[1][2] Paul Hartnett was raised in Hubbard, Nebraska, on a family farm but left to attend Wayne State College where he pursued a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education.
Hartnett began his career as a teacher, coach, and administrator first at Brunswick, Nebraska, and then back in his hometown of Hubbard.
[3] During this time, Hartnett was elected to the Bellevue School Board in 1968, a position which he held until 1984.
[1] In 1984, Hartnett was elected to the Nebraska Legislature to represent District 45 in Bellevue.
[1] Hartnett was known as the "driving force" behind the construction of the Kennedy Freeway through Bellevue, and he also worked to bring a national veterans cemetery to Sarpy County, Nebraska, and to expand the tourism tax authority to benefit more Nebraska communities.