Nebraska voting guide

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Wants to overturn Citizens United, supports the DISCLOSE Act, and wants independent citizen redistricting commissions in every state. Supports term limits and age limits for Congress. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Has voted for the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register, and wants voter ID nationwide. Helped pass Nebraska's voter ID amendment as governor. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Says safe communities depend on first responders and that police and firefighters need support if hurt on the job and strong pensions. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Says he stands with law enforcement and against 'soft-on-crime' policies. Voted for more resources for law enforcement to fight fentanyl. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Says Trump deserves credit on border security but the big rise in ICE spending lacks accountability. Wants comprehensive immigration reform with mandatory E-Verify, a secure border, more immigration judges and guest worker programs. Says he agrees with the Supreme Court that people born in the U.S. are citizens. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Says he voted for $175 billion for border security and that immigration laws are now being enforced. Co-sponsors the Birthright Citizenship Act to end automatic citizenship for children of temporary visa holders and people here illegally. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Says he is personally pro-life but that the government should not make health decisions for people; those choices belong to patients and their doctors. Opposes the 2025 federal Medicaid cuts and wants to protect rural hospitals and let Medicaid negotiate lower drug prices. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Has said the Dobbs ruling returned abortion law to elected officials. Supports a permanent ban on federal abortion funding and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Voted for the 2025 budget law that included Medicaid changes. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Calls for a middle-class tax cut and raising the cap on income taxed for Social Security, with no cuts to Social Security or Medicare. Opposes blanket tariffs and wants targeted trade tools instead. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Voted for the 2025 tax law, including no tax on tips and overtime and a larger Child Tax Credit. Says cutting fraud and waste is his budget priority. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Helped lead the 2021 Kellogg's strike. His plan calls for banning non-compete agreements for working people and a 'real' no tax on tips and overtime. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Co-sponsored the National Right to Work Act, which would let workers opt out of paying union fees. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Voted for the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act to cut red tape and lower housing costs, which includes his Streamlining Rural Housing Act. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Wants to bring back shop class in high schools and make trade schools, apprenticeships and associate degrees easier to reach. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

As governor, proposed using state money for private school scholarships. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Has voted to bar transgender women and girls from women's sports. Source

Dan Osborn Independent (nonpartisan)

Wants limits on data centers to protect the Ogallala Aquifer and local water and power. Supports E15 fuel but says more of the benefit should reach corn growers. Source

Pete Ricketts Republican, incumbent

Praised the EPA's 2026 repeal of the greenhouse gas 'endangerment finding.' Supports year-round E15 ethanol fuel and expanding U.S. energy production. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Wants Nebraska to give all its presidential electoral votes to the statewide winner ('winner take all'). Signed the 2023 voter ID law. His platform calls for reforming the 'broken ballot petition process.' Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Says she would carry out laws that voters pass by ballot measure, such as medical cannabis, the minimum wage and paid sick leave, instead of letting lawmakers undo them. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Calls his ticket with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former U.S. attorney, 'law enforcement's candidate.' Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Passed bills supporting first responders as a senator and was named legislator of the year by the Fraternal Order of Police. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Partnered with ICE in 2025 to turn the McCook state work camp into an immigration detention center and twice sent Nebraska National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. His platform calls for ending state taxpayer benefits for people here illegally. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Signed LB 574 in 2023, which banned most abortions after 12 weeks and limited gender-affirming care for minors. Says he wants to further restrict abortion, including a ban once cardiac activity is detected (about six weeks). Has defended cost cuts to home-care services for older and disabled Nebraskans. Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Says abortion decisions are 'between a woman, their family, and their doctor,' and that she would uphold the 12-week limit voters put in the constitution in 2024. Opposes state cuts to services for people with disabilities and rural health care. Source

Brett Lindstrom America First

Wants to hold state budget growth near 2.5% a year and use a seven-year rolling average to value property so tax bills are more stable. Says the state should not raise sales, income or other taxes. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Signed income tax cuts that bring the top rate to 3.99% in 2027 and may seek another 1-point cut. Wants hard caps on local spending and to add sales tax to some items that are now exempt. Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Proposes a ban on price gouging, a gas tax holiday and no state tax on tips and overtime. Says she would end no-bid contracts, hire an independent auditor and not raise sales taxes. Source

Brett Lindstrom America First

Wants K-12 schools, community colleges, apprenticeships and employers to work as one job-training pipeline. Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Says she would uphold the voter-approved minimum wage and paid sick leave laws. Lists child care costs as a barrier she wants to address. Source

Brett Lindstrom America First

Says Nebraska should build housing near existing jobs and infrastructure so young people can afford to stay. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Says he will stop hedge funds from buying up Nebraska homes and lower property insurance rates. Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Names building housing as a priority. Wants to expand the homestead exemption and aim property tax relief at Nebraska residents, not out-of-state companies buying homes and farmland. Source

Brett Lindstrom America First

Proposes lowering schools' maximum property tax rate for operating costs from $1.05 to 50 cents per $100 of value over time, with more state aid as the budget allows. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Was the first governor to opt in to the federal scholarship tax credit for private school costs. Banned student cellphones in class. Wants the state to pay more of K-12 costs to cut local property taxes. Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Says K-12 schools and the University of Nebraska are 'under attack' and pledges to stop cuts. Has said voters rejected sending public money to private schools and she would follow that vote. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

Backs the Stand With Women Act limiting girls' sports to students born female, and has moved to bar government money from going to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Source

Brett Lindstrom America First

Wants to protect public power and expand the electric grid before demand outruns it. Source

Jim Pillen Republican, incumbent

His platform calls for protecting the Ogallala Aquifer, removing toxins from food and water, and protecting public power ratepayers. Supports ending tax breaks for large tech data centers. Source

Lynne Walz Democratic

Lists building more power capacity as a priority for growing the state. Source