Internal poll shows Democratic challenger Lynne Walz closing in on Jim Pillen in Nebraska governor's race

Democratic candidate for governor Lynne Walz is on incumbent Republican Jim Pillen’s heels, according to an internal poll her campaign released Thursday.

The survey was commissioned by Walz’s campaign through national research firm Lake Research Partners.

Walz is polling at 45%, just behind Pillen’s 47%. The research firm reported a margin of error of just over 3% for the survey results. The poll was conducted from April 25-29.

Walz’s campaign wrote in a release that the poll shows Walz is gaining ground over time and that Pillen’s support is crumbling. The last poll, released in April, showed Walz trailing five points behind Pillen. A similar internal poll conducted last summer showed Walz trailing Pillen by 12%.

“This new poll confirms what we’re hearing across Nebraska every single day, that people want a change in leadership,” said Brandon Bayer, Walz's senior advisor. “Meanwhile, Lynne Walz has built a campaign focused on listening to Nebraskans, lowering costs and growing our state.”

Lake Research Partners typically contracts with Democratic politicians and political groups, including former President Joe Biden and Planned Parenthood. Pillen’s campaign called the firm a far-left, East Coast pollster and claimed that the firm conjured up the results.

“The Walz campaign continues to align itself with socialist progressives who don’t understand the Nebraska values of life, agriculture, affordability, and freedom,” A spokesperson for the campaign wrote in an email response.