Draft:Kirk Penner
{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=NebraskaLore|ns=118|decliner=Sophisticatedevening|declinets=20250602230054|ts=20250407211617}}
{{AFC comment|1=So I'm declining this because most of the sources you give are not independent (He is a member of the Nebraska Department of Education); the 3 News Now is almost entirely quotes of him; and the 1011 NOW is not primarily about him. The Nebraska TV one is good, but there needs to be multiple to prove notability. Sophisticatedevening🍷(talk) 23:00, 2 June 2025 (UTC)}}
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{{Short description|Kirk Penner who sits on the Nebraska State Board of Education District 5.}}
{{Draft topics|biography|north-america|politics-and-government}}
{{AfC topic|blp}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kirk Penner
| image = Penner Kirk-450x600.jpg
| office = Member of the Nebraska State Board of Education from the 5th District
| term_start = December 23, 2021
| term_end =
| predecessor = Patricia Timm
| successor =
| education = Nebraska Wesleyan University (BA)
| birth_place = York, Nebraska
| party = Republican
| spouse = Jennifer
| children = 2
| website = {{URL|https://kirkpenner.com/|Campaign Website}}
}}
Kirk Penner is a business owner, former member of the Aurora School Board, and current member of the Nebraska State Board of Education representing District 5. He was appointed to the seat by Governor Pete Ricketts to succeed Patricia Timm who retired.{{cite web |last1=Jespersen |first1=David |title=KIRK PENNER APPOINTED TO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION |url=https://www.education.ne.gov/press_release/kirk-penner-appointed-to-state-board-of-education/ |website=Nebraska Department of Education |access-date=7 April 2025}}
Early life and education
Kirk Penner was born in York, Nebraska. His family would later move to Aurora, Nebraska. He attended Nebraska Wesleyan University and obtained a bachelors degree in Business Administration.{{cite web |title=Kirk Penner's Biography |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/178665/kirk-penner |website=Vote Smart |access-date=7 April 2025}}
Business Career
Kirk Penner is the President of Penner Manufacturing. The company produces bathing systems for healthcare and residential customers.
He is also the President of Penner Patient Care that helps distribute bathing systems to long-term care facilities.{{cite web |title=Gov. Ricketts appoints Kirk Penner of Aurora to State Board of Education |url=https://nebraska.tv/news/local/gov-ricketts-appoints-kirk-penner-of-aurora-to-state-board-of-education |website=Nebraska TV |date=23 December 2021 |publisher=NTV News |access-date=7 April 2025}}
Political Career
Kirk Penner sat on the Aurora School Board for 16 years from 2005 to 2021 before his appointment to the Nebraska State Board of Education.{{cite web |title=Kirk Penner - District 5 |url=https://www.education.ne.gov/stateboard/members/#kirkpenner |website=Nebraska State Board of Education |access-date=7 April 2025}} He also ran against incumbent Adrian Smith in the 2018 U.S. House of Representatives primary election in Nebraska Congressional District 3. He was defeated by Adrian Smith.{{cite web |title=Smith wins primary in Nebraska's 3rd District |url=https://www.1011now.com/content/news/Smith-wins-primary-in-Nebraskas-3rd-District--482749321.html |website=1011 Now |date=16 May 2018 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=7 April 2025}}
On December 23rd, 2021, Kirk Penner was appointed to the Nebraska State Board of Education in District 5, by Governor Pete Ricketts. He succeeded Patricia Timm upon her resignation who decided to retire.
Penner filed his candidacy in the 2022 midterm elections to seek a full term on the board.{{cite web |title=Kirk Penner files for Nebraska State Board of Education District 5 seat |url=https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/kirk-penner-files-for-nebraska-state-board-of-education-district-5-seat |website=3 News Now |date=31 January 2022 |access-date=7 April 2025}} He ran against Independent candidate Helen Raikes who is a retired UNL professor. Penner beat Raikes in the primary election 60.7% to 39.3%. However, both candidates got to advance since the election is nonpartisan and they were the only two who filed. Penner defeated Raikes in the general election 54.7% to 45.3%.{{cite web |title=Kirk Penner |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Kirk_Penner |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=7 April 2025}}
Electoral History
{{Election box begin no change|title = U.S. House of Representatives Nebraska District 3, Republican Primary election 2018}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Adrian Smith (incumbent)
|votes = 50,878
|percentage = 65.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Kirk Penner
|votes = 20,116
|percentage = 26.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Aaron Kowalski
|votes = 4,461
|percentage = 5.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Larry Bolinger
|votes = 1,935
|percentage = 2.5
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title = Nebraska State Board of Education District 5, Primary election 2022}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Kirk Penner
|votes = 32,492
|percentage = 60.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Independent (United States)
|candidate = Helen Raikes
|votes = 21,007
|percentage = 39.3
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title = Nebraska State Board of Education District 5, General election 2022}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Kirk Penner
|votes = 43,050
|percentage = 54.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Independent (United States)
|candidate = Helen Raikes
|votes = 35,631
|percentage = 45.3
}}
{{Election box end}}