Nebraska’s candidate filing period opened Monday, kicking off the 2026 election cycle as the state’s major political parties prepare for primary elections on May 12. The midterm general election this year is Nov. 3.
According to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office, candidates who are already in office and seeking another term must file by Feb. 17, while nonincumbent candidates have until March 2.
Secretary of State Bob Evnen was the first candidate to officially file. The Republican is seeking his third term.
Candidates had already begun announcing their intentions for the 2026 election before registration opened. Gov. Jim Pillen announced last year his intention to campaign for a second term, but he may not run unopposed. Republican agribusinessman Charles Herbster, who finished second to Pillen in the 2022 Republican primary, has hinted he will run again.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has announced he will seek reelection, and State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, who was appointed last year to replace Tom Briese, is expected to be on the ballot. For the Democratic Party, State Sen. Lynne Walz has said she is considering a gubernatorial bid.
U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts also announced his reelection bid and will face his first regularly scheduled statewide election. He was appointed to the Senate in January 2023 to fill the vacancy left by Ben Sasse and later won a special election in 2024. Independent Dan Osborn, a former Omaha labor leader who announced his 2026 campaign last year after narrowly losing to U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024, will challenge Ricketts's senate seat. As an independent candidate, he'll need to gather enough valid signatures from Nebraska voters to petition onto the ballot.
As the election cycle begins, Nebraska’s Democratic and Republican parties emphasized their reluctance to endorse candidates in contested primary races, citing a desire to avoid internal divisions. The Nebraska GOP formally adopted a rule in August barring endorsements in contested primaries.
State Republican party officials didn’t respond to several interview requests.
Nebraska Democratic Party Executive Director Precious McKesson said that while no official rules prevent the party from endorsing candidates, it will not endorse anyone in a highly contested U.S. House primary in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. The seat is open after Republican Don Bacon announced last summer that he won’t seek another term.
McKesson said the party will instead focus on increasing participation in the primary election statewide, with particular attention to the 2nd District race.
“We are neutral... in the 2nd District race. We have great candidates running,” McKesson said. “So how we continue to build is investing in our vote-by-mail program, voter registration, and making sure we’re getting people excited about the election.”
In a predominantly Republican state, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District has increasingly supported Democratic presidential candidates, awarding its single electoral vote to the Democratic nominee in 2008, 2020 and 2024.
As of January, the Nebraska Democratic Party’s website lists five candidates seeking the party’s nomination for the U.S. House seat. Republicans have won 15 of the past 16 elections for the seat.
McKesson said the party plans to expand voter registration efforts and boost enthusiasm while providing equal support to all Democratic candidates.
“We’ll just continue to do that work supporting those candidates the way that we do, because we do remain neutral,” she said. “But we still give them all the same support by making our presence known in this race.”