In the 1990 Nebraska gubernatorial election, Democratic challenger Ben Nelson narrowly defeated first-term Republican incumbent Kay Orr for the governorship of the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. Seven Democrats, four of them regarded as serious contenders, vied for the party's gubernatorial nomination. School funding, abortion, and the question of whether to establish a state lottery were among the issues at play in the campaign. So close was the primary election that it took 48 days to declare Nelson the winner, by a margin of 41 votes.