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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel place their hands over their hearts as the National Anthem is performed. Hagel was decorated for his military service during the Vietnam War, and later became a successful busi- nessman. In 1997 he was elect- ed to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate, a post he held until his retirement in 2009. In 2013, President Obama appointed Hagel to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of Defense.

state as a whole. This was the first time since 1964 that this traditionally Republican state gave an electoral vote to a Democratic presidential nominee. The Economy Farming has been central to Nebraska’s economy ever since its early days of statehood. Today, the Cornhusker State has about 45.5 million acres of farms and ranches. That’s about 93 per- cent of the state’s total land area. Overall, Nebraska ranks fourth in the nation for crop production, behind

Thanks to its relatively small popu- lation, Nebraska sends only three rep- resentatives to the U.S. House of Representatives. In presidential elec- tions, Nebraska gets five electoral votes. Along with Maine, Nebraska is one of only two states that split their electoral votes by congressional dis- trict. Because of this system, Democratic candidate Barack Obama ended up with one of Nebraska’s elec- toral votes in the 2008 presidential election, even though Republican nominee John McCain carried the