Former state senator exploring Democratic bid for Nebraska governor

A potential Democratic candidate for governor has emerged.

Lynne Walz, a former state senator from Fremont, announced Monday that she is forming a “gubernatorial exploratory committee.”

“Our political system is broken. It’s no longer Republican versus Democrat, it’s top versus bottom,” Walz said in a news release. “That’s dangerous. Politicians on both sides are no longer interested in fighting for the average person, and we’re suffering because of that. I’m exploring a run because we need change. We need leaders who are more interested in working for common-sense solutions and people, not political parties and self-serving billionaires.”

Walz served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017-2025, representing District 15, which consists of Dodge County and a small portion of western Douglas County. She beat the incumbent Republican in what is a fairly conservative district in the 2016 election.

Walz said she plans to go on a statewide listening tour to talk with business and community leaders, farmers and ranchers, educators, health care professionals and everyday Nebraskans.

“I understand the struggles most people face because I’ve lived them – from working on a farm, teaching in the classroom, and raising our family,” Walz said in the news release. “I’ve had many conversations with Nebraskans who tell me that they are tired of the corruption, finger pointing, and self-serving policies that enrich politicians and their billionaire friends. We need to elect average people who truly understand what the real world actually looks like for most people and will work to create opportunity and improve the quality of life for individuals and families.”

She would face an uphill battle in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to be governor since Ben Nelson won a second term in 1996.

Gov. Jim Pillen, who is running for reelection, won in 2022 with nearly 60% of the vote.

But Pillen could face a challenger on the Republican side. Businessman Charles Herbster, who lost a three-way GOP primary to Pillen in 2022, told the Nebraska Examiner that he will decide closer to the end of the year whether to run again.

Herbster has posted numerous criticisms of Pillen on social media in recent weeks and he also said in a post earlier this month that he now supports medical marijuana.