Governor and Lt. Governor
Nebraska. Election Day was Nov. 3, 2026. Four candidates are on the official list.
Who is running
- IncumbentJim Pillen and Joe KellyRepublicanGovernor and Lt. Governor
- On file
- Official ballot listing
- Lynne Walz and Ben SteffenDemocraticGovernor and Lt. Governor
- On file
- Official ballot listing
- Rick Beard and Keenya BarnesLegal Marijuana NOWGovernor and Lt. Governor
- On file
- Official ballot listing
- Brett Lindstrom and Michael PicardAmerica FirstGovernor and Lt. Governor
- On file
- Official ballot listing
Final candidate list from Nebraska Secretary of State, as of Oct 15, 2026. Official list
Names and parties are copied exactly from the official list. Blue marks Democrats, red marks Republicans, and gray marks every other party or none; each is also labeled in words.
Worth knowing
- The governor's office last changed party in 1999, when Mike Johanns (Republican) took office, according to the National Governors Association. Source: National Governors Association
- In the 2024 presidential race, the Republican ticket carried Nebraska by 20.5 points. The same party has carried it in every presidential race we hold since 1976. Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976 to 2024
- Four candidates are on the official list for this race. Source: Official list from Nebraska Secretary of State
- The official list marks Jim Pillen and Joe Kelly as the incumbent. Source: Official list from Nebraska Secretary of State
Each fact is worked out from the official records linked beside it. None is a prediction or a rating.
Past results
- Democratic
- Republican
- Other parties
- No party printed
Each span runs from its first year up to, but not including, its last year. A span with no label has no room for one; its group is in the key and the table.
Data table: Party of Nebraska's governors since 1951
| Band | Group | From | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Frederick Valdemar Erastus (Val) Peterson (Republican) | 1951 | 1953 |
| Governor | Robert Berkey Crosby (Republican) | 1953 | 1955 |
| Governor | Victor Emanuel Anderson (Republican) | 1955 | 1959 |
| Governor | Ralph Gilmour Brooks (Democratic) | 1959 | 1960 |
| Governor | Dwight Willard Burney (Republican) | 1960 | 1961 |
| Governor | Frank Brenner Morrison (Democratic) | 1961 | 1967 |
| Governor | Norbert T. Tiemann (Republican) | 1967 | 1971 |
| Governor | John James Exon (Democratic) | 1971 | 1979 |
| Governor | Charles Thone (Republican) | 1979 | 1983 |
| Governor | Joseph Robert (Bob) Kerrey (Democratic) | 1983 | 1987 |
| Governor | Kay A. Orr (Republican) | 1987 | 1991 |
| Governor | E. Benjamin Nelson (Democratic) | 1991 | 1999 |
| Governor | Mike Johanns (Republican) | 1999 | 2005 |
| Governor | Dave Heineman (Republican) | 2005 | 2015 |
| Governor | Pete Ricketts (Republican) | 2015 | 2019 |
| Governor | Pete Ricketts (Republican) | 2019 | 2023 |
| Governor | Jim Pillen (Republican) | 2023 | 2027 |
Source: National Governors Association (NGA), Former Governors and Governors pages. As of the dates NGA prints.
- Democratic ticket
- Republican ticket
Data table: How Nebraska voted for president, 1976 to 2024
| Year | Democratic ticket | Republican ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 38.45% | 59.2% |
| 1980 | 26.02% | 65.55% |
| 1984 | 28.81% | 70.55% |
| 1988 | 39.19% | 60.16% |
| 1992 | 29.4% | 46.6% |
| 1996 | 34.95% | 53.65% |
| 2000 | 33.25% | 62.25% |
| 2004 | 32.68% | 65.9% |
| 2008 | 41.6% | 56.53% |
| 2012 | 38.03% | 59.8% |
| 2016 | 33.7% | 58.75% |
| 2020 | 39.17% | 58.22% |
| 2024 | 38.86% | 59.32% |
Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976 to 2024. As of Nov 2, 2026.
Map
- D = Democratic ticket carried the state
- R = Republican ticket carried the state
- No figure
Each state is one equal square, so a small state is as easy to see as a large one. The group is written on each tile and in the table, not only shown by colour.
Data table: How each state voted for president in 2024, with Nebraska outlined
| State | Group |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Alaska | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Arizona | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Arkansas | Republican ticket carried the state |
| California | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Colorado | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Connecticut | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Delaware | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| District of Columbia | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Florida | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Georgia | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Hawaii | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Idaho | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Illinois | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Indiana | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Iowa | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Kansas | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Kentucky | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Louisiana | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Maine | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Maryland | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Massachusetts | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Michigan | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Minnesota | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Mississippi | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Missouri | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Montana | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Nebraska | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Nevada | Republican ticket carried the state |
| New Hampshire | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| New Jersey | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| New Mexico | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| New York | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| North Carolina | Republican ticket carried the state |
| North Dakota | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Ohio | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Oklahoma | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Oregon | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Pennsylvania | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Rhode Island | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| South Carolina | Republican ticket carried the state |
| South Dakota | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Tennessee | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Texas | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Utah | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Vermont | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Virginia | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Washington | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| West Virginia | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Wisconsin | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Wyoming | Republican ticket carried the state |
Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976 to 2024. As of Nov 2, 2026.
Headlines that name a candidate in this race
No headline from the outlets we follow has named a candidate in this race together with Nebraska in the last 30 days.
Headlines are shown as each outlet published them, with a link to the outlet. A headline appears here only when it names a candidate's full name and the state, or comes from a newsroom in the state. They are the outlets' reporting, not Power & Politics findings.
Other races on the same ballot
Federal and statewide contests in Nebraska · 8
Every contest on the Nebraska ballot · Local races in Nebraska