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LINCOLN — Two incumbent state lawmakers trailed primary election opponents for the Legislature by the unofficial close of counting Tuesday, and another could be in trouble come November after facing three Democratic opponents.
In total, 25 legislative races are up for election this year. Eleven of those had three or more primary candidates. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, the top two candidates — those likely to advance — had strong leads over their competitors in nearly all of those races.
A competitive Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary race drove turnout down the ballot.
Come November, the tides could shift in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats roughly 2 to 1, but Democrats led multiple primaries Tuesday, including in some of the most expensive races so far. Legislative fundraising exceeded $4.1 million by the end of April.
The Legislature is officially nonpartisan, meaning a candidate’s political party affiliation won’t appear on the ballot, and voters select the top two candidates regardless of party.
Republicans currently hold 33 seats, while Democrats have 15. There is also currently one progressive nonpartisan who often sides with Democrats.
The trailing incumbents Tuesday were State Sens. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area in Legislative District 4 and Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue in Legislative District 36, both Republicans.
Von Gillern faces a rematch with Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek of Omaha, a progressive nonpartisan. She led with 52% of Tuesday’s vote to von Gillern’s 48%. He won by 802 votes, with 52% of the vote, in 2022.
Holdcroft faces Darin Tompkins of Papillion, a Democrat. Tompkins led with 53% of the vote to Holdcroft’s 47%. Holdcroft won by 1,744 votes, with 56% of the vote, in 2022.
State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a Republican, led his primary in Legislative District 12 with 38%. However, Riepe, who has been at the center of multiple contentious bills since returning to the Legislature in 2023, faced three Democratic opponents. That included his 2022 opponent, Robin Richards of Ralston, who ran as a write-in candidate after a bounced check from paying her filing fee removed her from the ballot.
Democrat Christy Knorr of Omaha led the Democratic field, with 34% of the vote. Democrat Thomas Kastrup of Omaha had 23%.
Election officials had identified 293 write-in votes by the end of Tuesday through the Douglas County Election Commission, or about 5% in that race. Not all will belong to Richards. Riepe won his 2022 race agaist her by 524 votes, with 52% of the vote.
Legislative District 18, in northwest Omaha, appears poised to pit Jess Goldoni of Omaha, a Democrat, against Taylor Royal of Bennington, a Republican. Goldoni had 43% of the vote to Royal’s 34%. Derek Schwartz of Bennington, a second Republican, had 24% of the vote.
That district’s current representative, State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha, a Republican, declined to seek reelection and endorsed Royal.
Republicans have eyed their own pick-up opportunities, possibly in Omaha’s Legislative District 10, between Democrat Cindy Johnson of Omaha and Republican Rebecca Rens of Bennington and in Legislative District 20, among State Sen. John Fredrickson, Chris Anderson and Dan Witt, all of Omaha.
Johnson led Tuesday with 59% of the vote to Rens’ 41%. State Sen. Wendy DeBoer, the current senator in LD 10, is term-limited. She is a Democrat.
Fredrickson, who narrowly won his 2022 race, led with 59% of the vote to Anderson’s 26% and Dan Witt’s 15%.
In Sarpy County’s Papillion-La Vista Legislative District 14, another Democrat, SuAnn Witt, led a field of two more Republicans: Bill Bowes of La Vista and Jay Jackson of Papillion. Witt earned 42% of the vote after Tuesday to Bowes’ 34% and Jackson’s 24%. Speaker John Arch, the current senator in LD 14, is term-limited. He is a Republican.
Here’s how the full slate of 2026 legislative races is shaping up:
- Legislative District 2 — Dean Helmick, a Republican, and Caitlin Knutson, a Democrat. Jayden L. Speed, a Democrat, also ran.
- Legislative District 4 — State Sen. Brad von Gillern, a Republican, and Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek, a progressive nonpartisan.
- Legislative District 6 — Patrick Leahy and Nate Ostdiek, both Democrats.
- Legislative District 8 — Erin Feichtinger and Josh Livingston, both Democrats. Terry Brewer, a registered nonpartisan, also ran.
- Legislative District 10 — Cindy Johnson, a Democrat, and Rebecca Rens, a Republican.
- Legislative District 12 — State Sen. Merv Riepe, a Republican, and Christy Knorr, a Democrat.
- Legislative District 14 — SuAnn Witt, a Democrat, and Bowes, a Republican.
- Legislative District 16 — Ted Japp, a Republican, and Cindy Chatt, a Democrat.
- Legislative District 18 — Jess Goldoni, a Democrat, and Taylor Royal, a Republican.
- Legislative District 20 — State Sen. John Fredrickson, a Democrat, and Chris Anderson, a Republican.
- Legislative District 22 — Dawson Brunswick of Columbus, a Republican.
- Legislative District 24 — State Sen. Jana Hughes, a Republican, and Dan Winter, a nonpartisan.
- Legislative District 26 — State Sen. George Dungan, a Democrat, and Tobias Howard, a Republican.
- Legislative District 28 — former State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, a Democrat, and Colby L. Woodson, a nonpartisan.
- Legislative District 30 — Cally Ideus, a Republican, and Janet M. Bock, a Democrat.
- Legislative District 32 — Mark Schoenrock, a Republican, and Shay Smith, a nonpartisan.
- Legislative District 34 — State Sen. Loren Lippincott, a Republican, and Ben Blodgett, a Democrat.
- Legislative District 36 — State Sen. Rick Holdcroft, a Republican, and Darin Tompkins, a Democrat.
- Legislative District 38 — Tim Anderson and Janell Anderson Ehrke, both Republicans.
- Legislative District 40 — State Sen. Barry DeKay, a Republican.
- Legislative District 41 (special election) — Joe Johnson, a Republican, and Jeremy Heneger, a Democrat. The race is for a two-year term following the resignation of former State Sen. Dan McKeon in January.
- Legislative District 42 — State Sen. Mike Jacobson, a Republican, and Shaylee S. Scranton, a nonpartisan.
- Legislative District 44 — State Sen. Teresa Ibach, a Republican.
- Legislative District 46 — State Sen. Danielle Conrad, a Democrat.
- Legislative District 48 — State Sen. Brian Hardin and Jessica M. Landers, both Republicans.
