Three candidates seeking to unseat Evnen as secretary of state

Four candidates for Nebraska Secretary of State will tussle in May’s primary election.

There are two Democrats and two Republicans in the race, meaning there will be two competitive primary contests leading up to the race in the general election.

On the Republican side, incumbent Bob Evnen is seeking his third term leading the office that oversees elections, business services, records management and licensing, among other duties.

Evnen, who won a tough Republican primary in 2022 and then did not face a challenger in the general election, has made election security and integrity a central part of his campaign.

"We don't take shortcuts on election integrity," Evnen said in a news release last month. "Nebraska leads the nation in free, fair, and transparent elections. I'm proud to work alongside the Trump administration to keep Nebraska first and ensure that Nebraskans have trust in our electoral process."

That cooperation with the federal government has been controversial at times, especially Evnen’s plan to hand over sensitive voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice, which he did last month after a group seeking to stop him failed to get an emergency injunction. Evnen also sought and received an opinion from the attorney general that it was lawful to do so. His predecessor, then-Secretary John Gale, didn’t fulfill a similar request during Trump’s first term, saying he was unsure with how the data was going to be used.

Evnen has consistently said that he believes Nebraska’s past elections have been free and fair, but during the last legislative session he championed a bill to allow observers to oversee both the logic and accuracy testing of tabulators, as well as the post-election, hand-counted audits after every statewide election.

He also has been active in efforts aimed at Nebraska’s initiative petition process. Even though he certified ballot initiatives seeking to legalize medical marijuana in 2024, Evnen later filed a crossclaim in a lawsuit seeking for the initiative to be removed from the ballot because of alleged invalid signatures.

In addition, he authored LB927, which was introduced in the Legislature this session by Sen. Bob Andersen. It seeks to require initiative ballot committees to attest that they have not accepted any foreign contributions.

The secretary of state has come under scrutiny for his role in using federal and state money to conduct international trade missions in Africa. State Auditor Mike Foley questioned some purchases, and subsequent reimbursements to Evnen, and the office’s justifications in a 2024 report. Evnen said his office was working on new written procedures for his international trade trips.

Evnen is facing a primary challenge from Scott Petersen, an Omaha business owner.

Petersen has never held elected office, but he is involved in Republican politics. He is a past chair of the Douglas County Republican Party and served as a delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention. Currently, Petersen is a member of the Nebraska GOP’s executive committee and serves as vice chair for the 2nd Congressional District.

On his campaign website, Petersen says that as secretary of state, he would prioritize constitutional governance, state sovereignty and practical reforms that make services work better for the people they serve. He said he supports secure, transparent and publicly verifiable elections, streamlined business and records services, and firm resistance to federal overreach, while keeping Nebraska values front and center.

He said in a campaign statement that he’s running, “to put Nebraska first, restore confidence in our institutions, and ensure the rule of law – not special interests – serves as the guide for every decision.”

In an appearance last month on Omaha radio station KCRO, Petersen said one of the main issues right now, both in Nebraska and nationwide, is a lack of trust in elections.

“The big issue right now is people don’t trust election systems,” Petersen said in the interview. “Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s a problem, and it needs to be addressed.”

He said of Evnen, “That’s his job. He needs to do better.”

On the Democratic side, Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth and Lee Cimfel of Lincoln are seeking the nomination.

Slattery is a chef and small-business owner who has been politically active in the past few years. Her political experience includes a run for the Legislative District 2 seat in the 2022 election, which she lost to Rob Clements. She was appointed last year to the Plattsmouth Library Board and the Plattsmouth Bridge Commission.

She also spearheaded the successful 2024 recall of a controversial Plattsmouth school board member who had advocated for banning books.

On her campaign website, Slattery said she’s “looking to bring some trust and integrity back to the Secretary of State's office.”

“Nebraskans deserve better than the shady dealings and hyper partisanship that have been plaguing our state lately,” she said.

“From tossing out ballot initiative petition signatures to threatening to release our sensitive voter data to the federal government, the public's trust in the Secretary of State's office is at an all-time low,” Slattery said.

In addition to public trust, she listed business growth and voter education as her other top priorities.

Cimfel, the other Democratic candidate, does not have a campaign website.

In a video posted to YouTube, he said he is running to be a, “guardian of democracy, a defender of transparency, and a steward of the sacred trust you place in elections.”

Cimfel said in the video that he’s worried about what could happen if the office “falls into the wrong hands.”

“The secretary of state is not just an administrator, it’s the last line of defense against those who would manipulate our elections, suppress the truth or bury the secrets that powerful people want to keep hidden.”

Important election dates

Nebraska’s 2026 primary election is Tuesday, May 12. It will narrow the field of candidates ahead of the general election, which will be Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Voting begins when county election offices start mailing early voting ballots on March 27 to Nebraskans and military members overseas. County election offices start mailing early voting ballots on April 3 to registered voters in Nebraska. Voters can cast their ballots early, in person at their respective county election office starting April 13. Voting in person at county election offices will end Monday, May 11. All early voting ballots are due back to county election offices by the close of polls on election day. Ballots received after the polls close will not be accepted.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time on election day, Tuesday, May 12. Voters can locate their polling place online at Nebraska’s VoterCheck system, as well as verify their voter registration information is up to date and preview their ballot once those are finalized by county election offices.

There are two voting registration deadlines ahead of the primary election. April 27 is the final day Nebraskans can update their voter registration information or register to vote online, by mail, at the DMV, via personal agent or via deputy registrar. May 1is the final day Nebraskans can update their voter registration or register to vote in person at their respective county election offices.

This will be the second statewide election cycle with Nebraska’s voter ID law, which requires voters to present a photo ID before casting a ballot. Voters can complete that process when they submit their requests to vote early by mail, or they can present their photo ID before they cast their ballots at county election offices or at the polls.

Voters who have questions about voting in this year’s election can contact their respective county election office by phone or email.