Omaha DSA 2026 General Election Voter Guide

Author: Members of the Omaha DSA Electoral and Legislative Working Groups

Important Dates

• Voter Registration Deadline (Online/Mail): Oct 16, 2026

• Voter Registration Deadline (Election Commissioner): Oct 23, 2026

• Early Voting By Mail Request Deadline: Oct 23, 2026

• General Election: Nov 3, 2026

About

As of today, Omaha DSA has formed an Electoral Working Group, however, we are not currently running electoral campaigns, and Omaha DSA has not adopted an Electoral Strategy. We do have Members in Good Standing and allies running for office. Given that, we are not currently doing endorsements, nor do we have an endorsement process, nor are we currently supporting any races as a chapter. This does not say we discourage individuals from supporting any candidate for office; chapter members ought to support who they need to for themselves, as that helps build up skills needed for later campaigns. 

We also may recommend voting for certain candidates or voting against certain candidates without making an endorsement. This should not be confused with an endorsement, and only represents the views of the people who crafted this document from the lens of creating the best possible organizing conditions for the organization. It does not represent the expenditure of the organization’s resources in support of any candidate.

Nebraska is a red state where the Republicans control a supermajority in the Legislature, the entire federal delegation to Congress, and the Governor’s office. CD-2, consisting of Douglas, Saunders, and portions of Sarpy County, is viewed as a blue dot for its votes for Democratic Presidential candidates in Nebraska’s unique split electoral voting structure, but Republican incumbent Don Bacon has held the Congressional seat since 2016.

There are now six recognized parties in the State of Nebraska:

• America First

• Democratic

• Legal Marijuana NOW

• Libertarian

• Nebraska Working People

• Republican
  

Anyone not registered to a party is a Nonpartisan.

This document’s goal is to be a resource to you as you fill out your ballot and consider your options. It would be a very difficult task to include every single race on the ballot in all of Omaha DSA’s jurisdiction, so we tried to include the races that were the most relevant. We hope to make it more robust in future years with every office that could appear on your ballot – any exclusions are the result of time and capacity restraints. We have included other helpful resources for researching your ballot at the end of this guide.

If you are disappointed with the options on your ballot and the positions of the candidates, know that you are not alone in that feeling. We are so excited for the future of Omaha DSA’s Electoral Working Group and getting candidates on the ballot – and soon, Socialists in Office – we can enthusiastically endorse.

Federal

United State Senate

Right now, the incumbent is the Republican Pete Ricketts and he is running for re-election. He was appointed by Governor Jim Pillen in 2023 to replace Ben Sasse who resigned, and defeated Preston Love Jr. in 2024 to finish the final two years in Sasse’s 6-year term.

The candidates for US Senate in the primary are the following:

• America First

  • Chuck Conboy

• Independent

  • Dan Osborn

• Legal Marijuana NOW

  • Mike Marvin

• Nebraska Working People

  • Robin Richards

• Republican

  • Pete Ricketts–Incumbent
    

Chuck Conboy is a hard man to find information about online! The only information available about him is that he owns a flooring business in Papillion. As one of the newest political parties on the ballot, it seems his central function on the ballot is to draw conservative votes away from Pete Ricketts.

Pete Ricketts is worth billions thanks to his family’s fortune, and is part-owner of the Chicago Cubs. Ricketts has been a consistent enemy of the left since his initial failed run for Senate in 2006 against Ben Nelson. After that defeat, he successfully became the Governor of Nebraska in 2014 until 2023, when he was appointed to fill former Senator Ben Sasse’s seat. 

During his tenure as governor, he reinstated the death penalty by funding a ballot measure to do so after a ban was successful in the legislature and consistently worked against abortion rights. When in 2016, several Republican senators in the Legislature decided to vote against his interests as governor by supporting issues like drivers’ licenses for DACA recipients and the death penalty repeal, he then devoted his personal fortune to donating to their primary opponents. Ricketts has also financed several conservative ballot initiatives, including but not limited to: reinstating the death penalty, enacting voter I.D., banning abortion at 12 weeks, and the constitutional amendment to ban trans athletes in schools. 

As Senator, he has been a consistent ally of the Trump administration in spite of his initial opposition to his candidacy in 2016 and has one of the most conservative voting records in the entire body. He has remade Nebraska politics for the worst, and much of the work in Nebraska will be undoing the damage he and his family’s fortune have caused. We cannot emphasize enough: do not vote for Pete Ricketts. 

Dan Osborn is a registered independent on his second bid for the Senate, after a 53-46 defeat in 2024 to incumbent Republican Deb Fischer, the closest margin a Nebraska U.S. Senate race has seen for some time in an statewide electoral environment typically dominated by Republicans. Osborn was the president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 50G and led a strike at the Omaha Kellogg’s in 2021. After his firing at Kellogg’s, he then became a member of Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 464.

Osborn is endorsed by the Nebraska Democratic Party, the United Auto Workers (UAW), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the Communications Workers of America (CWA),  the National and Nebraska Education Association (NEA), the Nebraska State AFL-CIO, the Committee to Protect Healthcare, the National and Nebraska Sierra Club, and End Citizens’ United. Osborn is also endorsed by the J Street PAC, a PAC that supports conditional U.S. aid to Israel. 

Policy positions:

• Draining the swamp: Overturning Citizens’ United, banning Congressional stock trading, no corporate PAC money, instituting term limits, creating independent redistricting commissions, enforcing age limits, and releasing the Epstein files. 

• Protecting Paychecks, Social Security, and Healthcare: Middle class tax cut, Click to Cancel, Right to Repair, limit consumer fees, targeted tariffs, break up healthcare monopolies, protect Social Security and Medicare, negotiate drug pricing, keeping the government out of “private healthcare decisions”

• Cut Waste and Balance the Budget: Establish a national audit, no more corporate handouts (including data centers giveaways.)

• Protect the Good Life: Nebraska-First Foreign Policy means, quote, “ending the war in Iran and cutting off aid to Israel until they end their aggression against Gaza and their neighbors” and “No weapon that says “Made in America” should ever be used on a school or hospital.” Also mentions standing up to health insurance monopolies, limits on data centers, having the back of First Responders (including police and firefighters),  and,  “I will work with any administration's Department of Transportation to further connect our state to the national AMTRAK system, and ensure our state’s rail network is up to date and safe.”

• Fight Like Hell for Rural Nebraska: Pass a Farm Bill, break up ag and meatpacking monopolies, rein in Railroad monopolies, fix crop subsidies,  prevent foreign corporations from taking land, evict foreign corporations, mandate Country of Origin labeling, fight for limited tariffs, avoid foreign wars, rebuild rural healthcare, promote rural broadband, invest in small businesses, stop inflation.

• Defend Our Freedoms and the Constitution: Protect the 2nd amendment, end the surveillance state, get government out of our private data, legalize medical marijuana, keep government out of medical decisions (identifies as personally pro-life but opposed to abortion bans.)
  

Considerations:

Osborn has been a union leader and has taken noteworthy stances on cutting off aid to Israel, protecting “private healthcare decisions” (read as things like abortion rights and trans healthcare), and limiting data centers as well as a host of other consumer protections. These are all stances that many Democrats or Independents would not be brave enough to run competitively statewide, and are in alignment with many parts of our national program and local priorities.

However, notably missing from his policy positions are issues like immigration. Osborn has previously run ads offering to help Trump “build the wall,” and played both sides of the issue. Additionally, Osborn responded to attacks from Ricketts by stating he would not support “boys in girls’ sports.” In leaked conversations, he has indicated that his stated support for a border wall (referred to as a “symbol of racism”) or stance on trans athletes were a matter of winning the election rather than personal belief. Undoubtedly “moderating” on these issues that are, unfortunately, popular statewide in Nebraska is a part of his electoral strategy and not necessarily an indication of his personal beliefs – whether or not they’d be his actions in the Senate is a continued matter of debate.

Mike Marvin dropped out of the race and endorsed Dan Osborn. He is the former Executive Director of the NAPE/AFSCME. His primary policy position, as you may have guessed from his party affiliation, is legal marijuana now. His website also lists ending government surveillance, repealing the Patriot Act, and ending wasteful foreign wars. He also describes, “working with other candidates in the race to make sure we have a united front against Pete Ricketts in November.” His name will still appear on the ballot.

Robin Richards is a member of the Ralston School Board and a former registered Democrat who lost her primary in Legislative District 12 as a write-in candidate. There has been a lot of speculation about her newly formed party, the Working People’s Party, and its affiliation with both liberal and conservative figures in Nebraska. The Nebraska Democratic Party has publicly accused her candidacy as tied to Crystal Rhoades, a current elected Democrat and frequent Democratic campaign manager, after Rhoades’ defeat in the Congressional District 2 primary. The NDP have also publicly accused the signature collection effort of the Working People’s Party as funded by Pete Ricketts and his allies. 

Bottom line:

Osborn is not going to be a candidate that we can count on to fight for abolishing ICE or standing up for trans rights. That being said, he would be a force for improving the conditions of workers in Nebraska and a much-needed vote in Senate against foreign wars and funding the genocide in Gaza. He is the best option of all candidates in this race and would change the makeup of our all-conservative federal delegation significantly. 

US House of Representatives

NE-CD1

In Omaha DSA’s jurisdiction, CD1 covers Cass, Dodge, and portions of Sarpy County. Its incumbent is Mike Flood.

The candidates for CD1 are the following:

• America First

  • Dan Hartong

• Democratic

  • Chris Backemeyer

• Libertarian

  • Nik Sandman

• Republican

  • Mike Flood–Incumbent
    

Dan Hartong does not have a website, but he does have a Facebook where reposts accusations of former President Obama “mass importing Somalis into Minnesota” and other racist posts, endless AI generated content, accusations of “illegals” killing people, pleas for people to vote for Republicans, and a lot of RVs.

Chris Backemeyer is a registered Democrat and former State Department official in the Biden administration and was on the negotiation team during President Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal. Backenmeyer was also a national security advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris. Backenmeyer is endorsed by J Street PAC, a PAC that supports conditional aid to Israel. It is no secret why there are serious questions about Backenmeyer’s stances on issues like the genocide in Gaza, and he has made no effort of seriously addressing these concerns outside of private assurances. 

His website lists his policy priorities as the following:

• Making Healthcare Affordable and Accessible through a public option, extending ACA tax credits, restoring Medicaid funding and protecting rural hospitals, lowering the Medicaid Eligibility age to 60, lowering prescription drug costs, and protecting abortion rights.

• Smart, Fair Immigration and A Secure Border by partially defunding ICE and “prohibiting the use of federal funds to detain children,” enacting strong border security, passing comprehensive immigration reform to keep families together, limiting the expansion of detention facilities, restricting “operations to the current enforcement of immigration law” by Homeland Security, and reforming the current agricultural workforce.

• Restoring American Leadership and National Security by maintaining a strong defense, strengthening alliances through diplomacy, reasserting Congressional War Powers to avoid forever wars, and supporting veterans through reversing funding cuts of the V.A. and expanding veteran assistance programs.

• Supporting Agriculture & Rural Communities by ending the tariff chaos, passing a new Farm Bill, expanding the market for biofuels, breaking up agricultural monopolies, fighting for fair trade policies, and expanding rural broadband.

• Lowering Costs & Restoring the Middle Class by rolling back tariffs, expanding the Child Tax Credit, rebalancing the tax code to make the wealthy pay their fair share, and cutting red tape to expand housing and stop corporations from buying up housing

• Ending Washington Dysfunction by enacting term limits for members of Congress and the judiciary, establishing mandatory retirement ages for the president, the judiciary, and members of Congress, ban stock trading by members of Congress, and overturning Citizens’ United

• Reining in the National Debt by limiting billionaire tax cuts

Mike Flood is the current incumbent Congress member in CD-1. During his tenure in Congress, he has supported the SAVE Act, requiring the U.S. Census to include a citizenship question, the Secure the Border Act, and been a vocal supporter of the Trump administration’s war in Iran and Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Flood stated he did not read parts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” before voting to pass it.

Flood also loves ChatGPT. No, really, he’s admitted to using it for his work in Congress. His platform for re-election includes No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and No Tax on Social Security, securing the border, supporting law and order, standing up to Communist China, and stopping out of control government spending. Despite all the booing at town halls, he continues to defend the Trump administration.

Nik Sandman is a retired farmer and former rural postal carrier, and a fascinating candidate. His website’s policy platform includes agricultural parity, Medicare for All, constitutional due process, ending corporate control, lowering taxes, and individual liberty that reduces unnecessary regulations and respects individual autonomy. He’s also opposed to abortion and against trans athletes in schools. 

Bottom line:

Mike Flood has been a blank check for the Trump administration, and there is no reason to believe he would not continue to serve that role. 

NE-CD2

In Omaha DSA’s jurisdiction, CD2 covers Douglas, Saunders, and portions of Sarpy County. Don Bacon is the incumbent; however, he is not seeking re-election. This is the most flippable district in the US House. Last election cycle, this district went to Harris for US President, but it also went to Bacon and has a history of supporting Democratic presidential candidates while electing Republican representation in Congress.

The candidates for CD2 are the following:

• Democratic

  • Denise Powell

• Libertarian

  • Eric Michael Foreman

• Republican

  • Brinker Harding

Denise Powell helped run and co-found the Women Who Run PAC and its associated entities focused on electing progressive women to office in Nebraska. Machaela Cavanaugh, a now term-limited state senator and her primary opponent’s sister, was a staffer of the PAC until their falling out in 2023, after which Cavanaugh cited Powell’s insufficient support of trans rights and Powell cited a failure of behind-the-scenes strategy during the 2023 session as Powell publicly rallied against LB 574 (the “Let Them Grow Act.) The bad blood did not end there, as John Cavanaugh and Powell had a particularly bitter primary fight that Powell won by a small margin. None of Powell’s primary challengers (Cavanaugh, Rhoades, Askins, Williams) have elected to endorse her for the general election, and much of the tension from this primary is rumored to have played a significant part in the formation of the Working People’s Party. 

Powell, while publicly refusing corporate PAC or AIPAC funding, has received support from a number of PACs during the primary and general election cycles. One PAC, the New Democratic Majority PAC, was rumored to have funneled money from the Democratic Majority for Israel to support her in the primary. AIPAC publicly congratulated Denise Powell on her primary victory. John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell both called for a two-state solution to the conflict, condemned Benjamin Netanyahu, and repeatedly declined to call Israel’s actions in Palestine a genocide.

Powell was very active on several ballot initiative campaigns, including efforts to protect abortion rights, preserve public school funding, and legalize medical cannabis. She played a key role in qualifying these initiatives for the ballot as many campaign volunteers can personally attest, and that is where much of her alleged ‘dark money funding from foreign governments comes from’ – a bad faith argument from our conservative Attorney General who is determined to shut down the efforts of progressive ballot initiatives. 

Powell’s public positions include:

• Lowering the cost of living: stopping Trump’s tariffs, expanding clean energy production, building more affordable housing, keeping healthcare premiums low, and investing in Head Start and childcare programs

• Protecting healthcare access: requiring Medicare to negotiate drug prices and cap insulin at $35 a month, work to create a Medicare-like public option while ‘protecting private insurance for those that want it’, and expand the Affordable Care Act

• Defend reproductive healthcare: restore Roe v. Wade, codify the Right to Contraception Act, and pass the Right to IVF Act

• Protecting Social Security and Medicare

• Prioritize Making Our Communities Safer: fully fund police departments and invest in social workers, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, and pass universal background checks and red flag laws for guns

• Build a strong economy and protect Nebraska workers: increase funding and support of small businesses, protect UNMC and research, expand job training and apprentice programs, regulate AI, fight back against monopolies and price-gouging

• Support Nebraska farmers: pass a long-term Farm Bill, use targeted tariffs to protect farmers, advocate for Right to Repair, expand access to loans and capital for small farmers, and use tariff revenue to fund Farmer Bridge Assistance programs

• Protect Nebraska’s education system: expand affordable childcare, expand the Child Tax Credit, strengthen community colleges and state universities, and invest in strong vocational and apprenticeship programs

• Demand ethical government: ban Congressional stock trading, pass a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists, enact term limits, pass an Ethics Code for the Supreme Court, overturn Citizens United and get dark money out of politics, limit Presidential pardon power, work to address government waste, and make Congress a co-equal branch of government to check Trump’s power

• Maintain strong national security: invest in border security, pass bipartisan immigration reform for a path to citizenship, work with the armed forces to defend against China and Russia, re-establish USAID and rebuild relationships with allies, and demand Congressional oversight of military measures 

• Demand real changes to our broken immigration system: support border security, create a fair path to citizenship, and demand accountability for the abuses of power by Trump, Noem, DHS, and ICE

Powell has publicly run as a moderate that wants to fully fund police departments, introduce a Medicare-like public option short of Medicare for All, has not called to defund ICE but to overhaul it, cites working with the armed forces to “defend against the very real threats presented by China, Russia, and others,” and has side-stepped questions about funding military aid to Israel. It’s very possible these likely poll-tested positions are a gambit to be as electable as possible in a notorious swing district, but it’s not wrong to be disappointed by them and ask for more.

Brinker Harding is a Republican who currently serves in Omaha City Council. He introduced the criminalization of homelessness ordinance back in 2025. He’s a homophobic bigot who enters bars and steals Pride flags. While his campaign website talks about affordability, cracking down on government corruption, and protecting healthcare access in an effort to appear suitably moderate for the sensibilities of a swing district like CD-2 (it’s really going both ways here!), he is an anti-abortion extremist and his website is fixated on deporting “illegal immigrants.” Harding is a hard-line conservative auditioning as a moderate, and we’d encourage voters not to buy it.

Bottom line:

Denise Powell is running as a moderate candidate in a district that’s deemed moderate, and her positions, from ‘securing the border’ to protecting private health insurance, reflect that. She has much of the same platform to protect working people that Osborn does: both are running much of the same consumer protection and anti-corruption playbook. They will both be considerably easier to negotiate with than their conservative predecessors and opposition. While Osborn is more forceful in his criticisms of Israel, Powell is more forceful in her criticisms of Trump and ICE. Neither are leftist candidates in the true sense of the word, and they’ve both prioritized perceived electability over principles. That being said, like Osborn, Powell is the best option in this race. Just please don’t vote for Brinker Harding.

State

State Executive

Governor

The incumbent for Governor of Nebraska is Jim Pillen, who is not popular and will probably be replaced this cycle.

The Lieutenant Governor also runs on the same ticket, but as of now, nobody has named a running mate. The current Lieutenant Governor is Joe Kelly, who was college buddies with Pillen.

Here are the candidates for Governor of Nebraska:

• America First

  • Brett Lindstrom

• Democratic

  • Lynne Walz

• Legal Marijuana NOW

  • Rick Beard

• Republican

  • Jim Pillen – Incumbent

Brett Lindstrom was a former Nebraska State Senator representing LD 18. In 2012, he unsuccessfully ran against former Congressman Lee Terry in the Republican primary. In 2022, he lost the Republican primary for governor of Nebraska to Jim Pillen. In 2026, he dropped out after running as a candidate for Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district. He attempted to run for governor initially as an independent candidate, but failed to qualify for the ballot after the signatures his campaign collected to get on the ballot were disqualified for fraud. During his last bid for governor in 2022, Lindstrom was been endorsed by Nebraska Right to Life and former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert. 

Lindstrom was the Vice Chair of the Legislature’s Retirement Systems Committee during his tenure in the legislature. He criticized the legislature’s decision not to extend Medicaid and ran on eliminating the income tax. Lindstrom is running on reducing property taxes, promotion innovation and entrepreneurship, affordability, and a long platform of what reads like AI-generated gibberish. His previous logo does not help this assumption.

Lynne Walz is a former Nebraska State Senator representing LD 15, representing Fremont. Walz is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, IBEW Local 22, the Sierra Club of Nebraska, and Women Who Run. Walz was generally seen as one of the more conservative state senators of the registered Democrats, she was consistently Present Not Voting on school vouchers, despite being a teacher herself and serving as chair of the Education Committee. She was one of 38 senators who signed her name onto a pro-Israel resolution following October 7. She was previously Bob Krist’s running mate in his run for Governor in 2018.

On her website, Walz touts her legislative accomplishments including funding school security, expediting highway construction, passing property tax relief, requiring state agencies to work together on affordable housing policy, increasing mental healthcare access, providing a retirement system for firefighters, and expanding mental health resources for pregnant and postpartum women.

Walz is running on a platform to:

• Unify Nebraska: Support strong schools, low taxes, and a strong economy

• Respecting the Will of the Voters: Respecting when Nebraskans vote on measures like medical marijuana, paid sick leave, minimum wage, and school vouchers

• Honesty and Transparency in Government: Provide full transparency and stop corruptive behaviors

• Grow Nebraska: Provide tools to grow and support businesses, invest in broadband and agriculture, support small businesses and prevent brain drain

• Address Affordability: Work with national and local leaders to address the affordability crisis

• A Fair Tax System: Lower property taxes and balance the budget

• Protect Freedom: Government should not police people’s personal lives

• Build Strong Communities: protect strong schools, police, firefighters, and community spaces

Rick Beard attended our chapter regular meeting in March, and the Medicaid HealthWatch event on May 3rd. Beard is running on a platform to eliminate the ability for corporations, PACs, and special interest groups to funnel money into elections through a ballot initiative process, enact a statewide ban on data centers, remake the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Board, and raise revenue through cannabis to fund infrastructure projects, property tax relief, and education. Asked if he’d support legalizing recreational marijuana, Beard answered that he’d propose keeping it at medical for now. Beard also advocates for eliminating tax breaks for the ultra-rich and corporations.

Jim Pillen has been a consistent enemy of the left as governor of the state of Nebraska. Pillen is responsible for Nebraska becoming the first state in the nation to enact Medicaid Work Requirements, a focus of opposition for DSA’s HealthWatch program. The governor has led Nebraska into a budget disaster going into 2027, reversing a previous budget surplus with a spree of tax cuts for the wealthy. In the midst of all of this, Pillen issued a $2.5 million no-bid contract to a Nebraska lobbyist he has been rumored to be romantically involved with. A 17-year-old worker died on Pillen’s family farm, and his family is still seeking answers and justice. Pillen has also been growing closer and closer to the Trump administration and their network of consultants. Despite his public disdain for undocumented workers, he employs them on his family farm.

If that all wasn’t enough, he is a hardline conservative in the traditional sense as well. His website is full of MAGA policies, from protecting “life” and “girls’ sports” to “Making Nebraska Healthy Again” in a deliberate knockoff of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s disastrous “MAHA” initiatives. The most palatable parts of his platform are his promises to eliminate tax incentives for data centers, but in the 2026 session he pushed legislation to make data center development easier. Pillen also touts housing affordability as a priority, but vetoed efforts to set aside portions of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for people with disabilities.

Bottom Line:

Walz is running on a campaign full of platitudes without a lot of policy details – the transcription of her platform is directly from her website, and it is just as vague there as it feels here. Given her experience as a policymaker, it can be assumed this is a strategic choice in her run for statewide office. It is still a disappointing one, and Walz does not make many overtures to the left in Nebraska.

We cannot emphasize enough the consequences of Pillen’s irresponsible and malignant tenure as governor for the people of Nebraska – on people with disabilities who can no longer access healthcare, on worsening the affordability crisis, and on scapegoating immigrants, women, and the LGBTQIA community. Jim Pillen must be voted out of office. 

Secretary of State

The Republican Bob Evnen is the incumbent for Secretary of State. He was defeated by Scott Petersen in the Primary.

Here are the candidates for Secretary of State:

• America First Party

  • Bob Krist

• Democratic

  • Sarah J. Slattery

• Nebraska Working People Party

  • Paul Rumbaugh

• Republican

  • Scott Petersen

Sarah Slattery ran for District 2 of the Nebraska Legislature back in 2024, against Robert Clements. Her family owns Slattery Vineyards in Cass County. Slattery is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the Nebraska Farmers’ Union, Women Who Run, and Moms Demand Action. Her policy platform is focused on restoring public trust and transparency, supporting Nebraska businesses, and making voting secure and accessible through same-day voter registration. 

She has publicly criticized the incumbent Secretary of State’s decision to release voter data to the Trump administration. Despite listing protecting the will of the people as a priority on her website and her stated support for the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign, Slattery has publicly criticized the ballot initiative process and backed recommendations made by Governor Pillen to reform it.

Scott Petersen is a full-on MAGA election denier. He defeated incumbent Secretary of State Bob Evenen in the primary, and is far to his right. He has stated he will bring a “DOGE-style” mindset to the Secretary of State’s office and advocates for hand-counting ballots while introducing questions about the legitimacy of election machines. He has also stated that voting by mail should be limited to special circumstances. Even Republican Congressman Don Bacon has referred to Petersen as the “President of the TinFoil Hat Club.”

Bob Krist is a former state senator who represented LD 10 as a Republican from 2009 to 2019. He ran for governor as a Democrat in the 2018 election, and lost to Pete Ricketts 59 - 41%. Krist was known for his moderate voting record in the legislature, often regarded as an unexpected ally for progressives and earning high ratings from organizations like the Holland Children’s Movement, the Nebraska State Education Association, the AFL-CIO, and the Sierra Club and low ratings from conservative organizations. 

During his time in the legislature, he voted against legislation like voter I.D. and he has publicly defended the ballot initiative process and is the only candidate that has come out against Governor Pillen’s recommendations to reform it. Krist has repeatedly referred to Nebraska as the gold standard for election security and has criticized the incumbent Secretary of State, Bob Evenen, for handing over Nebraska’s voter data to the federal government. His stated priority is helping increase voter turnout and accessibility.

Paul Rumbaugh is very difficult to find information about online, other than he is a Project Manager for Douglas County and was previously the Director of Operations for Crystal Rhoades’ consulting firm Cerebus Strategies. 

Considerations:

The America First Party is an interesting case of a third party created after the bloody Democratic primary in CD-2. After the Nebraska Working People Party began collecting signatures to get on the ballot, so too did the America First Party. Both collected enough signatures to end up on the ballot to function as spoiler parties for the Democratic and Republican parties respectively. Unlike Rumbaugh, however, Krist is a known public official with a track record.

In spite of the name of the party in this specific instance, the America First candidate might actually be the biggest ally to progressives in the Secretary of State’s office. However, one has to consider the reality of an electoral system that advantages the two-party duopoly – it is unlikely enough Republican voters will defect to elect even an America First candidate and that enough Democratic voters would defect to elect a moderate with middling name recognition on the America First line when there is a Democrat on the ballot. 

Bottom Line:

Scott Petersen would be a terrible Secretary of State in every regard. He would make voting less accessible, and be an ally to the Trump administration and MAGA movement in undermining the legitimacy of our elections – Petersen must be defeated on the ballot.

State Treasurer

The incumbent for State Treasurer is Joey Spellerberg, who was only appointed this year to replace Tom Briese after he resigned.

Here are the candidates for State Treasurer:

• Democratic

  • Daniel Ebers

• Republican

  • Joey Spellerberg–Incumbent

Daniel Ebers does not have a website nor an online presence, so the most information we can find on him comes from the Nebraska Examiner’s voter guide. Ebers works in hotel management and lists his priorities as making the Treasurer’s Office more efficient and increasing trust in the office. One common issue he cites is the Treasurer’s Office’s handling of unclaimed property. 

Joey Spellerberg is the incumbent State Treasurer running on bringing “strong conservative fiscal policies” to Nebraskans. Spellerberg is the former Mayor of Fremont, during which he referred to a controversial city ordinance passed in 2010 to ban unauthorized immigrants from accessing housing as “impossible to enforce” and encouraged the city to “embrace the immigrant community.” His website also touts his experience cutting taxes as mayor. As treasurer, he is running on a platform of fighting government waste, investing Nebraskans’ tax dollars responsibly, increasing transparency in state spending, improving financial literacy statewide, and strengthening Nebraska’s long-term financial stability.

Considerations:

One really has to wish Ebers took campaigning more seriously and at least made an effort of answering questionnaires with more than a sentence or two of platitudes. Running for statewide office as a Democrat against an incumbent is tough, but it’s an effort that warrants a fight. His lack of any online presence, low-effort responses, and general lack of campaigning is disappointing. What’s left is another, more serious campaign from a “fiscal conservative” – a proposition both unexciting and uninspiring. 

State Attorney General

The incumbent for State Attorney General is Mike Hilgers.

Here are the candidates for State Attorney General:

• Democratic

  • Jocelyn Brasher

• Republican

  • Mike Hilgers–Incumbent

Jocelyn Brasher is a former prosecutor and consumer protection attorney who spent five years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office as well as deputy Dodge County attorney and the child support enforcement division in the Dawson County Attorney’s Office. Brasher is endorsed by former senator and governor Ben Nelson, Women Who Run, and several Democratic state senators, city council members, and county commissioners. Brasher points to her track record of reaching a $35 million settlement with Tempoe LLC for predatory leasing practices and a settlement to Bellevue University students misled by the school’s nursing program.

Brasher is running on a platform to protect Nebraska consumers by holding corporations accountable for price gouging and antitrust violations, and stopping monopolies. Her platform also includes strengthening public safety by cracking down on violent crimes and human trafficking, respecting Nebraska voters by upholding the ballot initiative process, and restoring public trust and accountability by putting Nebraskans over political party. In conversations, Brasher has said questionable things about juvenile detention in Nebraska, including that in Nebraska we do not “jail youths.”

Mike Hilgers is an anti-abortionist who sued OPPD earlier this year because he wanted to keep the North Omaha coal plant open. Hilgers has been a consistent enemy of progressive ballot initiatives, launching investigations into organizations that work on them and suing Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana in an attempt to keep the initiative off the ballot. He is a terrible Attorney General who does not deserve your vote.

State Auditor of Public Accounts

The incumbent for State Auditor is the Republican Mike Foley, who is running unopposed. It is of note that the Democrats are not running a full slate for the Executive Branch.

Nebraska Public Service Commission

The Nebraska Public Service Commission is a 5-member elected body that is part of the Executive Branch of the state government; however, unlike most states, Nebraska elects its PSC members per district. What the PSC does is they regulate common carriers. In common law, a common carrier is a service that is generally available to the public that transports information, people, or goods from one location to another in a transactional manner. Currently, they regulate the following:

• Telecommunications/Broadband

• Natural gas utilities

• Major oil pipelines

• Railroads

• Household goods movers

• Passenger carriers (taxis, limousines)

• Grain warehouses and dealers

• Construction of manufactured and modular homes and recreational vehicles

• High-voltage electric transmission lines

• Private water company rates

• Emergency-911

Most notably, the PSC has been responsible for blocking the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Public Service Commission has their regular meetings on the 3rd floor of The Atrium on 12th & N in Lincoln.

PSC members serve 6-year terms and are elected on the partisan ballot. They make $75,000 a year, which is set by the Legislature, but are barred from employment during office.

District 2

The PSC2 district roughly covers the eastern half of Douglas County, generally east of 144th Street, excluding some areas in the northern part of the county. The incumbent is Christian Mirch, who was appointed by Pillen back in 2023 to replace Crystal Rhoades, after Mirch lost to Machaela Cavanaugh in 2022. Mirch is not running again. Mirch and Kevin Stocker of PSC5 were censured by the Public Service Commission back in 2023 for multiple violations of conduct.

Here are the candidates for PSC2:

• Democratic

  • Wendy DeBoer

• Republican

  • Dennis McCann

Wendy DeBoer is a registered Democrat who currently represents District 10 in the Nebraska Legislature and is the Vice Chair of Judiciary. DeBoer will be termed out by the end of this year. In the Legislature, DeBoer has sponsored legislation extending and funding the Child Care Subsidy program, requiring both parties to be eighteen years old to get married, and reforming the child welfare system. Relevant to the Public Service Commission, DeBoer introduced and passed LB1256 to require 911 outages to be reported and investigated. DeBoer is running on a platform to improve and modernize broadband, transportation, and infrastructure. 

Dennis McCann led the Omaha-Douglas County 911 system. McCann is running on providing cost-effective and dependable service, uphold private property rights, and use technology to improve services.

Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska has a uniquely unicameral state legislature that has its candidates elected on the nonpartisan ballot. It is also the smallest state-level deliberative assembly in the country, with 49 members. Styling themselves as senators, its members serve the dual role of both senator and representative for their constituents. Its members serve four-year terms, and are term-limited to two consecutive years. This cycle, even-numbered districts are up for election. The primaries for Nebraska Legislature are top-two.

LD2

LD2 is Cass County and the western part of Lancaster County. Its incumbent is Robert Clements who is term-limited.

The candidates for LD2 are:

• Dean Helmick

• Caitlin Knutson

Caitlin Knutson is a registered Democrat and Special Education teacher. Knutson is running on sensible budgeting that holds corporations accountable, keeping public funding in public schools, introducing guardrails on the use of technology and AI in schools, and protecting access to healthcare and the environment. Knutson also supports expanding the Homestead Exemption, opposes tax cuts on the wealthiest, and highlights concerns about the inteRAI tool for disability assessments and data centers. 

IBEW Local 22 seemed to be more in favor of her than Jayden Speed, who ran for LD2 in the primary. She’s endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO, the NSEA, the Sierra Club, Lincoln Firefighters Local 644, Lincoln Central Labor Union, Teamsters Local 554, Nebraska Southwest Iowa Building and Construction Trades Council, and Women Who Run.

Dean Helmick is a registered Republican and running as a “common sense conservative.” He served as the Cass County GOP chair, and his platform is what you’d expect. Helmick is running on property tax relief, fighting back against “illegal immigration,” opposing trans athletes, opposing abortion, upholding the 2nd amendment, and supporting Nebraska farmers. Helmick is endorsed by Mike Flood, former Governor Heineman, Former Lt. Governor and Auditor Mike Foley, and other Cass county Republicans.

Bottom line:

Dean Helmick would vote to hurt our communities over and over again in the Legislature. Do not vote for Helmick.

LD4

LD4 is generally the area around Boys Town. The incumbent is R. Brad von Gillern, who is running again and rumoured to be considering a run for Speaker of the Legislature if re-elected. LD4 has the lowest number of renters of all legislative districts.

The candidates for LD4 are:

• Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek

• R. Brad von Gillern–Incumbent

Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek says she’s running as an independent, but she shows up to Democratic party events anyways. She’s endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO. Maxwell-Ostdiek is running on a platform to make healthcare more affordable, strengthen public education, end high property taxes, and respect the will of the voters on ballot initiatives like Paid Sick Leave, Medical Marijuana, and Raise the Wage. 

Maxwell-Ostdiek would be a considerably better choice for workers and vulnerable Nebraskans than von Gillern, and actually came over 600 votes ahead in the two-person primary after being defeated by von-Gilldern in 2022. Your vote will matter in this race, and we recommend voting for Maxwell-Ostdiek to improve the political conditions of the Nebraska Legislature.

LD6

LD6 is the area around Dodge stretching from Boys Town to Crossroads Mall, and includes Regency. The incumbent is Machaela Cavanaugh, who is term-limited.

The candidates for LD6 are:

• Patrick Leahy

• Nate Ostdiek
  

Patrick Leahy is a registered Democrat. He’s the CEO of First Star Recycling (also known as Solutions Plastic Lumber), a Green Capitalist company that takes plastic waste from around the area that cannot be recycled, and then tightly compresses them into some form of artificial wood, which gets shipped to North Omaha where it’s used as a building material for community gardens. 

Leahy is anti-abortion. He is endorsed by the Omaha Firefighters Local 385, the Omaha Federation of Labor, the Omaha Police Officers Association, Teamsters Local 554, the Nebraska Sierra Club, the Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 464, the Nebraska Nurses PAC, and Nebraska Conservation Voters. He previously served on the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board.

Nate Ostdiek is a Teaching Assistant and Researcher at UNO. Ostdiek’s priorities include affordability, getting money out of politics, ending data center tax breaks, expanding public transportation, creating a State Wealth Fund for childcare, and fully funding the auditor’s office. He’s endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO, IBEW Local 22, Run for Something, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the Nebraska Stonewall Democrats, the Nebraska Young Democrats, and Planned Parenthood of the North Central States. 

We heavily recommend Ostdiek in this race as a candidate that will fight for the issues the Omaha DSA cares about – from increasing funding for public programs and protecting reproductive autonomy to cracking down on data centers. 

LD8

LD8 is generally Benson and Dundee. The incumbent is Megan Hunt, a DSA member who is term-limited.

The candidates for LD8 are:

• Erin Feichtinger

• Josh Livingston

Erin Feichtinger previously lived in Chicago and has a pro-leftist labor background. Previously, she worked to stand up the Advocacy and Policy program at Together Omaha and was the policy director for Women’s Fund of Omaha. During her tenure at Together, she helped push for Omaha’s Rental Registration and Proactive Inspection Ordinance as well as legislation increasing tenant protections. Currently, she is the lobbyist for Rainbow Parents. Feichtinger is married to Matthew Cavanaugh, yet another sibling of senators John and Machaela Cavanaugh. She’s endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO, IBEW Local 22, Nebraska Conservation Voters, incumbent Megan Hunt, and most of the legislature’s Democratic delegation.

Feichtinger is running on a progressive platform: investing in childcare, making healthcare more affordable, supporting public schools, protecting reproductive and LGBTQ+ healthcare, and affordable housing that holds landlords accountable. She would likely be an ally in legislation that would strengthen the rights of tenants and protect the most vulnerable Nebraskans, as she has been throughout her career.

Josh Livingston is a registered Democrat and family law attorney. His website cites standing with doctors to protect reproductive healthcare, but not much else.

It is unlikely to be a close race, but we recommend voting for Erin Feichtinger as she would be a powerful voice for tenants in the Legislature.

LD10

LD10 is the area north of Maple St and around Standing Bear Lake. It contains parts of Bennington. The incumbent is Democrat Wendy DeBoer, who is term-limited.

The candidates for LD10 are:

• Cindy Johnson

• Rebecca Rens

Cindy Johnson is a Democrat audiologist currently serving on the Douglas/Sarpy County Learning Community Coordinating Council. Johnson is endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO and an active member of Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) – a local interfaith organization that has advocated for raising the minimum wage, paid sick and family leave, workers’ rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Johnson is running on a platform to lower the cost of living, support public schools, increase access to affordable childcare, cut prescription drug costs, and protect the will of the voters.

Rebecca Rens is a Republican. Rens is running to “Protect Women and Girls” by “preserving private spaces designated for women and girls” – a not-subtle signal of her transphobia. She is also running to “Stop Punishing People for owning a home” and support law enforcement.

We recommend voting for Johnson. Please do not cast a vote for the transphobe.

LD12

LD12 is generally Ralston and eastern Millard. Its incumbent is Merv Riepe, who is running for re-election. In 2022, he ran against Robin Richards and won by 524 votes, in a battleground race that is viewed to have gone to Richards if she had received more funding.

The candidates for LD12 are:

• Christy Knorr

• Merv Riepe–Incumbent
  

Christy Knorr is a Democrat running on affordability and protecting healthcare access. On her website, she lists protecting reproductive healthcare, LGBTQ+ Nebraskans, paid sick leave, and the environment as priorities, as well as expanding mental health crisis response and confronting nitrate contamination. Knorr is a hospice nurse and has been a consistent advocate for the issues and the people we care about.

Merv Riepe is a Republican who is occasionally, but not consistently, the swing vote with regard to trans rights and bodily autonomy. He lied to Erin Feichtinger and the Rainbow Parents when he said he wasn’t going to support LB89 back in 2024.

We shouldn’t have to rely on how Merv is feeling to protect access to abortion rights and trans healthcare – we heavily recommend voting for Christy Knorr. Your vote will be incredibly important, as she was behind Riepe in the primary by just over 100 votes. The difference of the votes that went to Democrat Thomas Kastrup (1,395) and the write-ins for Robin Richards (310), a Democrat who failed to get on the ballot, would have boosted her over Riepe.

LD14

LD14 is generally portions of Papillion and  La Vista. Its incumbent is John Arch, the Speaker of the Legislature, who is termed-out.

The candidates for LD14  are:

• Bill Bowes

• SuAnn Witt

Bill Bowes is a Republican anti-abortion transphobic fire chief running to bring a “conservative approach to government.”. Bowes lists his priorities as “protecting innocent life,” banning trans people from sports and bathrooms, and to get tougher on criminals.

SuAnn Witt is a Democrat who is endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO and Planned Parenthood Witt is running to lower healthcare costs and the cost of living, support public schools, “stand with our first responders,” control government spending, and protect the will of the voters.

Please don’t vote for anti-abortion transphobe Bill Bowes.

LD18

LD18 is generally Bennington, and reaches down to the I-80/Blair High Road exit, and 168th & Maple. The incumbent is Christy Armendariz, who is not running for re-election.

The candidates for LD18 are:

• Taylor Royal

• Jess Goldoni

Taylor Royal is Republican “wealth manager” (like his father before him) who has gained the endorsements of the Republican elected officials. He’s running to cut taxes, “Back the Blue,” and reform the government. Royal is endorsed by the Omaha Police Officers Association and the Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Assoc. Local 385. Royal opposes abortion and marijuana legalization and supports school choice and banning trans athletes.

Jess Goldoni is a Democrat with an artificial intelligence background, who thinks the process of bringing hyperscale data centers needs to be slowed down until we understand more about them, and that the Big 5 should not be able to regulate themselves. She is endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, the NSEA, and several prominent Democrats

Please do not vote for Taylor Royal and add votes to the legislature that would harm abortion and trans rights.

LD20

LD20 is the portion of Omaha that’s generally from 72nd to Industrial Road, and from Pacific Street to the Union Pacific railroad tracks, and another square mile from 120th to 132nd and Pacific to Dodge. The incumbent is Senator John Fredrickson, who is running for re-election. In 2022, Fredrickson beat his opponent, Stuart Dornan, by 82 votes.

The candidates for LD20 are:

• Chris Anderson

• John Fredrickson–Incumbent

Chris Anderson is a Republican and defense industry consultant. Anderson is running on tax reform, cutting costs and limiting government, and supporting law enforcement and supports law enforcement “leveraging AI.”

John Fredrickson is a licensed clinical social worker, a Democrat, and the incumbent. He’s the first openly gay member to serve in the Nebraska Legislature. Frederickson is running to expand childcare access, protect the ballot initiative process, and strengthen mental health resources. He’s endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO.

Please do not vote for Chris Anderson, a man who states, “much of my viewpoint on policy and representative democracy is informed by Reagan.”

LD36

LD36 is generally south and western Sarpy County, with a small portion in southwest Douglas County. It contains most of Gretna, Springfield, and portions of Papillion and Bellevue. Its incumbent is Rick Holdcroft who is running for re-election. In 2023, this district was relocated from Gothenburg to Sarpy County as a result of redistricting.

The candidates for LD36 are:

• Darin Tompkins

• Rick Holdcroft–Incumbent

Darin Tompkins is a Democrat and the former First Associate Chair of the Sarpy County Democratic Party. He is endorsed by Nebraska State AFL-CIO.

Rick Holdcroft is a transphobic Republican who supports government-mandated forced pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest, and he opposes IVF. He supports consumption tax and school vouchers. In 2024, he was the only member of the 8-member Judiciary Committee who supported a bill that would’ve criminalized drag.

Please don't vote for Holdcroft, a man who wants to criminalize drag!

Nebraska State Board of Education

The Nebraska State Board of Education is an eight-member body whose members are elected to serve four-year terms. This cycle, Districts 5 through 8 are up for re-election. Its members are elected on the nonpartisan ballot. It is currently split 4-4 between Republicans and Democrats. Its primaries are top-two.

Their regular meetings are in the Nebraska Department of Education building, 500 S 84th St 2nd Floor, Lincoln NE 68510.

District 5

District 5 covers Franklin, Webster, Nuckolls, Clay, Hamilton, Polk, York, Fillmore, Thayer, Butler, Seward, Saline, Jefferson, Saunders, Gage, Pawnee, Richardson Counties, and portions of Lancaster County. Omaha DSA’s chapter jurisdiction covers Leshara, which has the same ZIP code as Valley, but on the Saunders side of the Platte River. Kirk Penner is the incumbent, and he is not running for re-election.

The candidates for District 5 are:

• Michaela Conway

• Angie Eberspacher

Michaela Conway is a registered Democrat from Crete. Her platform is advocating for competitive teacher pay, well-funded and well-supported school districts/staff. She is against state policies that burden, rather than support teachers and wants teachers to feel valued. She says her focus and approach would be centered around how this impacts students, not along partisan lines. Conway supports making mental health resources available in schools, but believes it shouldn’t be mandated. Conway has been endorsed by the Stonewall Caucus and the Nebraska State Education Association. 

Angie Eberspacher is an anti-abortion Republican from Beaver Crossing, but otherwise has the same platform as Kirk Penner, a transphobe who supported book bans. She testified in favor of LB441, a bill that would’ve criminalized librarians, LB574 which was a gender-affirming care ban for minors, a bill that would’ve criminalized drag, and school vouchers.

Please do not vote for Eberspacher!

District 8

District 8 is generally in the middle of Douglas County. It generally goes from 72nd St to 180th St, excluding some areas, and stretches from the borders of Washington and Sarpy Counties. Its incumbent is Deborah Neary, who is not running for re-election.

The candidates for District 8 are:

• Lou Ann Goding

• Sherrye Hutcherson

Lou Ann Goding is a registered Republican and a former president of Omaha Public Schools. She’s served on a lot of boards and committees (they’re all education or health education related and her role was either as a voting member or trustee while serving). Her platform is claiming to want to bring back phonics, focus on math/literacy, and other things that would “train students for life after graduation.” She’s also anti-abortion, transphobic, and says she supports religious freedom (there was no mention, for or against, the separation of church and state).  

Sherrye Hutcherson is an Independent who is endorsed by the Nebraska Democratic Party. 

Please do not vote for Lou Ann Goding.

University of Nebraska Board of Regents

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents is the eight-member governing body for the University of Nebraska. They serve six-year terms, and are elected on the nonpartisan ballot. This cycle, Districts 1 and 2 are up for re-election, and District 4 is having a special election for the remaining four years of Joel Makovicka, a Republican appointed to succeed Elizabeth O’Connor, a Democrat who resigned January 9.

Their regular meetings are in the University of Nebraska Administration, 3835 Holdrege St, Lincoln, NE 68583.

District 2

District 2 is southwestern Douglas County and most of the northern half of Sarpy County. Its incumbent is Jack Stark, who is not seeking re-election.

The candidates for District 2 are:

• Jill Wolfe

• Elizabeth Butler

Jill Wolfe is a registered Republican from Elkhorn. Her platform is mainly conservative buzz words, and there’s not really a lot of substance there. Her campaign promises to “stop indoctrination”, stop brain drain, and lower tuition, but doesn’t explain how she plans to do any of those. Wolfe is anti-abortion, transphobic, and supports religious freedom (there was no mention, for or against, the separation of church and state). 

Elizabeth Butler is a nonpartisan candidate from Papillion, and is being supported by the Nebraska Democratic Party. She is currently a member of the Papillion-La Vista Community Schools Board of Education and Sanitary Improvement District 301 Board of Trustees. In 2024, she ran as part of a bipartisan slate called PLV ED Matters, to defeat Edward Wenigar, who brought a loaded gun to a school board meeting back in 2021. Butler also discusses how she plans to use her prior public funds and budgets experience to save taxpayers money. Butler is endorsed by the Nebraska State Education Association.

Please do not vote for Jill Wolfe.

District 4

District 4 is the portion of Douglas County east of 72nd Street, and east of 84th from Center to Harrison. Its incumbent is Joel Makovicka, who is not running for re-election. He was appointed to replace Elizabeth O’Connor, who resigned on January 9. Both candidates are registered Democrats.

The candidates for District 4 are:

• Justin Solomon

• Susanne Shore

Susanne Shore is a registered Democrat and the wife of Republican US Senator Pete Ricketts. While she has been an active fundraiser for moderate Democratic candidates, she has never denounced any of her husband’s actions or comments. Shore is endorsed by her husband, former Governor and U.S. Senator Ben Nelson, and some Nebraska senators she has donated to in the past, including Senator Wendy DeBoer, Senator John Frederickson, and Senator Margo Juarez. Notably, her husband is absent from her campaign website though she talks about her experience as Nebraska’s First Lady.

Shore’s priorities include: limiting tuition and fee increases, “align[ing] academic programs with real workforce needs to strengthen pipelines for healthcare, STEM, and education” and “[i]ntegrat[ing] AI and technological training across all disciplines to prepare graduates for a world being remade by great change.”

Justin Solomon is a registered Democrat and the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Integrated Life Choices. He’s endorsed by Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt, the Nebraska State and Omaha AFL-CIO, the NSEA, and Senator Terrell McKinney. He showed up to our Medicaid HealthWatch event on May 3rd.

This race has been subject to much debate among Democrats. Former (and likely again) Nebraska state senator Patty Pansing Brooks called attacks on Shore and her husband misogynistic in social media posts and texts sent by Shore’s campaign. Senator Megan Hunt has said, “I won't be voting for her ever in my life, and I also won’t have anyone telling me some crap about how it’s sexist to judge a woman by her husband,” and publicly urged Omahans to vote against Shore and for Soloman, as Shore’s record and platform are not nearly as strong as Soloman’s and her judgement should be questioned in her decision to stand by the actions of her husband.

We agree with Senator Hunt. We do not need Pete Ricketts’ wife on the Board of Regents making decisions about the university as her husband has continuously undermined its funding and independence, nor do we need the university’s  programs to be gutted any more than they already have to serve an “AI-powered” future. Solomon is a great candidate running to drive down costs for students, bring back programs like UNL's Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department—the only meteorology, climatology, and geology program in the state – that were cut, and protect research and academic freedom. 

Solomon knows what it’s like to be a Pell Grant-funded public school student in Nebraska because he was one, and we recommend voting for Solomon.

“After I left college, I started working for a company that I still work for today, Integrated Life. We are a Medicaid provider to people with developmental disabilities, and I've helped grow that from 50 employees in 2 cities to 1,800 employees in 3 states. The Medicaid world has always asked to do more with less.

We in the state of Nebraska have not gotten a rate increase because we're completely state-funded in 3 years, but we've been able to pay our people more, we've been able to grow the company, and we've been able to control costs…You want someone who can bring something to this board of 8 people that has some tangible value in whatever the mission is of the day.

And what I bring is having run a complex organization before that has thousands of people who are relying on us day in and day out, and that has to actually manage those types of budgets and make the decisions that we need to make.”

–Justin Solomon, Young Dems Caucus Meeting 

(SCC 8.21.2026)

Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors

The Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors is an eleven member body, representing five districts with one At-Large. They serve four-year terms. This cycle, one seat from each district and the At-Large seat are up for re-election, and only the At-Large seat is contested. The district map covers Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington Counties.

They have their regular meetings on the Fort Omaha Campus in the Mule Barn, 5730 N 30th St Bldg 21, Omaha, NE 68111.

District 1

District 1 is Dodge County, the western half of Douglas County, and a small portion of Sarpy County. Its incumbent is Phillip Klein, who is running for re-election.

The candidates for District 1 are:

• Phillip Klein–Incumbent

Phillip Klein is a Republican from the Elkhorn area.

District 2

District 2 is northeastern Douglas County.

The candidates from District 2 are:

• Tammy L. Wright–Incumbent
  

Tammy L. Wright is a registered Democrat.

District 3

District 3 is north-central Douglas County and Washington County. The incumbent is Maureen K. Monahan.

The candidates for District 3 are:

• Maureen K. Monahan–Incumbent

Maureen K. Monahan is a registered Democrat who is active in the Douglas County Democratic Party.

District 4

District 4 is southeast Douglas County. The incumbent is Martha Bruckner.

The candidates for District 4 are:

• Martha Bruckner–Incumbent

Martha Bruckner is affiliated with both the state Nebraska Democratic Party and Douglas County Democratic Party.

District 5

District 5 is Bellevue. The incumbent is Theresa Love-Hug.

The candidates for District 5 are:

·         Mary Trecek—nonincumbent

Mary Trecek is a registered Democrat who is active in the Sarpy County Dems and works as an Adjunct Professor at Iowa Western.

At-Large

The At-Large member is the 11th member elected to the MCC Board of Governors, and who is chosen by voters across all MCC districts (1-5), instead of creating a separate, smaller district.  The incumbent is Kristen DuPree.

The candidates At-Large are:

• Kristen Dupree—incumbent

• Paul Anderson

Kristen Dupree is a registered Democrat and the AVP, Risk & Capital Management at Lincoln Financial Group. She is also the current At-Large member of the MCC Board of Governors and the Board Secretary.

**Paul Anderson is now listed as ‘nonpartisan’, but he ran for State Treasurer as a registered Republican in 2022 and had to drop out of the city council race in 2017 due to the Islamophobic comments he made in an interview with WOWT 6. He also told KETV and the Omaha Daily Record in 2021, while running as a registered Republican, “ I am going to keep running until the people elect me. I will be their representative, I will not be a puppet of the powerbrokers.”

Please do not vote for Paul Anderson.

Southeast Community College Board of Governors

The Southeast Community College Board of Governors is an eleven member body, representing five districts with one At-Large. They serve four-year terms. This cycle, one seat from each district and the At-Large seat are up for re-election, and only the At-Large seat is contested. 

District 1

The candidates are:

• Michael Schoop

Michael Schoop is a nonpartisan candidate. The incumbent, Vicki Haskell, elected not to run for re-election.

District 2

The candidates are:

• Brandon Gunther—incumbent

District 3 

The candidates are:

• Nancy A. Seim—incumbent

•  Christopher M. Reid

Christopher M. Reid is a registered Democrat.

Nancy Seim is a retired educator.

District 4

The candidates are:

• Carina McCormick—incumbent

• David Bruno

Carina McCormick is a registered Democrat and the current Southeast Community College Board of Governors incumbent for District 4. She is seeking re-election. She says she is prioritizing program expansion and creating opportunities for students with lower access to education. McCormick says her views on property taxes have changed and, although she “believe(s) residents should contribute” as that type of funding “creates a stronger workforce”, she’s “come to prefer the Community College Future Fund over property tax funding” after hearing about valuation increases from constituents. McCormick has also been endorsed by the Stonewall Caucus.

David Bruno is a registered Republican, a coordinator with the Nebraska DHHS, an active Master Sergeant with the Nebraska Air National Guard, and an Airbnb owner. His platform centers around lowering property taxes/tax levy and being the “only conservative voice” on the SCC Board. Bruno states that, as the “only conservative voice that would be present” he would “advocate for decisions that are fiscally responsible…and keep the needs of students and taxpayers at the center.”

District 5 

The candidates are:

• Joann Herrington Pitcher—incumbent

Joann Herrington Pitcher is a registered Democrat and the incumbent Southeast Community College Board of Governors for District 5.

Learning Community Coordinating Council

The Learning Community Coordinating Council is a body of twelve elected members that governs the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties. There are six subcouncils with two members in each subcouncil, who serve four-year terms. This cycle, the odd subcouncils are up for re-election, and the top two winners in each contest will get elected.

Subcouncil 1

Subcouncil 1 is generally Bennington Public Schools, Douglas County West Community Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools, and Omaha Public Schools. The incumbents are David Preston, Jr. and Cynthia A. Johnson.

The candidates are:

• Jason Boyd

• Roxanne Dockter

• David Preston Jr.--Incumbent

• Ken Waters

Jason Boyd is a registered Independent who is being supported by the Douglas County Democratic Party.

Ken Waters is a registered Republican.

David Preston Jr. is the incumbent and a police sergeant. 

Ken Waters is the director of Human Resources at Educare.

Subcouncil 3

Subcouncil 3 is generally Omaha Public Schools, Ralston Public Schools, and Westside Community Schools. The incumbents are Mark Hoeger and Warren R. Whitted, Jr. Neither of them are running for re-election.

The candidates are:

• Maggie Duffy

• Suzie Fogarty

• Corwin Keller

Maggie Duffy is a dues-paying member of Omaha DSA.

Suzie Fogarty is a registered Democrat.

Corwin Keller is a registered Republican and the owner of Ideal Heating and Air Conditioning.

Subcouncil 5

Subcouncil 5 is generally Bellevue Public Schools and Omaha Public Schools. The incumbents are Douglas Brady and Tonya Ward, who do not take the position seriously and need to be replaced. Ward is running for re-election.

The candidates are:

• Sarah Dragon

• Mayra Piedrahita

• Linda Vermooten

• Tonya Ward–Incumbent

Sarah Dragon and Mayra Piedrahita are running as a Democratic slate, in an effort to unseat Tonya Ward, who thinks the Learning Community Coordinating Council shouldn’t exist and referred to an effort to remove a Learning Community CEO for sexual harassment as a “witch hunt.”

Linda Vermooten is a registered Republican and a Moms For Liberty-endorsed candidate who supports book bans and needs to lose. She’s been trying to get into an elected seat on an education body for a while now, so she can gain a foothold in politics. Last cycle, she ran for State Board of Education District 2 against Maggie Douglas and lost. She’s been removed from the state capitol once for electioneering.

Bottom line:

Whatever you do, do not vote for Linda Vermooten or Tonya Ward.

Papio-Missouri Natural Resource Districts

The Papio-Missouri NRD is the Omaha-metro area Natural Resource District responsible for overseeing the district’s budget and directing natural resource conservation efforts including land, water, and wildlife. The board is made up of eleven elected members. Board meetings are held monthly on the second Thursday of every month at 4 PM at the Chalco Hills Recreation Center (8901 S. 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68138).

Papio NRD Subdistrict 2

Subdistrict 2 covers East Omaha north of Dodge St. 

Incumbent Fred Conley is running unopposed.

Papio NRD Subdistrict 4

Subdistrict 4 covers parts of West Omaha near Boys Town.

The candidates are:

• Barb Nichols

• Tim McCormick – Incumbent

Barb Nichols has run unsuccessfully for this position in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022.

Tim McCormick is currently serving his second term and has a civil engineering degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Papio NRD Subdistrict 6

Subdistrict 6 covers East Omaha south of Dodge St.

The candidates are:

• Christian Gray

• Jim Thompson – Incumbent
  

Christian Gray is a registered Democrat who serves as co-executive director of inCOMMON, an organization dedicated to affordable housing, fighting the effects of gentrification, and uniting and strengthening vulnerable neighborhoods. Gray is running on clean water, smart urban conservation, and accessible recreation.

Jim Thompson is the incumbent who was first elected to the Papio NRD Board in 2002 after previously serving from 1997-98. Thompsons describes the messages of his campaign as experience, business sense, and community respect.

Papio NRD Subdistrict 8

Papio NRD Subdistrict 8 covers parts of southwest Omaha, La Vista, and Ralston.

Incumbent Tim Fowler is running unopposed.

Papio NRD Subdistrict 10

Papio NRD Subdistrict 10 covers Gretna and Papillion.

The candidates are:

• Anthony Strawn

• Jason Taylor

Anthony Strawn is a Republican endorsed by many of the state’s prominent conservatives, including but not limited to: Don Bacon, Hal Daub, Aaron Hansen, and the Sarpy County GOP. Strawn is also endorsed by the Nebraska AFL-CIO and several other unions. Strawn is a former firefighter and the Business Representative for Local 571 with the International Union of Operation Engineers.

Jason Taylor currently serves as the Learning Community representative for District 6. Taylor is an Air Force veteran and educator who co-owns Glazed N Raised and serves as Board President for For All Counseling, a nonprofit that provides mental health evaluations for immigrants and asylum seekers. Taylor’s priorities for NRD include flood protection, watershed management, water quality protection, soil and land conservation, recreation and public access, and responsible resource management. Taylor is endorsed by State Senator Margo Juarez, the Nebraska Stonewall Democrats, and the Independent Veterans of America.

As water protection and quality enter the news more and more, these races can make a massive difference in the quality of life of Nebraskans. We heavily recommend voting for Jason Taylor.

Public Power Districts

Nebraska is the only state in the United States to be served 100% by publicly-owned utilities, including municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, and public power. The Nebraska Public Power district was formed in 1970 when several of Nebraska’s public power districts merged. If you care about how data centers impact Nebraskans, these races matter.

OPPD District 1

OPPD District 1 covers parts of Northwest and West Omaha.

The candidates are:

• Sara Kohen

• Christian Mapes

Sara Kohen is a registered Democrat and an attorney that lists her priorities as keeping electricity affordable, protecting public power, and providing safe and reliable power. Kohen is endorsed by the Omaha Federation of Labor, Nebraska Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club Nebraska Chapter, Ironworkers Local 21, Teamsters Local 554, and many other local unions. Kohen has stated we need a "Bill of Rights for Nebraska” to address data centers. "I'd like to see them moved into a separate customer class," Kohen said. "Let's see how much power they are using, and then once we see that, we can really make sure they are doing their fair share." Kohen has also stated data centers should “pay their own power costs” and that Nebraskans need more information about the impact of data centers.

Christian Mapes is a registered Republican and the Director of Power Markets at Giga Energy, a company dedicated to “building AI data centers faster.” Mapes has advocated cutting federal red tape to interconnect Nebraska’s power for “power our homes and family farms and next-generation AI data centers.” Mapes is endorsed by Pete Ricketts, Mike Flood, Don Bacon, and an assortment of other prominent Republicans. 

We recommend voting against Christian Mapes, given he literally works for a hyperscale data center company and would be working in their interests.

OPPD District 2

OPPD District 2 covers eastern Omaha.

The candidates are:

• Mark Gudgel

• Jay Ignowski

Mark Gudgel is a registered Democrat and an associated professor at the College of Saint Mary and chairs their committee on Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability. Gudgel lists his priorities as keeping costs under control, supporting local jobs and workers, and driving progress towards sustainable energy. Gudgel has described data centers as “an absolute drain on resources” and has been consistently critical towards hyperscale data centers. Gudgel has committed to ensuring the costs of data centers are not passed onto taxpayers. 

Jay Ignowski is a registered Democrat and the President of IBEW Local 22 and endorsed by many chapters of the IBEW and a ton of other local unions. His website lists his priorities as protecting local ratepayers. Ignowski has referred to data centers as “large job creators” but states data centers must not pass on costs to ratepayers and should build sustainably. 

OPPD District 3

OPPD District 3 covers Bellevue and Papillion.

The candidates are:

• Carol Blood

• Jim Smith

Carol Blood is a former state senator and registered Democrat. Blood lists her priorities as fair rates, real accountability, transparency, and smart planning. Blood is endorsed by the Sierra Club and the Nebraska State AFL-CIO and also endorsed Mark Gudgel for District 2. In the legislature, she introduced legislation to hold the pesticide company "Alt-En" accountable to cleaning up its pollution that impacted residents of Mead and advocated for campaign finance reform. Blood has stated she is opposed to “socializing the costs of data centers while privatizing the benefits” and would push for data centers to pay their fair share. 

Jim Smith is another former state senator and registered Republican. Smith’s website lists his priorities as reliability, affordability, transparency, and “[e]nsur[ing] the appropriate mix of dispatchable (fossil and nuclear) and intermittent (renewable energy) power plants to satisfy our national security interests, spur local economic growth, and meet business demands for reliable energy solutions.” Smith is endorsed by former Governor Heineman, Mike Flood, Mike Foley, and a few other local Republicans. Smith opposed efforts to regulate data centers in the legislature, stating they already pay their fair share and that Nebraska should, “Embrace this technology and the data centers and the potential that they bring for economic development.”

We recommend voting against Jim Smith and his pro-data center agenda.

County Offices

Douglas County

Attorney General

The Douglas County Attorney General is responsible for felony criminal prosecution, misdemeanor domestic violence prosecution, juvenile delinquency prosecution, child protection prosecution, coroner's duties, inheritance tax review, providing legal support to the officials and employees of Douglas County, and civil litigation on behalf of Douglas County.

The candidates are:

• Don Kleine – Incumbent

• Makayla Danner

Don Kleine is a former Democrat who switched his party registration after he received substantial backlash from the Democratic Party following his initial decision not to prosecute Jake Gardner for the killing of James Scurlock in 2020. Later, he elected to bring the case to a grand jury. In 2020, he’d stated he’d made the easy choice of voting for Donald Trump, has prosecuted the majority of death row cases, and opposed lowering the severity of drug-related charges to help with prison overcrowding. Senator McKinney has pointed to Kleine’s prosecution decisions in contributing to his predominantly Black district in North Omaha having the 11th highest incarceration rate for Black Americans among U.S. cities.

Makayla Danner has been a City Prosecutor in Omaha for over twenty years, and states her priorities are to “prioritize the prosecution of violent criminals while expanding diversion programming for appropriate non-violent offenders, including those impacted by mental illness, trauma, or youth-related developmental factors. She supports strengthened drug courts, mental-health diversion, and co-response crisis models pairing law enforcement with clinical professionals that keep our community safe.”

Danner also lists priorities like expanding diversion and early-intervention programs for juvenile justice, protecting domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault survivors, and restoring public trust through transparency and public engagement. Danner is a registered Democrat and endorsed by Mayor John Ewing, the IBEW, and public employee union LIUNA Local #1140. 

We recommend voting against Don Kleine and his record on criminal justice.

County Sherriff

The Douglas County Sheriff is responsible for providing law enforcement patrol, criminal investigations, court security, warrant service, crime scene investigations and lab testing, civil process and community outreach services.

The candidates are:

• Aaron Hansen – Incumbent

• Mark Martinez

Aaron Hanson is the current Douglas County Sheriff, a registered Republican and former police union president. In 2018, the Omaha Police Department’s Safety Review Board unanimously determined he used excessive force in physically attacking an already handcuffed Omahan. Despite their recommendation of a light punishment, Omaha Police Chief Schmaderer intervened to prevent any punishment at all from occurring. 

During his tenure, Hanson has referred dozens of cases to ICE and collaborated with the department in his role as Sheriff. He has also proposed bringing the 287(g) program to Douglas County, which would allow state and local police departments to serve as an extension of immigration enforcement and assist ICE with “high risk criminals.” The Douglas County Sheriff's department has also faced public criticism for its role in the killing of a nineteen year old.

Mark Martinez has four decades of experience in law enforcement and has served as crime lab technician, Omaha Police Department officer through Deputy Chief, United States Marshal for the District of Nebraska, and adjunct Criminal Justice instructor at UNO. Martinez is a registered Democrat and states he is running to, “restore trust, strengthen public safety, and ensure our deputies have the training, tools, and support they need to protect every neighborhood — while building stronger partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. I’m running to bring proven, common-sense safety and security to our community.“ Martinez has also been critical of current Sheriff Aaron Hanson for “a pattern of arrest first, ask questions later” especially in cases of homelessness or mental capacity. Martinez has stated as sheriff he would “not divert personnel, time (or) tax money to assisting, collaborating or working with ICE.”

Martinez was almost kept off the ballot by the Douglas County Election Commissioner for not having an “active” law enforcement certificate. Ultimately, the Nebraska Supreme Court restored him on the ballot. 

We recommend not voting for Aaron Hansen and his track record of open collaboration with ICE and open police brutality.

Statewide Ballot Initiatives

Constitutional Amendment 1: Legislative Term Limits

A vote “FOR” will amend the Nebraska Constitution to increase the term limit for state legislators from two consecutive four-year terms (eight years) to three consecutive four-year terms (12 years).

A vote “AGAINST” will not amend the Nebraska Constitution, so the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms will remain in effect. State legislators will continue to be ineligible for office in the Legislature for four years after serving two consecutive terms.

This constitutional amendment was brought to the ballot by a 39-10 vote of the legislature in 2025. Progressive Senators Hunt, McKinney, Spivey, and Dungan joined most of the body in voting for it – both Senator Cavanaughs and Senator Guereca voted against it. Legislative term limits were initially introduced via ballot initiative in 2000. It’s long been said that their introduction was intended to undermine Nebraska’s longest serving state senator, Ernie Chambers, and the expertise he’d built within the legislature. Term limits do not prevent former state senators from running for re-election after sitting out for a term of four years, which is what Senator Chambers ended up doing prior to choosing to retire.

Another consequence of term limits has been that it has made campaign fundraising more cutthroat – Pete Ricketts is notorious for using his personal fortune to select his preferred elected senators. They can also make building institutional knowledge in the body a challenge, especially for new senators who may rely on lobbying firms and outside influence to navigate the body and draft legislation. This is not to say new senators are a bad thing, but it is worth noting that term limits were introduced with the intention of undermining the power of an effective and progressive political independent who often drew the ire of establishment politicians in his powerful advocacy for his community. 

Initiative 440: Online Sports Wagering Constitutional Amendment

A vote “FOR” will amend the Nebraska Constitution to authorize the enactment of laws allowing persons located within Nebraska to place sports wagers through an internet-based platform when offered by an authorized gaming operator conducting games of chance within a licensed racetrack enclosure in Nebraska.

A vote “AGAINST” means the Nebraska Constitution will not be amended in this manner.

Initiative 441: Online Sports Wagering Regulation Initiative

A vote “FOR” will enact statutes allowing persons located within Nebraska to place sports wagers through an internet-based platform when offered by an authorized gaming operator conducting games of chance within a licensed racetrack enclosure in Nebraska or the operator’s platform provider and regulating such sports wagers.

A vote “AGAINST” means no such statute will be enacted.

These petition-driven efforts were primarily funded and supported by BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics – companies that clearly stand to benefit from online sports betting’s legalization in Nebraska and that have poured nearly $7 million into this effort. The campaign in support of this amendment, Tax Relief Nebraska, pitched it to voters as a property tax relief mechanism. Tax Relief Nebraska commissioned a report that indicated this effort could raise $61 million in additional tax relief over 5 years.

The campaign is opposed by the Nebraska Family Alliance, organized under “Save Nebraska Sports.” Critics like Senator Brad von Gillern have stated the tax relief provided would only make up 1% of the state’s current property tax program. Nationally, the issue of sports betting has been studied as a potential public health risk as well as risking individual Americans’ finances in predictable ways.

Initiative 442: Fairness for Girls Constitutional Amendment

A vote “FOR” will amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide: (1) Schools must expressly designate each athletic team or sport as one of the following based on biological sex: (a) males, men or boys; (b) females, women or girls; or (c) coed or mixed; and (2) Athletic teams or sports designated for females, women or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex. The amendment would apply to all athletic teams or sports sponsored by public schools or postsecondary educational institutions and private schools or educational institutions whose athletic teams or sports compete against public schools or institutions.

A vote “AGAINST” means the Nebraska Constitution will not be amended in this manner.

This amendment would essentially put discrimination against trans athletes in the Nebraska constitution. A ban on trans athletes was passed and signed into law in 2025, so this amendment would add insult to injury by putting this ban in the state constitution and using the language of “fairness” to attack trans women and girls. It’s funded by PACs associated with Pete Ricketts and Jim Pillen and was spearheaded by former senators Julie Slama and Andrew LaGrone, frequent Ricketts-collaborators and proud transphobes. Local hate group the Nebraska Family Alliance is attempting to use this issue to get their base to turn out to the polls.

Please vote against this hateful amendment.

Special Issues Ticket

Douglas County

Omaha, Nebraska, Public Facility Construction and Renovation Bond Measure:

A "yes" vote supports issuing $155 million in general obligation bonds to fund the construction and renovation of public facilities, including:

police buildings;

fire stations;

libraries;

park maintenance facilities;

auditorium support facilities;

arena and convention center facilities; and

public works storage facilities.

A "no" vote opposes issuing $155 million in general obligation bonds to fund the construction and renovation of public facilities, including:

police buildings;

fire stations;

libraries;

park maintenance facilities;

auditorium support facilities;

arena and convention center facilities; and

public works storage facilities.

This bond will primarily fund a $155 million fund for the new police and fire headquarters set to be built at the site of Crossroads Mall, a frequent site of protests and demonstrations.

Omaha, Nebraska, Park Improvement Projects Bond Measure 

A "yes" vote supports issuing $30 million in bonds to fund improvements to parks and recreational facilities.

A "no" vote opposes issuing $30 million in bonds to fund improvements to parks and recreational facilities.

This bond would primarily fund improvements to Tranquility Park in Northwest Omaha. Omaha Finance Director Stephen Curtiss stated, “There was a 68 million-ish project with about 16 soccer fields that we could host, regional and potentially national tournaments. As the mayor already says, everybody was tired of all the Omaha teams going off to other cities so they could play each other. Why not have those sorts of facilities here?” 

Resources for Other Down-Ballot Races

Other voting guides from local journalism outlets and nonprofits can be incredibly helpful. We know we did not include every race on your ballot, as much as we wanted to, so here are more resources to help. 

• Nebraska Examiner Voter Guide

  • Has great information on the judges on your ballot

• Flatwater Free Press Voter Guide

  • Easy District Finder and local reporting

• League of Women Voters Voter Guide

  • The most robust voter guide on the planet, they make an effort to reach out to each and every person on your ballot

• Ballotpedia Sample Ballot Lookup

  • Super intuitive ballot lookup with information pulled from Ballotpedia’s robust election database, also includes a questionnaire if the candidate filled it out