State Sen. Deb Fischer of Valentine, Republican U.S. Senate candidate, visited Auburn Monday, Dec. 19, as part of a campaign visit to Southeast Nebraska.
Government spending is the main issue in the 2012 U.S. Senate election, Fischer said in an interview in the Nemaha County Herald office late that morning.

“We have to get that under control. The $15 trillion debt, that’s the biggest concern. It’s just amazing,” said Fischer.
Job creation is how the economy of the United States can be turned around, she said.
“Our small businesses are the economic drivers. We don’t need government jobs. We need private industry jobs.  That will help our small businesses, is to create jobs. The government needs to back away from a lot of programs, and rules and regulations. I believe in limited government,” Fischer said.
She said she favored simplifying the tax code, promoting free trade and fair trade, reducing regulations, reducing energy costs and repealing Obamacare.
Reducing regulations is a key to reducing energy costs, Fischer said.
“In Nebraska, we’re fortunate to have public power. We have relatively low electric costs. That is a draw to get business to come to Nebraska is our low electric cost,” she said.
“We need a balanced energy portfolio. We’re not going to move off coal in the next 20, 30 or 40 years. You’re fortunate to have Cooper Nuclear Station (in Southeast Nebraska). We need some common sense. We need nuclear coal fired electric plants to have baseload capacity,” Fischer said.
Besides Auburn, she visited Tecumseh, Falls City and Pawnee City Dec. 19.
Fischer announced her candidacy in late June 2011. The announcement was followed by a tour to Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, Sidney, Scottsbluff and Valentine.
“It’s gone well. I’m getting great reception from the people. I’m getting a lot of support. I’ve had good encouragement. People are excited about the campaign. They’re concerned about the direction that the United States is headed. People are very concerned. They’re frustrated,” she said.
Fischer said that she planned to travel throughout Nebraska a lot during the campaign. She said that she is the only rural candidate in the U.S. Senate race and is involved in agriculture.
A lifelong Nebraskan, Fischer was born in Lincoln, She received a bachelor of science degree in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1988. Fischer is co-owner of a ranching operation near Valentine. From 1988-90 she was a fellow in the Nebraska Leadership Education and Action Development (LEAD) program. Fischer was recognized for conservation and environmental stewardship. She was involved in local and statewide education associations. Fischer and her husband, Bruce, have three sons.
Since 2005, Fischer has represented the 43rd District in the Legislature. The district is the size of New Jersey and covers counties in north central Nebraska. She is chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, and is a member of the Revenue Committee and the Executive Board. Fischer’s major legislative initiatives have dealt with education, water policy, statewide economic development, natural resources issues and improving transportation funding. Her statewide co-chairs are former Gov. Kay Orr, former U.S. Rep. John McCollister, state Sen. Tom Hansen of North Platte and Todd Schroeder.
Fischer was accompanied to Auburn by Larissa Martinez, finance director of Deb Fischer for U.S. Senate and state Sen. Lavon Heidemann of Elk Creek. Heidemann was among 13 state senators who endorsed Fischer’s candidacy in September.
Fischer is among five announced Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate. The others are: Pat Flynn, Spencer Zimmerman, state Attorney General Jon Bruning and state Treasurer Don Stenberg. Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson was apparently set to announce on Dec. 27 that he would not seek a third term, but retire.