ELIOT'S STORY
Eliot’s deep roots in Nebraska reach back five generations. Purchasing land under the Homestead Act, his family settled near McCool Junction in York County in 1873.
Conservation and stewardship of our natural resources are values that have held an especially important role through generations of Eliot’s family. For nearly 150 years, Eliot's family has preserved 20 acres of native prairie and wooded wetlands, while farming soybeans and corn on the remaining acres. Today, Eliot continues that legacy.
Eliot’s grandfather, Dexter, graduated from the University of Nebraska in Agriculture. He started working as a teacher then joined the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in 1944. In the SCS, he worked in Lyons, Hebron, and Beatrice, and retired from the Lincoln office. Eliot’s uncle Dick served as the metro bureau chief for the Lincoln Journal, while his aunt Rae taught at Lincoln High.
Eliot’s mother, Barbara, graduated from Lincoln East High School. Moving to New York to pursue her career as an archivist and historian for the New York Philharmonic, she was honored as a Lincoln East "Distinguished Alumni" in 2002. To create a sense of “home” in New York, Barbara and Eliot would plant corn in pots on the roof of their apartment. Every summer, Eliot went back to the family farm, where he helped his cousins build fences, move pipe, and sort cattle.
Eliot is a graduate of St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy and earned a Business degree from Embry-Riddle University, where he met his wife, Carrie. When Eliot and Carrie were looking for a place to start their family, Lincoln was the obvious choice. They are new parents to their son, Dexter.
Eliot has a long history of service. Working in the New York Governor's office, he helped close a $15 billion deficit, found innovative ways to fund infrastructure projects to fix roads and bridges during the 2008 recession, and forged public-private partnerships to expedite the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site after 9/11.
In 2013, Eliot played a pivotal role in revitalizing Nebraska Conservation Voters (NCV) and Conservation Nebraska, nonprofit organizations that work to protect our state’s natural legacy. At the time, the organizations had been dormant for several years. Under Eliot’s leadership, NCV and Conservation Nebraska now employ 25 people, working across the state to protect our environment. As an active member of our community, Eliot was appointed to the Lincoln Electric System Board by former Mayor Chris Beutler and to the Climate Resiliency Task Force by Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.
Eliot is running for the Legislature because, as a new father, he believes we need to have elected leaders who will work together for our kids, grandkids, and shared future. Eliot is running to move beyond the typical political rhetoric and partisan gridlock to solve the real problems that our families, communities, and state are facing.
ENDORSEMENTS
Eliot has the support of leaders across our community.
FORMER LINCOLN MAYOR CHRIS BEUTLER
“Eliot is a committed advocate for the people of Nebraska. As a State Senator, Eliot has the vision to move our state forward, forge common ground, and find long-term solutions to our most serious problems.”
CITY COUNCILMAN JAMES MICHAEL BOWERS
“As a social worker, I know how important it is to have elected leaders who will fight for those who are most vulnerable. Eliot has demonstrated a commitment to making Nebraska a better place for all. He will be a strong advocate for our kids, the elderly, and all Nebraskans.”
LINCOLN CITY COUNCILWOMAN TAMMY WARD
“Eliot has the qualifications, experience, and compassion we need in the Legislature right now. As his colleague on the Lincoln Electric System Board, I know we can count on him to be a leader who will make measured, informed decisions that help all Nebraskans thrive.”
PRIORITIES
ENSURING A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS
Eliot knows that quality education is essential to the success of our kids. We need to ensure that children have the resources they need to thrive from early childhood to adulthood: pre-K opportunities, solid foundational learning in elementary, middle, and high school, and affordable college education. Our schools need to be safe and help our children reach their potential. Eliot believes in supporting our university and community college systems and in providing opportunities for skilled labor training.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
We need clean air and water for the health and safety of our families and community. It’s time for us to take action on climate change. As Executive Director of Nebraska Conservation Voters and Conservation Nebraska, Eliot works to advance clean energy, protect our water, and prepare our state for the impacts of climate change. Eliot helped secure a commitment from the Omaha Public Power District to reach zero-carbon by no later than 2050. In the legislature, Eliot will advocate for common-sense solutions that protect all Nebraskans’ quality of life and will be a strong conservation champion that will protect our environment for future generations.
CREATING
GOOD-PAYING JOBS
We hear a lot about how low our state’s unemployment rate is, but what goes unspoken is that many Nebraskans are underemployed or working two to three jobs to make ends meet. Eliot will develop public-private partnerships to create jobs that pay a living wage and will last through the 21st century. As someone who understands what it takes to start and grow an organization, he is a strong supporter of incentives to help small businesses and entrepreneurs grow their operations in Nebraska.
MAKING HEALTHCARE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE
Every Nebraskan should have access to affordable healthcare. Eliot believes we should do what we can at the state level to reduce the cost of healthcare and prescription drug prices. Eliot will fight to ensure the will of voters is upheld and Medicaid Expansion is fully implemented.
Eliot will also work to fix the issues that have plagued our Department of Health and Human Services in recent years. Our child welfare system has not been properly protecting kids, nursing homes are closing throughout the state, and services for people with disabilities have been cut. Taking care of our most vulnerable populations is not just a legal obligation, it is a moral necessity.
A MORE FAIR TAX SYSTEM
Nebraska needs to establish a more equitable tax system. Currently, Nebraska ranks 48th in the country in state aid to public schools. We need to strike a better balance so that we are providing a quality education for our kids without passing the entire burden to local property owners. We need to think innovatively about economic development and expand the tax base while restructuring the tax system so that it reduces the burden on working families.
