LINCOLN — The conservative stronghold on the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature became clearer Wednesday, as state lawmakers chose Republicans for the top leadership spots on all but one of 17 key legislative committees. The lone Democrat elected to a chair position was State Sen. Terrell McKinney — and he ran unopposed in his bid to preside over the Urban Affairs Committee for two more years.

In the couple of races when a Republican competed against another Republican for a committee chair, the lawmaker with the more conservative voting record won. (Republicans this year again hold 33 of 49 seats in the Legislature, the exact size of supermajority needed to break filibusters and advance often contentious legislation. Democrats number at 15, and one state lawmaker is a progressive nonpartisan.)

In yet another contested race, the longest current tenured senator, Democrat Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, lost to the youngest member of the Legislature, Republican Beau Ballard, to preside over the Nebraska Retirement Systems.

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