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LINCOLN — Candidates seeking to appear on Nebraska’s 2026 primary ballot had until Monday to file, including federal, legislative and education races at the top of the ticket.
The following 42 statewide offices will appear on the statewide 2026 primary ballot: One U.S. Senate seat. Three U.S. House seats. All constitutional officers (governor and their selected lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer and auditor of public accounts).
One Nebraska Public Service Commission seat.
Twenty-five legislative seats, including a special election to fill out the final two years of former Amherst State Sen. Dan McKeon’s seat in Legislative District 41.
Four State Board of Education seats.
Three NU Board of Regents seats, including a special election to serve the final four years of former Omaha NU Regent Elizabeth O’Connor’s District 4 seat.
At least three candidates for federal office are running nonpartisan bids — Dan Osborn of Omaha, against U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, and Macey Budke of North Platte and Mark Cohen of Lemoyne, both running against U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. Nonpartisan candidates must file enough valid signatures by Aug. 3 to qualify for the general election ballot.
Two Democratic candidates filed for U.S. Senate against Ricketts, who faces four other Republicans in a primary. Two Legal Marijuana NOW party candidates filed as well. That party’s 2024 Senate candidate dropped out and endorsed Osborn against U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.
U.S. Rep. Mike Flood of Norfolk and Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding of Omaha are the presumptive Republican nominees for Nebraska’s 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts. Smith drew a Republican challenger in David Huebner of North Platte.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Secretary of State Bob Evnen drew Republican opponents, but the other three Republican constitutional officers — State Auditor Mike Foley, Attorney General Mike Hilgers and State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg — did not.
In the Legislature, three lawmakers are unopposed: State Sens. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, Teresa Ibach of Sumner and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. Ibach also ran unopposed in 2022. One other open seat features only one candidate, for newcomer Dawson Brunswick of Columbus.
Of the remaining legislative races, 12 have three or more candidates.
Neither McKeon nor O’Connor, who both resigned in January, is running again for their seats.
Of the seven races for the State Board of Education and University of Nebraska Board of Regents, three will be narrowed in the primary. State Board of Education President Elizabeth Tegtmeier of North Platte is running unopposed.
Nebraska’s primary election is May 12. The top candidates for partisan races and the top-two candidates in officially nonpartisan races will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Zach Wendling Nebraska Examiner
