Seth Hawkins

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Seth Hawkins

Nonpartisan

Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Subdistrict 2

Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

1

Predecessor

Ron Nolte

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Appointed

January 17, 2024

Education

High school

Papillion-La Vista High School

Bachelor's

The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2018

Law

University of Nebraska College of Law, 2021

Personal

Birthplace

Omaha, Neb.

Profession

Prosecutor

Seth Hawkins is a member of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District in Nebraska, representing Subdistrict 2. He assumed office on January 17, 2024. His current term ends on January 4, 2029.

Hawkins ran for re-election to the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District to represent Subdistrict 2 in Nebraska. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Seth Hawkins was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He earned a high school diploma from Papillion-La Vista High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2018, and a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2021. His career experience includes working as a prosecutor.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Lancaster County, Nebraska (2024)

General election

General election for Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Subdistrict 2

Incumbent Seth Hawkins defeated Alexander Dierks in the general election for Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Subdistrict 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Seth Hawkins (Nonpartisan)	64.0	7,232
	Submit photo	Alexander Dierks (Nonpartisan)	36.0	4,064

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 11,296
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Seth Hawkins and Alexander Dierks advanced from the primary for Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Subdistrict 2.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Hawkins in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Seth Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hawkins' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a proud resident of Plattsmouth and Cass County. As a lifelong Nebraskan, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources in 2018 and a Law degree from the UNL College of Law in 2021. After graduating, I became a licensed attorney and have been working as a deputy county attorney in Otoe County since then, prosecuting criminal and juvenile cases, as well as advising the County Board on civil matters.

In January of 2024, I was appointed to represent Subdistrict 2 of the Lower Platte South NRD due to the resignation of the former Director. Since that time, I have dedicated myself to representing the citizens of my Subdistrict and bettering the quality of services that the NRD provides to the people who live in the District.

When I am not at work or at an NRD meeting, I will often be found gardening, tending to my chickens, fishing, camping, or working on other projects, such as establishing a beehive on my property, which I hope to get done this year. All of these activities I do together with my wife, Katie, who loves the outdoors and our natural resources just as much as I do.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Responsibly using your property taxes- The NRD levies property taxes to fund its projects and programs. I will ensure that the money received by the NRD from your property taxes is spent wisely, efficiently and transparently on projects that actually benefit the citizens of this District. I believe that the property tax burden on residents of this District is already high and that all local governments that levy a property tax have a responsibility to protect their citizens from extremely burdensome taxes. I will always ensure that the property tax revenue raised by the District is used responsibly for the benefit of its residents.
• Improve and promote the services provided by the District- The NRD provide many valuable services to the residents of the District. These services include the maintenance of flood control structures, cost share programs for farmers, and tree sales for landowners in the District. I will work to improve the services that benefit the residents of the District so that they can more effectively provide for their needs. I will also ensure that they continue to operate efficiently and are cost effective, so that the District can continue providing these services to its residents for many years to come.
• Protection of our natural resources- The Natural Resource Districts of Nebraska were designed to protect the natural resources that we all depend on. Every resident of this District depends on the natural resources that the NRD aims to protect. This includes water, land and wildlife. My goal as a Director on the NRD Board is to effectively protect and preserve these resources so that we can continue to use them as we do now, and so that our future generations can also use them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about natural resources. This is why I applied and was appointed to the NRD Board. The NRD has a wide range of natural resources related issues that it has jurisdiction over, and a great amount of authority to regulate and protect those natural resources for the benefit of its residents. I am very proud to be a part of the NRD Board, as I can represent the members of my community on issues that I care about.
I am also passionate about fiscal responsibly in local government. In Nebraska, only local governments can levy property tax, and the property tax burden is high. All local governments, have a responsibility to use the funds generated through property tax wisely so as to not overly burden their citizens.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe that integrity and honesty are the most important for an elected official. Without those two attributes, you could never trust what the official is saying, which means they would be a poor representative of the people. Additionally, leadership is an important attribute, especially on the NRD Board. This is because the Board has 21 Directors, each representing their own subdistrict. A Director who possesses leadership qualities is able drive the discussion of issues and get a better outcome for the residents of their own subdistrict. Without leadership qualities, your subdistrict may get ignored, which is not good for the people you represent.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe that I have integrity, honesty and leadership skills that will make my an effective officeholder. Additionally, I am experienced in the field of natural resources as I have a Bachelor degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from the UNL School of Natural Resources. I have also worked as a habitat management technician at UNL improving wildlife habitat on UNL properties.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Core responsibilities for someone elected to this office include first and foremost, knowledge of the issues affecting the natural resources of this District. The issues, and the projects that the NRD has established to address these issues are highly technical and highly specialized. Board Directors are expected to have knowledge of these issues and to express opinions on them regularly. Without this knowledge, one cannot competently vote regarding these issues, and so cannot be an effective Director on the Board.

Leadership is also necessary for someone on this Board, because without that quality, your subdistrict may be ignored because you did not bring the issues of that subdistrict to the Board's attention.
Next, you must be willing to listen to the people of this subdistrict. The people have many differing opinions and ideas, all of which have merit. Listening to each and every one of their concerns, ideas, or suggestions, is imperative to being their representative on this Board.

Lastly, you must be willing to attend as many Board meetings and functions as possible, as you are your subdistrict's voice on the NRD Board. You must attend the meetings, tell the Board what your constituents are thinking, and be there to vote and represent your residents.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy that emphasizes public service as well as devotion and service to my community. My neighbors and fellow community members are very important to me and I wish to serve them at every chance that I get. This is why I chose to use my law degree to become a prosecutor. It is also why I applied for appointment on the NRD Board. My goal is to serve and represent the people of my community and ensure that their voices are heard at all levels of government.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I remember is 9/11. I was about 4 years old at the time and remember seeing it on TV when my parents watched the evening news that night.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

The first job that I had was working for the City of La Vista, Nebraska. I was a streets maintenance worker filling potholes and repairing other issues with the city streets. It was a summer job, so I only had it for the summer before I went back to school in the fall.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe that financial transparency and accountability are very important attributes for a government to possess. I have also been very impressed with the Lower Platte South NRD's transparency with their financials since I was appointed to the Board of Directors. All of the District's financial sheets and expenditures are available on the District's website where it posts the meeting agendas. I believe that this is an excellent practice to ensure that the residents of the District are able to determine exactly what the District is spending their property tax dollars on.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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