Deb Fischer is a rancher and former state legislator who became Nebraska's first female senator when she won a surprise primary victory in 2012 against better-funded establishment candidates. Known for her pragmatic conservative approach, she has focused heavily on agricultural issues, rural broadband expansion, and military affairs as a member of the Armed Services Committee. Fischer built her political career from the ground up, starting on local school boards and working her way through the Nebraska Legislature, where she developed a reputation for bipartisan dealmaking on infrastructure and natural resources issues.