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LINCOLN — Former State Sen. Lynne Walz announced a statewide listening tour as she mulls a Democratic bid for governor in 2026.
The 10 town halls will happen over four days this week, starting Dec. 10 with one in Scottsbluff, and the goal for the former state lawmaker is to hear what people want leaders to focus on.
Walz, a Fremont native, is married to Hartington native Chris Walz.
“I’m hitting the road to get out into communities ... so I can hear directly from Nebraskans about the issues they’re struggling with and talk about how we can move forward together,” Walz said in a statement.
Last week, she launched an exploratory committee, saying the state’s political system and economy are “broken.” If Walz runs, as expected, she would face the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Gov. Jim Pillen announced his reelection campaign earlier this year, which picked up President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The only other announced GOP candidate is a combat medic veteran, Jacy Todd of York. Trump donor and multi-state agribusinessman Charles Herbster has been considering jumping into the primary, which would set up a rematch with Pillen.
Walz was considered a moderate during her time in the statehouse. She said she is not focused on partisan fights but on “what needs to be done to better the lives of the people who live here.”
The last time Nebraska had a Democratic governor was 1999, when former Gov. Ben Nelson was term-limited.
Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in Nebraska by roughly 2-to-i, with about 22% of the state’s registered voters listed as either nonpartisan or with a third party.
