Tom Vickers

Geno Thomas Vickers (March 7, 1936 – February 20, 2026) was an American Democratic politician from Nebraska, who served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 38th district from 1979 to 1987. He was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in the 3rd district in 1984, and lost to Republican Congresswoman Virginia Smith.

Early career Vickers was born in Gothenburg, Nebraska, and was a farmer and rancher in Farnam. He was a director of the McCook Public Power District and was the president of the Farmers Co-op Association of Farnam. Harsh placed first in the primary, winning 33 percent of the vote, and Vickers placed second with 20 percent. They advanced to the general election, where Harsh was considered the "heavy favorite." However, Vickers ultimately defeated Harsh, winning his first term with 55 percent of the vote. and was challenged by Lyons, one of his 1978 opponents, and Lesley Rice, a businessman and conservative activist. In the primary election, Vickers placed first by a wide margin, winning 73 percent of the vote to Lyons's 17 percent and Rice's 10 percent. He ultimately won re-election in a landslide, defeating Lyons, 75–25 percent. He subsequently announced that he would challenge Republican Congresswoman Virginia D. Smith for re-election in 1984. He won the Democratic primary unopposed, but was ultimately defeated by Smith in a landslide, winning 17 percent of the vote to her 83 percent.

Vickers ran for re-election to a third term in the legislature in 1986. He was challenged in the primary by businessman Owen Elmer and veterinarian Joe Jeffrey, both of whom attacked him for being ideologically out of step with the "conservative" district. In the primary, Vickers placed first with 42 percent of the vote, and advanced to the general election with Elmer, who placed second with 37 percent. Elmer defeated Vickers by a wide margin, receiving 60 percent of the vote to Vickers's 40 percent.