Clouse for Legislature, Courtesy
KEARNEY — Stan Clouse, the 17-year mayor of Kearney, will seek the District 37 Legislature seat.
Clouse made the announcement this week that he plans to pursue the seat which is currently occupied by Sen. John Lowe of Kearney. Lowe cannot run again due to term limits.
District 37 represents the Buffalo County communities of Kearney, Gibbon and Shelton.
“I’ve worked tirelessly to keep moving Buffalo County forward while protecting our conservative values. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to keep our taxes low and to consistently build Kearney’s economy.” Clouse said. “I’ve been honored to serve Kearney and I look forward to continuing to be a strong, conservative voice for our communities in Lincoln,” Clouse stated in a press release.
Clouse is on his fifth term on the Kearney City Council. He said his service with the council started in 2003 when he was appointed to fill an open seat. His current term will end in 2024.
Clouse is the second person to throw his hat in the ring. In June, Lana Peister announced she would campaign for the position.
When asked about his decision to seek the Legislature seat, Clouse said this is the ultimate way to serve the state. He said he has enjoyed his years of public service and this could be an extension of that.
Clouse describes himself as a conservative Republican but said he that he can bring the ability to work together with others in the Legislature, something he has felt has been missing recently.
Reflecting on his years of public service, Clouse said is proud of how the city has worked with the residents and he has worked to keep the lowest property tax levy among the state’s first-class municipalities.
Clouse said the city has worked to be transparent in their decisions and noted it’s important to place an emphasis on collaboration by putting egos aside.
Clouse launches his campaign with the support of former Speaker of the Legislature and District 37 Senator Galen Hadley.
“Stan has done an incredible job serving Kearney as Mayor and I’m happy to support his campaign to continue working for Nebraskans.” said Hadley. “He has kept the cities property tax levy the lowest in the state while at the same time helping Kearney to grow through projects like the Central Nebraska Veterans Home, Patriot Park, and the Kearney SportsPlex.”
Aside from the service with the city, Clouse has been involved with the Buffalo County Economic Development Council, which helps with industrial growth, among other focuses.
“In addition to his official public service Stan is heavily involved in the Kearney community including involvement in Rotary International, Leadership Kearney, Kearney Chamber, Buffalo County Economic Development Council, Nebraska Veterans First, and more. Stan attends and volunteers at New Life Church in Kearney,” according to the release.
