Election 2022
Nebraska state troopers endorse Herbster, saying he has offered them higher pay
LINCOLN — The union representing Nebraska State Patrol troopers sent a message Tuesday to Gov. Pete Ricketts and his preferred replacement: They’re tired of waiting on the state to pay them more. The State Troopers Association of Nebraska endorsed Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster in the Republican governor’s primary race, a candidate Ricketts has said […]
Ex-running mate, former staffers call Herbster unfit to be Nebraska governor
OMAHA — A former running mate, a former political mentor and more than a dozen former campaign staffers who helped get Charles Herbster’s Nebraska governor’s race off the ground no longer stand by his side. Herbster, the CEO of Conklin Co., still holds the endorsement of President Donald Trump, which might be enough to get […]
League works to overcome barriers in collecting information for nonpartisan voters’ guide
In the spirit of democracy and equal access to participate in civic engagement, specifically the necessity of voter education in this age of polarization, the League of Women Voters of Nebraska — a nonpartisan voting rights organization — disseminated the first statewide compilation of candidate information in 2020 via an online voters’ guide, VOTE411 (www.vote411.org). […]
Fortenberry resignation sets up unique situation with special election
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s voters, and election officials, are about to enter new territory. Because of the impending resignation of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, voters in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District will be asked to vote in three elections in 2022 concerning the post Fortenberry is vacating. The three are the May primary, a special election […]
Carol Blood picks former State Sen. Al Davis as her running mate in Nebraska governor race
LINCOLN— Former State Sen. Al Davis, a Sandhills rancher with a second home in Lincoln, was picked Sunday by Democratic gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Carol Blood as her running mate. Blood, of Bellevue, said she was seeking a lieutenant governor who would be “servant-hearted, hard working,” who had past political experience and who had “the […]
Herbster goes off script in governor debate; Lindstrom stays on; Thibodeau attacks
LINCOLN — Four Republicans running to be Nebraska’s next governor stood on a soundstage Thursday and answered questions from reporters for an hour on live television statewide. That they did so is rarely news. But Thursday’s event, hosted by Nebraska Public Media, was the first and perhaps only debate of this GOP primary race. And […]
Polls: Herbster leads GOP race while Pillen, Lindstrom are nearly tied for second place
OMAHA — New polls from competing GOP campaigns for governor show three contenders and enough undecided voters to swing the race three ways, one month before early ballots go in the mail. A poll for Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster’s campaign indicated he led University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen by 9%: 27% to 18%. […]
Dark money ads hit Herbster and Lindstrom in Nebraska governor’s race
OMAHA — The first dark money dropped into Nebraska’s governor’s race Friday, with a pair of TV ads attacking two of the contest’s top three Republican candidates. Dark money group Conservative Nebraska funded a TV ad calling Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster a “Missouri millionaire” who does business out of state and pays his property […]
Foley calls Ricketts’ criticism of Herbster endorsement a compliment
LINCOLN — Nebraska Lt. Gov. Mike Foley leaned into a budding political rift Tuesday between him and his boss, Gov. Pete Ricketts. Foley endorsed Republican Charles Herbster for governor and called Ricketts’ criticism of his choice “a compliment.” “I’m flattered,” Foley said. He said the governor’s response shows his value to Nebraska’s “pro-life” voters. Foley […]
Morfeld wins court decision; ensures run for Lancaster County Attorney
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by the Republican Party, which had challenged whether State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, a Democrat, was qualified to run for Lancaster County Attorney. The high court ruled that Morfeld’s “routine activities” as the long-time executive director of a voting rights group, Civic Nebraska, […]
Pillen says no to GOP primary debates with reporters
Nebraska Republicans might not see all their top governor candidates on the same debate stage before the May 10 primary election. University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, who has turned down debates thus far, said no to another one this week, on NTV News, based in Axtell, Nebraska. His campaign told the central Nebraska TV […]
More than $130,000 in dark money targets Flood in GOP race with Fortenberry
LINCOLN — Dark money is filling in the TV advertising gap between indicted U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and his top primary election opponent, State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk. Flood’s campaign had spent nearly $240,000 on TV ads by late February, based on purchase agreements with TV stations. The Fortenberry campaign, over the same span, spent […]