Fischer, Deb (1951-…), became a United States senator in 2013. Fischer, a Republican, represents Nebraska. Prior to her election, Fischer had served as a state legislator and as a cattle rancher.
Debra Strobel was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on March 1, 1951. After high school, she enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She married Bruce Fischer in 1972. The couple moved to his ranch near Valentine, in the northern part of the state. The Fischers have three children. Deb Fischer completed a bachelor’s degree in education at UNL in 1988.
In 1990, Fischer won election to the Valentine Rural High School Board of Education. She later became president of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. In 2004, voters elected her to represent Nebraska’s 43rd district in the state’s unicameral (one-house) legislature. She won reelection in 2008. As a legislator, Fischer became chairwoman of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. She helped pass a measure to fund new road construction in the state.
In May 2012, Fischer won the Republican nomination to compete for a U.S. Senate seat. During the campaign, she stressed the need to balance the federal budget and reduce business taxes and regulations. In the November election, she defeated her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey . Fischer won reelection to the Senate in 2018.
