., a financial-services firm specializing in employee and executive benefits, estate planning, and investments; as of 2015, he remained co-owner, with his wife, and president of the firm.][
In 1971, Kolterman married Suzanne Geis; the couple eventually produced two children.][
]
Political career
2014 election
In June 2013, Kolterman announced that he would run in the 2014 election for the Nebraska legislature from the 24th District, comprising Polk
Polk may refer to:
People
* James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States
* Polk (name), other people with the name
Places
*Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois
* Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Polk, Missouri ...
, Seward, and York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
Counties. The incumbent, Greg Adams, then the Speaker of the Legislature and a member of the Republican Party, was barred by Nebraska's term-limits law from running for a third consecutive term.[
At the time of his announcement of candidacy, Kolterman stated that he favored some sort of expansion of ]Medicaid
Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...
, which funds medical expenses for low-income people, if it could be done cost-effectively.[ In subsequent campaign materials and interviews, he declared that he was entirely opposed to the 2010 ]Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
, and that "I do not support expanding dicaid or other social welfare programs";[ his opposition, he stated, was based in part on his belief that the federal government would eventually renege on its pledge to reimburse states for the costs of Medicaid expansion.][
Kolterman described himself as "solidly ]pro-life
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...
".[ Beside defining his position on abortion, he said, this affected his views on capital punishment; although he regarded the death penalty as "an important tool for prosecutors", it should only be used in extreme cases.][
Kolterman stated that he was opposed to a proposed increase in Nebraska's minimum wage. He stated that the nation was suffering from an excess of government regulations, while declaring that a certain amount of regulation was necessary.][
In the nonpartisan primary election, Republican Kolterman faced Kirk Tesar, a 31-year-old ]Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
and a production supervisor for a seed-corn company from York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
.[ Tesar was thought to be associated with progressive organization ]Bold Nebraska
Bold Nebraska is a progressive political advocacy group founded by Jane Fleming Kleeb in 2010 in the state of Nebraska.
Background
Bold Nebraska began as a progressive website, and it has been a vocal opponent of the Keystone XL Pipeline
Th ...
,[ and to have been recruited by opponents of the proposed ]Keystone XL
The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta. It runs from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Albert ...
oil pipeline;[ one source described him as "outspoken against" the pipeline.][
When the primary election was held, Kolterman received 5147 votes, or 80% of the total, to Tesar's 1302 votes (20%). As the top two vote-getters in the primary, both candidates moved on to the general election.][
In the course of the campaign, Kolterman raised about $48,000, and spent about $42,000.][
Tesar did not register a campaign organization with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission;][ candidates who raised less than $5,000 were not required to do so.][
Kolterman won the November 2014 general election with 7971 votes, or 80.5% of the total. Tesar obtained 1937 votes, or 19.5%.][
]
References
External links
Kolterman's Nebraska Legislature website
"Kolterman for Legislature"
2014 campaign website.
Archived 2015-01-16
a
Wayback Machine
Kolterman Agency
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolterman, Mark
1951 births
Republican Party Nebraska state senators
People from Seward, Nebraska
Living people
Peru State College alumni
21st-century American politicians