Deb Fischer

Debra Lynelle Fischer (; born March 1, 1951) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nebraska, a seat she has held since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Fischer served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2005 to 2013 and on the Valentine Rural High School Board of Education from 1990 to 2004. She is the third woman to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate (after Eva Bowring and Hazel Abel) and the first to be reelected.

Fischer was first elected to the Senate in 2012, defeating former Democratic U.S. senator Bob Kerrey after an upset victory against state attorney general Jon Bruning in the Republican primary. She was reelected in 2018 and 2024.

Early life, education, and career Fischer was born Debra Lynelle Strobel on March 1, 1951, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is the daughter of Florence M. (née Bock) and Gerold Carl Strobel. Her father was the State Engineer/Director of the Nebraska Department of Roads under Governors Kay Orr and Ben Nelson and her mother was an elementary school teacher with Lincoln Public Schools.

Nebraska Legislature (2005–2013)

Elections In 2004, State Senator Jim Jones declined to seek reelection, and Fischer ran to succeed him in the 43rd legislative district, which was based in the state's Sandhills region. In the nonpartisan primary, she faced a crowded field of candidates, including Thomas County Attorney Warren Arganbright, rancher Kevin Cooksley, teacher Howard Gaffney, farmer Floyd Slagle, retired teacher Louis Stithem, and businessman Elmer Vogel. Fischer placed second, receiving 2,226 votes (25.1%) to Cooksley's 2,264 (25.5%). In the general election, she defeated Cooksley with 8,178 votes to his 8,050, 50.4%–49.6%.

Tenure

Fischer's district was geographically the largest in the Nebraska Legislature, comprising 12 counties and part of a 13th. and helped pass the BUILD Nebraska Act through the Unicameral. This bill prioritized a quarter cent of the state sales tax for infrastructure projects.

U.S. Senate (2013–present)

Elections

2012

Primary In January 2012, after incumbent Senator Ben Nelson announced his retirement, Fischer announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

2024

Fischer ran for reelection in 2024. She defeated Arron Kowalski in the Republican primary election in May. She faced independent candidate Dan Osborn, a former union leader, in the November general election. Fischer defeated Osborn by 6.7 points, after being reelected by 19 points in 2018.

Tenure

Fischer became the third female U.S. senator in Nebraska's history, and the first since 1954. 'Political positions Abortion Fischer supports a national abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest. She supported the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Climate change Fischer rejects conclusions by the international scientific community that human emissions of greenhouse gases are the primary cause of global warming in recent decades. In May 2015, a legislative aide said, "the senator acknowledges the climate is changing but believes it is due to natural cycles."

Foreign policy

Fischer has advocated modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad and increasing defense spending to deter China, Iran, and Russia. She has sometimes opposed efforts to scale back U.S. military authorities; in 2023, she was one of 30 senators to vote against repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq.

In 2022, Fischer voted to ratify the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO, joining the near-unanimous Senate approval of their membership. In 2023, she backed a bipartisan amendment (to the 2024 defense authorization act)—adopted 65–28—that requires the President to obtain congressional consent before withdrawing the United States from NATO. In August 2025, Fischer joined Armed Services Committee chairperson Roger Wicker on a visit to Taiwan, where she condemned the Chinese government's attempts to "threaten, to pressure, and [to] isolate Taiwan". During that trip, she affirmed U.S. support for Taiwan's self-determination and security amid rising tensions with China. Fischer has promoted measures to strengthen U.S. military readiness in the Indo-Pacific, such as expanding ammunition stockpiles and capabilities to counter China's growing influence.

Gun access After the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Fischer said any legislative proposals to restrict people on the terrorist watchlist from buying guns would not stop mass shootings. She said that preventing self-radicalization was more important than restricting gun access.

Health care Fischer supports repealing the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) and has voted accordingly.

LGBTQ rights In June 2020, Fischer expressed support for the Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County'' that "extended Civil Rights Act protections to gay, lesbian and transgender workers", saying, "It's important that we recognize that all Americans have equal rights under our Constitution. I'm fine with it." She voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects same-sex marriage.

2020 presidential election Before the January 6, 2021, United States Electoral College vote count, Fischer announced that she would vote to certify the election results. She was on Capitol Hill to participate in the count when Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. During the attack, Fischer tweeted: "These rioters have no constitutional right to harm law enforcement and storm our Capitol. We are a nation of laws, not some banana republic. This must end now."

On May 28, 2021, Fischer voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack. In January 2024, she endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential election campaign.

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 Fischer was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

Personal life Fischer is married to Bruce Fischer. They operate a family ranch, Sunny Slope Ranch, near Valentine, Nebraska. Their children own most of the stock in the family corporation, while the elder Fischers retain a minority share. In 2020, Fischer and her husband moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.