Danielle Conrad

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Danielle Conrad
Member of the Nebraska Legislature
from the 46th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 4, 2023
Preceded byAdam Morfeld
In office
2007–2015
Preceded byDavid Landis
Succeeded byAdam Morfeld
Personal details
BornDanielle Nantkes
(1977-08-05) August 5, 1977 (age 48)
Seward, Nebraska, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln (BA)
University of Nebraska College of Law (JD)

Danielle Conrad (née Nantkes) is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. From 2007 to 2015, she served in the Nebraska State Legislature, representing District 46 on the city of Lincoln's north side. She was elected again to the Nebraska Legislature in 2022.

Personal life

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She was born on August 5, 1977, in Seward, Nebraska. Her father served as a Deputy Sheriff for over 25 years; her mother served as a teacher at Lincoln Public Schools for over 15 years.[1] Conrad graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a B.A. in 2000. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor at the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2003.

According to a background article prepared by the Unicameral Update, Conrad became a fan of politics as a teenager, following the historic race for Governor pitting two women, Republican Kay Orr against Democrat Helen Boosalis.[2]

Conrad's affiliations in the community include the Lincoln YWCA Board of Directors; Community Development Taskforce, Nebraska Bar Association, Lincoln Bar Association, and the Volunteer Lawyers Project.

She married in 2008.

After becoming a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, she took a job with the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, a non-profit, non-partisan law project providing legal counsel to the poor, minorities, and immigrants in the state of Nebraska.[3]

Conrad headed the ACLU of Nebraska from 2014 to 2022. During this time, the staff grew from just four people to a team of ten full-time staff with two contact lawyers.[4] They won legal victories concerning LGBTQ+ equality, open government, and reproductive rights. She also supported expanding Medicaid eligibility, banning predatory payday lending, eliminating the last vestiges of slavery from Nebraska's state constitution, increasing the minimum wage, and increasing election participation through a mass mailing of vote-by-mail applications.[5]

Nebraska Legislature

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A registered Democrat, Conrad (Nantkes at the time) first ran for elected office in 2006, seeking to represent the 46th Legislative District. She defeated Republican Carol Brown with 55% of the vote. Her standing committee assignments included Appropriations and Nebraska Retirement Systems.[6] She also served on the Performance Audit Committee, Redistricting Committee, and chaired the Legislature's Innovation and Entrepreneurial Task Force.[7] During Conrad's time in office, she was one of only ten women in the 49-member Nebraska Legislature.

Due to term limits, she did not seek re-election to the Legislature in 2014, and was succeeded by Adam Morfeld.

During her second term starting in 2023, Conrad has served on the Education, Natural Resources, and Nebraska Retirement Systems Committees.[8]

Conrad has a number of endorsements from organizations such as, The Lincoln Journal Star, Nebraska Cattlemen, Women Who Run Nebraska, The Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska, National Association of Social Workers, Moms Demand Action, along with many current and former Nebraska State senators.[9]

District 46 of Nebraska's Legislative District includes northeast Lincoln and a small section of Lancaster County. [10]

LGBTQA+

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Conrad supports the LGBTQA+ community. She voted against defining “male” and “female” in relation to locker rooms and restrooms in educational settings (LB 89) and forcing students to use restrooms associated with biological gender (LB 575).[11][12] Conrad also introduced Legislative Bill (LB) 485, Prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation as prescribed, which did not pass.[13][14]

Abortion Rights

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Conrad is for abortion healthcare rights, voting against Legislative Bill (LB) 632 [15] and Legislative Bill (LB) 574.[16]

Education

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Conrad introduced Legislative Bill (LB) 31, Require school policies relating to the use of student surveillance, monitoring, and tracking technology by school districts, which would require the State Board of Education to make a plan for school districts to track inventory of surveillance equipment, along with the names of vendors and third parties. As of Summer 2025, the bill is pending.[17][18]

Conrad supports free menstrual products in school and abolishing debt collectors from seeking repayment from families for a child’s unpaid school lunch debt. [19]

Workers Rights

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Conrad has voted twice to increase Nebraska minimum wages; once in 2007 and again in 2014.[20][19]

Electoral history

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Nebraska's 46th Legislative District Election, 2022[21][22]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Danielle Conrad 1,594 43.20
Democratic James Michael Bowers 1,431 38.78
Libertarian James Herrold 665 18.02
Total votes 3,690 100.00
General election
Democratic Danielle Conrad 3,146 51.48
Democratic James Michael Bowers 2,965 48.52
Total votes 6,111 100.00
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ "Danielle Conrad". 1011Now. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  2. ^ "Conrad hooked on politics at early age". Unicameral Update. 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  3. ^ Young, JoAnne (August 14, 2014). "Danielle Conrad named ACLU state director". Lincoln Journal Star.
  4. ^ Gonzalez, Cindy (2022-03-29). "A growing ACLU Nebraska sees change in top spots". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  5. ^ Golbitz, David (2022-03-08). "ACLU of Nebraska Leader Steps Down to Run for State Legislature". Omaha Daily Record. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  6. ^ "Nebraska Unicameral Legislature". Sen. Danielle Conrad. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  7. ^ "District 46: Danielle Conrad". JournalStar.com. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  8. ^ "Nebraska Unicameral Legislature". Sen. Danielle Conrad. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  9. ^ "Danielle Conrad for Legislature". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  10. ^ "Legislative District 46" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  11. ^ "LB 89 - Defines "Male" and "Female" in State Law Targeted for K-12 or Collegiate Bathrooms, Sports Teams and Locker Rooms". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  12. ^ "LB 575 - Requires Students Use Restrooms that Align with Their Biological Sex and Prohibits Transgender Students from Playing on Female Sports Teams". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  13. ^ "LB 485 - Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  14. ^ "Nebraska Legislature Bill 485". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  15. ^ "LB 632 - Requires Abortion Providers to Dispose of Fetal and Embryonic Remains by Burial or Cremation". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  16. ^ "LB 574 - Limits to Abortion Access and Prohibition of Gender Affirming Care for Minors". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  17. ^ "LB31". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  18. ^ Wendling, Zach (2025-03-10). "Bill to catalog Nebraska school 'tools of mass surveillance' hits roadblock". Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  19. ^ a b "Why I'm Running - Danielle Conrad". Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  20. ^ Wendling, Zach (2025-04-25). "Bill advances to slow annual increases to Nebraska minimum wage". Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  21. ^ Robert B. Evnen, "Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers: Primary Election, May 10, 2022" (PDF), Nebraska Secretary of State, p. 31
  22. ^ Robert B. Evnen, "Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers: General Election, November 8, 2022" (PDF), Nebraska Secretary of State, p. 21