Lifelong Nebraskan
Senator Deb Fischer was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is the daughter of Gerold “Jerry” and Florence Strobel. Her father served as the state engineer and director of the Nebraska Department of Roads under Nebraska governors Kay Orr and Ben Nelson. Her mother taught elementary school at Lincoln Public Schools.
After graduating from Lincoln Southeast High School, Deb enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). While attending UNL, Deb met Bruce Fischer, a cattle rancher from Valentine, Nebraska. The two were married in 1972 and moved to the family ranch outside of Valentine where they raised their three sons. Deb returned to UNL for the fall semester of 1987 and completed her B.S. degree in education.
Record of Public Service
Before her election to the U.S. Senate, Deb served in the Nebraska Legislature – the nation’s only unicameral body. From 2005 to 2013, Deb represented the 43rd Legislative District. During her time in the state legislature, she chaired the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. She was also a member of the Revenue Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Executive Board.
Prior to representing Nebraska’s 43rd Legislative District, Deb served as a commissioner on the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post-Secondary Education, a member of the Valentine Rural High School Board of Education, and President of the Valentine Rural High School Foundation. Additionally, she served as President of the Board of Directors for the Nebraska Association of School Boards.
Longtime Agriculture Advocate
Before running for public office, Deb’s experience as a cattle rancher propelled her to get involved with several organizations focused on promoting leadership development and strengthening Nebraska agriculture. From 1988-1990, she participated in the Nebraska LEAD program and is a proud alumna of LEAD Class 8. In 2012, Fischer received the Outstanding LEAD Alumnus award from the LEAD Alumni Association. Additionally, in 1991, Deb was a Kellogg Fellow for the National Center for Food and Policy Research, Resources for the Future, in Washington, D.C.
Deb currently serves as a member of the following agriculture organizations: AgBuilders of Nebraska, Sandhills Cattle Association, Nebraska Cattlemen, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
Deb was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2012, becoming the first Nebraska woman elected to a full term and the first Nebraska state senator elected directly after service in the state legislature. She was reelected for a second term in 2018, and in November 2024, Nebraskans voted to send her back to the Senate for a third term. During the 119th Congress, she serves as deputy whip working to present the concerns of Nebraskans directly to Republican Senate leadership.
Deb also serves on six important Senate committees: Armed Services, Appropriations, Agriculture, Commerce, Rules, and Ethics.
Family Life
Deb and her husband, Bruce, have three sons, six grandchildren, and a Goldendoodle, Fred. Their family continues to operate their ranching business in the Nebraska Sandhills.