Don Stenberg (born September 30, 1948) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 31st Attorney General of Nebraska from 1991 to 2003 and 43rd Treasurer of Nebraska from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was legal counsel to Governor Charles Thone from 1979 to 1983. He unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska in 1978; Attorney General of Nebraska in 1986; and the United States Senate in 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2012. Early life, education, and law career Stenberg was born and raised in Tekamah, Nebraska. To pay for college, he detasseled corn, hauled bales, mowed lawns, and life guarded at the local swimming pool. After graduating from University of Nebraska–Lincoln (1970), Harvard Law School (1974), and Harvard Business School (1974) he practiced law in Lincoln. Early political career (1978–1989) 1978 run for Lieutenant Governor In 1978, Stenberg ran for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, coming in fourth in the Republican primary with just 13% of the vote. Roland A. Luedtke won the primary with a plurality of 31%. Thone administration In 1979, he was named as Legal Counsel to Republican Governor of Nebraska Charles Thone. Don has also served as Director of the Governor's Policy Research Office, Assistant to the Governor, and Director of the Department of Administrative Services. 1986 run for Attorney General He first ran for Nebraska Attorney General in 1986, but lost in the Republican primary to incumbent Robert Spire 53%–47%. State Attorney General (1991–2003) Elections In 1990, he ran for Attorney General again. In the Republican primary, he won with a plurality of 38%. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Gene Crump 54%–46%. He won re-election in 1994 (67%) and 1998 (68%). Tenure Stenberg was the named defendant in the noted Supreme Court abortion case, Stenberg v. Carhart 530 U.S. 914 (2000). 1996 U.S. Senate election Stenberg first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1996 to succeed retiring Democratic U.S. Senator J. James Exon. Initially seen as the frontrunner, he was defeated by business executive Chuck Hagel 62%–38%. Hagel went on to win an upset against Democratic Governor Ben Nelson. 2000 U.S. Senate election After being re-elected Attorney General in 1998, Stenberg again ran for the U.S. Senate in 2000 to succeed retiring Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey. He won the six candidate primary with 50% of the vote. In one of the closest elections in Nebraska