{{Short description|American politician (1936–2014)}} {{use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jerry Chizek | office = Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 31st district | term_start = December 4, 1984 | term_end = January 6, 1993 | predecessor = Gordon McDonald | successor = Kate Witek | birth_date = {{birth date|1936|9|28}} | birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska | death_date = {{death date and age|2014|5|26|1936|9|28}} | death_place = Longville, Minnesota | education = University of Omaha | party = Democratic | spouse = {{marriage|Connie Woodward|1959}} | children = 6 (Bill, Cathy, Mary, Phil, Jim, David) | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = {{army|United States}} | service_years = 1958–1960 | unit = 101st Airborne Division }}
'''Gerald E. "Jerry" Chizek''' (September 28, 1936{{spaced ndash}}May 26, 2014) was a Democratic politician from Nebraska who served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 31st district from 1984 to 1993.
==Early career== Chizek was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Omaha South High School, later attending the University of Omaha.<ref name="blue book">{{cite book|title=Nebraska Blue Book 1991-92|editor-last1=Fraass|editor-first1=Robert H.|publisher=Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature|date=1991|page=269|url=https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/l3000/D001-199091.pdf|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> He served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960 in the 101st Airborne Division.<ref name="blue book"/><ref name="who">{{cite news|title=Who's Who in the Primary|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=April 27, 1970|location=|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193240983/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> Chizek worked for Northwestern Bell, and served as the president of the Local 7400 of the Communications Workers of America.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bell Installer May Fill Top State Labor Post|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=November 20, 1970|location=|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193241232/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
In 1970, Chizek ran for one of two seats on the Metropolitan Utilities District Board.<ref name="who"/> However, he was not nominated in the primary election and did not advance to the general election.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frost Leads, Bucholz 2nd In MUD Race|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=May 13, 1970|location=|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193241289/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
Upon the election of Democrat J. James Exon as Governor in 1970, he appointed Chizek as the state Labor Commissioner, succeeding Tom Doyle.<ref>{{cite news|title=Exon Names Labor Chief, Tax Director|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=November 25, 1970|location=|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193241484/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> Chizek served during both of Exon's terms as governor, and resigned at the end of 1978 after Republican Charles Thone was elected governor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thone Picks 2 to Fill Labor, Planning Posts|newspaper=Star-Herald|date=December 30, 1978|location=Scottsbluff, Nebraska|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-herald/193241630/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
==Nebraska Legislature== In 1984, State Senator Gordon McDonald, who had been appointed to the legislature in 1983 to fill out the remainder of Steve Wiitala's term, declined to run for a full term, and recruited Chizek to succeed him.<ref name="party leaders">{{cite news|last=Frisbie|first=Al|title=Party Leaders Pitted in 31st Legislative District|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=May 7, 1984|location=|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193241956/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> In the primary election, Chizek faced insurance agent Chuck Sigerson, the former Chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party, and McDonald's name remained on the ballot.<ref name="party leaders"/> Chizek placed first in the primary election, receiving 58 percent of the vote to Sigerson's 31 percent and McDonald's 11 percent.<ref name="1984 results">{{cite book|title=Official Report of the Nebraska State Canvassing Board, Primary Election, May 15, 1984, General Election, November 6, 1984|last=Beermann|first=Allen J.|publisher=Nebraska Secretary of State|year=1984|url=https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/S1200/S001-1984prim_gen.pdf|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> In the general election, Chizek defeated Sigerson by a wide margin, receiving 57 percent of the vote to Sigerson's 43 percent.<ref name="1984 results"/> After Chizek's victory, McDonald resigned from the legislature on December 3, 1984, and Governor Bob Kerrey appointed Chizek to serve out the remaining days of McDonald's term on December 4.<ref>{{cite book|title=Legislative Journal of the State of Nebraska|editor-last1=O'Donnell|editor-first1=Patrick|year=1985|pages=5–6|volume=1|url=https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/89/PDF/Journal/r1journal_book.pdf|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
Chizek ran for re-election to a second term in 1988,<ref>{{cite news|last=Cordes|first=Henry J.|title=Chizek Leads Fund Raising, Spending|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=May 7, 1988|location=|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193242309/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> and was challenged by David Michael Dulaney, an engineer at WOWT.<ref>{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=Julie|title=Rivals for District 31 Seat Differ on Campaign Styles|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=October 24, 1988|location=|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193242481/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> Chizek won 80 percent of the vote in the primary election, and was re-election in the general election in a landslide, winning 77–23 percent.<ref>{{cite book|title=Official Report of the Nebraska State Canvassing Board, Primary Election, May 10, 1988, General Election, November 8, 1988|last=Beermann|first=Allen J.|publisher=Nebraska Secretary of State|year=1988|url=https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/S1200/S001-1988prim_gen.pdf|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
He declined to run for a third term in 1992.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chizek, 7 others to leave Unicameral seats in '92|newspaper=Lincoln Star|date=February 28, 1992|location=|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lincoln-star/193242670/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
==Post-legislative career== After leaving the legislature, Chizek registered as a lobbyist,<ref>{{cite news|last=Cordes|first=Henry J.|title=3 Legislators Move to Ranks of Lobbyists|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=January 6, 1993|location=|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193234694/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> and in 1996, was named as the executive director of the Nebraska Sheriffs' Association.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-senator picked for sheriff's group|newspaper=Lincoln Journal Star|date=June 14, 1996|location=|page=6C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star/193234813/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> He later moved to his family's cabin in Longville, Minnesota, where he was the director of the local airport authority and was hired as a lobbyist for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.<ref name="obituary">{{cite news|last=Hammel|first=Paul|title=State senator from west Omaha 'hated inequality'|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=May 28, 2014|location=|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/193234338/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
==Death== Chizek died of liver cancer on May 26, 2014.<ref name="obituary"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chizek, Jerry}} Category:1936 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Nebraska state senators Category:Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska Category:University of Nebraska Omaha alumni Category:Nebraska Democrats Category:United States Army soldiers Category:20th-century members of the Nebraska Legislature