No 2026 rerun: Charles Herbster will not run for Nebraska governor

LINCOLN — There will be no Republican rematch for the Nebraska governor. 

After months of taking shots at the Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on social media, multistate agribusinessman Charles Herbster will not run for governor, his team announced on Monday, the state’s filing deadline for running for public office. 

Herbster said that while he had received a lot of public encouragement to run, he had not found enough donors willing to publicly support a bid against the incumbent governor. 

“Anytime you take on an incumbent, you face an uphill battle,” Herbster said in a statement. “A sitting governor has a lot of power and influence, and that is a huge advantage.” 

While Pillen does face a group of  primary challengers in Sheila Korth-Focken, Jacy Todd, and Gary L. Rogge. Herbster, who largely self-funded his 2022 GOP primary loss to Pillen, who has raised more than $10 million for reelection, was considered a serious threat in Nebraska political circles.

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Pillen has faced recent scrutiny over his handling of state funds, including several Examiner stories about Pillen steering the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to award a $2.5 million no-bid emergency contract to a bioeconomy consultant and lobbyist he knew. Pillen has also faced public criticism for his comments during a tele-town hall this year. And he has faced criticism for his push for broadening the sales tax to pay for property tax offsets.

Herbster, a longtime donor to President Donald Trump, lost to Pillen in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary with Trump’s endorsement. That race included former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha. Lindstrom finished third in that 2022 GOP primary. He, too, had said he was pressed by supporters of his now-ended congressional bid who wanted him to run for governor against Pillen.

Pillen cruised to general election victory against then-Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue. 

That 2022 contest was the most expensive gubernatorial race in Nebraska history, with $29 million flowing into it, led by Herbster and Pillen, who benefited from outside help by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts.

This time, Pillen picked up the president’s endorsement.

In his announcement that he would not run, Herbster said a primary would hurt Republicans in down-ballot races this cycle — as in 2022.

“Another campaign like that would hurt other candidates,” Herbster said. “This 2026 election cycle is too important, and I am not willing to put Nebraskans through that again.”

Herbster said losing the statehouse to a Democratic would be devastating and said Pillen will “will need to step up his game to be successful in November.”

Pillen’s campaign issued a statement Monday evening: “Nebraska Republicans are united headed into the fall, and we look forward to a campaign focused on a conservative vision for Nebraska’s future.”

Former State Sen. Lynne Walz is running as a Democrat.  The primary election is May 12, and the general election is Nov. 3.

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