Four area residents have announced their intentions to run for the soon-to-be open legislative seat in the 2024 election.
Sen. Steve Halloran is in his final term representing Legislative District 33 due to term limits.
Joshua Frederick, Paul Hamelink, Dan Lonowski and Michelle Smith have each announced plans to run for the open seat. Candidates may file for election starting Jan. 5, 2024. Non-incumbents may file until March 1, 2024.
Frederick lives in Juniata with his wife, Miranda, and their two children.
According to the website www.fred4leg.com, Frederick is a fifth-generation Nebraskan who was primarily home educated before earning his bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2019.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 2020 and was among service members who were involuntarily separated from the U.S. Army after declining the COVID-19 immunization on religious grounds.
Frederick currently works with his father at Master Builder Associates as an architectural designer and project manager, serving greater Nebraska with commercial and residential design and construction.
He is a pro-life advocate, as well as a proponent of the First and Second amendments. He wants to replace property, income, inheritance and corporate taxes with a consumption tax.
Hamelink lives in Hastings with his wife, Sandra. They have four children and five grandchildren.
According to the website www.hamelinkforlegislature.com, Hamelink and his wife own and operate a small business, Paul’s Cigar Lounge.
Hamelink spent more than a decade as senior living administrator at Good Samaritan Village. In 2011, Hamelink accepted an invitation to serve on the City Planning Commission.
During that time, he was board chair for the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce in 2015, president of the Hastings Noon Rotary, and a board member for the Hastings Community Theater.
Hamelink was elected to serve on the Hastings City Council in 2016, ultimately serving as the group’s president.
He wants to fight for sensible tax policy to create opportunities for businesses while encouraging young people to stay in the state.
Hamelink is pro-life and wants to protect Second Amendment rights. He advocates lower property taxes to help ag producers.
Lonowski lives in Hastings with his wife, Janet. They have five children and six grandchildren.
According to the website, www.lonowskiforlegislature.com, Lonowski is a retired teacher and wrestling coach from Adams Central High School.
He served as a National Guardsman and retired in 2016 as a colonel. Lonowski deployed to Afghanistan in 2009.
He is the owner of a small business, a parking lot painting service. Lonowski currently works as the project coordinator for ASAAP (Area Substance & Alcohol Abuse Prevention) where he travels to schools within a four-county region presenting on the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco use.
Lonowski is pro-life and committed to Second Amendment rights. He wants Nebraskans to maintain control of agricultural property.
He advocates for free-market capitalism as the driving force of economic growth, job creation, and prosperity. He wants to replace property, income, inheritance and corporate taxes with a consumption tax.
Smith was born and raised in Hastings, where her son recently graduated from St. Cecilia High School.
According to the website, www.michellefornebraska.com, Smith is a strong believer in education.
She grew up attending local schools and colleges, obtaining four college degrees, including two masters degrees. She serves as an adjunct professor at Doane University teaching future masters-level therapists.
Smith worked at several area businesses before opening Sunrise Inspirations PC in 2014 to provide mental health therapy to children, adults, and families in Hastings and surrounding communities.
She believes her experience as a therapist will allow her to empathetically listen, understand and advocate for all constituents in the district.
Smith believes everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare, especially for those in rural areas.
She is an advocate for working class home ownership. She wants to support local farmers and rural communities.
She wants to provide a balanced approach focusing on values of compassion, respect, dependability and inclusivity to be a voice for all constituents.
