Incumbent Regent loses seat

McCook dentist Don Blank said he was satisfied with his 18 years on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and would be glad to be out of politics if it took negative campaigns to win.

Blank was defeated 56-44 percent for the District 7 seat by David Hergert, 64, a Mitchell agribusinessman.

Blank said Hergert's professionally-run, negative campaign hammered on misleading issues such as a football ticket purchase program started by an earlier Regent, and the University's closing of programs in the face of five budget cuts in four years. The stem cell research issue may have played a part as well, he said.

But Blank said he was "obviously disappointed" with the outcome, especially for some 100 volunteers around the district who had worked for his re-election.

In another Regent race, Jay C. Stoddard, a 74-year-old retired Insurance salesman from Grand Island, lost to incumbent Kent A. Schroeder, 61, a Kearney lawyer who received 63 percent of the District 6 vote.