Nebraska voters gave thumbs up Tuesday to former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey and State Representative Deb Fischer. The two will run for U.S. Senate in November.

Kerrey, who once served the state in the U.S. Senate won easily in the Democratic primary.

Fischer had a tighter race on the Republican side. As the votes were counted throughout the night, Fischer passed her party rival, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning.

By late Tuesday night, Kerrey had 80% of the votes. Chuck Hassebrook was the closest challenger with 12%.

Fischer beat Bruning 41% - 35%. With all votes tallied, Fischer had 10,082 more votes than the attorney general -- 79,196-to-69,114.

Fischer lost both Douglas and Sarpy Counties to Bruning by more than 4,000 votes. She more than made up for that in rural Nebraska.

Fischer eschewed any suggestion that the win caught her by surprise.

She says she knows how to work hard because she's a Nebraskan.

Fischer also downplayed the role a late $200,000 advertising blitz from an outside super PAC might have had in her race against two better-financed GOP opponents.

She acknowledged that the general election race could get bloody. She calls the race the "focus of the entire nation" and thinks it will get "interesting."

Bob Kerrey says he's never met Fischer and only knows that she was a state senator and has a ranch in Cherry County.

Kerrey believes she is downplaying the impact outside money had on the race. "She only wins because of the Joe Ricketts ad. It's a very good ad -- and very nasty. I don't think she would have won without it."