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RANDOLPH — Randolph’s former City Clerk filed paperwork Monday to throw her hat in the ring and run for Governor.
Sheila Korth-Focken announced in a Monday email that she has completed the paperwork to seek the Governor’s office in the May 12 primary election.
She completed the filing form and paid the filing fee Monday. The fee to file for any office is one percent of the annual salary.
Korth was hired as the Randolph City Clerk in April, 2024. She was terminated one year later over a dispute with Randolph Mayor Dwayne Schutt.
In a press release, the lifelong Republican said she announced her run for Governor to make a difference in Nebraska.
“From grocery stores and laundromats, to conference rooms and fields, Nebraskans are repeatedly saying they’ll vote for me. Why? Because I listen to their needs, find solutions, and promise to work tirelessly for them as our next governor,” she wrote.
Korth Focken, a sixth generation Nebraskan, is currently the only person who has filed for the seat held by Gov. Jim Pillen. Pillen has already announced he will seek re-election to another four-year term.
The first day a candidate can legally file for office was Jan. 5, 2026. The filing deadline for incumbents to appear on the primary election ballot is Feb. 17. Non-Incumbents have until March 2 to file for office.
In her introductory press release, Korth Focken cites a lifelong commitment to public service, fiscal responsibility and accountability to taxpayers.
Korth grew up on a farm near Randolph, where she said early chores such as walking beans, feeding calves and detasseling corn shaped her work ethic.
She later earned degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the London School of Economics and received the Harry S. Truman Scholarship in 2007. She was also named a Regents and Walter Scott Jr. Scholar at UNO.
Now living in the Sandhills with her family, Korth describes herself as a wife, mother and rancher who values Nebraska’s rural way of life.
She said those roots continue to guide her approach to public service.
Over the past 20 years, Korth has worked in government and civic roles focused on improving long-term outcomes for Nebraska families.
Her experience includes working for a Nebraska member of Congress, advocating for the elimination of what she describes as wasteful farm subsidies, founding a mentoring program linking UNO alumni and students, and serving on a university-wide executive committee.
She also cited her role in opposing a proposed residential development in Omaha that raised safety concerns for children.
Korth said her campaign will emphasize government transparency, accountability and reducing unnecessary spending.
She said taxpayers deserve to know exactly where their dollars are going and to have elected officials who remember they work for the people they serve.
