Representative Jeff Fortenberry

Jeffrey Lane Fortenberry (born December 27, 1960) is an American politician who represented Nebraska’s 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2005, to March 31, 2022, as a member of the Republican Party. Over nine terms in office, he participated in the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his constituents in eastern Nebraska and contributing to debates on domestic and foreign policy.

Fortenberry was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from Catholic High School in his native Baton Rouge before pursuing higher education in economics and public policy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Louisiana State University, where he developed an academic foundation in economic theory and public finance. He went on to receive a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., gaining exposure to federal policymaking and the workings of the national government. He later completed a master’s degree in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, reflecting a sustained interest in religious and ethical questions alongside his political and economic training.

Before entering elective office, Fortenberry worked in a variety of policy and business roles. He served as a policy analyst for the Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations, where he examined issues involving the relationship between federal, state, and local governments. He also worked as an economist and in local economic development, focusing on strategies to promote growth and investment at the community level. In the private sector, he was a publishing executive with Sandhills Publishing, a Nebraska-based company, a role that connected him to the state’s business community and media environment.

Fortenberry’s first elected position was at the municipal level in Nebraska. He served as an at-large member of the Lincoln City Council from 1997 to 2001, participating in city governance and local policymaking in the state capital. His council service helped establish his political profile in Lincoln and the surrounding area and provided a platform for his later bid for Congress. After leaving the council, he remained active in public affairs and Republican politics in Nebraska, positioning himself as a candidate to succeed retiring Representative Doug Bereuter in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2004, Fortenberry entered the race for Nebraska’s 1st congressional district seat. In a seven-candidate Republican primary to replace Bereuter, he won with 39% of the vote, defeating, among others, Curt Bromm, the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, who received 33%, and businessman Greg Ruehle, endorsed by the Club for Growth, who received 21%. In the November general election, he defeated Democratic State Senator Matt Connealy by a margin of 54% to 43%, winning all but two counties—Thurston and Burt—and took office on January 3, 2005. He was reelected to a second term in 2006, defeating former Lieutenant Governor Maxine Moul 58% to 42%, again winning all but Burt County. In 2008, he secured a third term by defeating Marine veteran Max Yashirin 70% to 30%.

Fortenberry continued to consolidate his position in subsequent election cycles. In 2010, he faced Republican primary opposition for the first time since his initial run, drawing two opponents but winning the primary with 84% of the vote. He then defeated Democratic legislative staffer Ivy Harper in the general election by a margin of 71% to 29%, earning a fourth term. In later cycles he again drew two opponents in a Republican primary but prevailed with 86% of the vote, and he was reelected to a sixth term by defeating Democratic nominee Dennis Crawford, an attorney. He went on to win a seventh term by defeating Democratic nominee Dan Wik, a physician. Campaigning for an eighth term in 2018, his office drew attention when his chief of staff contacted the University of Nebraska–Lincoln regarding a professor, Ari Kohen, who had “liked” a Facebook post showing a vandalized Fortenberry campaign sign; the staffer raised the matter with Kohen’s supervisor, dean, and the university chancellor, prompting Kohen to file a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging a chilling effect on free speech. In that 2018 election, Fortenberry defeated Democratic nominee Jessica McClure with 60% of the vote, though he lost Lancaster County, which includes Lincoln. In 2020, he was reelected to a ninth term by defeating Democratic State Senator Kate Bolz with 59% of the vote.

During his congressional tenure, Fortenberry served as a Republican member of the House of Representatives during a period marked by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Great Recession, major health care and financial regulatory reforms, and increasing partisan polarization. He participated in the democratic process through committee work, floor votes, and constituent services, representing the interests of Nebraska’s 1st district in national debates. His service also included routine interaction with House administration and security procedures. In the week of April 12, 2021, he made two false calls for emergency service to the United States Capitol Police through the emergency duress button in his Capitol office; the calls were not for a genuine emergency but were apparently made to check the agency’s response time.

Fortenberry’s congressional career was overshadowed in its final phase by a federal criminal investigation into campaign finance matters. In October 2021, a federal grand jury indicted him on three charges of lying to investigators and concealing information about foreign campaign contributions related to a 2016 fundraising event. In March 2022, he was convicted on all three felony counts in a jury trial. Following the convictions, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy both publicly called on him to resign from Congress. Fortenberry announced his intention to step down and officially resigned his seat on March 31, 2022, ending his service in the House after more than seventeen years. In June 2022, he was sentenced to two years’ probation, community service, and a fine. In December 2023, his conviction was overturned on appeal, altering the legal outcome of the case after his departure from office.