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LINCOLN — Current officeholders had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file as a candidate in a 2026 election year that, so far, has offered no filing surprises for statewide offices.
The only incumbents not filing to run for their current seats, who had not previously confirmed whether they would run, are three appointees of Republican Gov. Jim Pillen: Public Service Commissioner Christian Mirch of Omaha (PSC District 2), State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul (Legislative District 41) and NU Regent Joel Makovicka of Omaha (Regents District 4).
Any nonincumbents still have two weeks to file for office, by 5 p.m. March 2. The following statewide offices are on the 2026 ballot:
- One U.S. Senate seat.
- Three U.S. House seats.
- All constitutional officers (governor and their selected lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer and auditor of public accounts).
- One Nebraska Public Service Commission seat.
- Twenty-five legislative seats, including a special election to fill out the final two years of former Amherst State Sen. Dan McKeon’s seat in Legislative District 41.
- Four State Board of Education seats.
- Three NU Board of Regents seats, including a special election to serve the final four years of former Omaha NU Regent Elizabeth O’Connor’s District 4 seat.
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Papillion, R-Neb., did not seek a sixth two-year term, as he had previously announced.
State Sens. Christy Armendariz of Omaha and Jane Raybould of Lincoln did not seek reelection, as they had said. Ten state senators are barred from seeking election due to term limits.
Also not running for reelection are NU Regents Tim Clare of Lincoln and Jack Stark of Omaha and State Board of Education members Kirk Penner of Aurora and Deb Neary of Omaha.
Twenty-one incumbents are seeking reelection, and one incumbent via a Pillen appointment, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, will seek his first four-year term in the Treasurer’s Office.
U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts of Omaha, R-Neb., is seeking his first full six-year term after winning a 2024 special election. U.S. Rep. Mike Flood of Norfolk is seeking a third term, and U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering is seeking his 11th.
At least three candidates for federal office are seeking nonpartisan bids — former U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Omaha, now running against Ricketts, and Macey Budke of North Platte and Mark Cohen of Lemoyne, both running against Smith. They must file enough valid signatures by Aug. 3 to qualify for the general election ballot.
Pillen, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Foley each are seeking second four-year terms. Secretary of State Bob Evnen is seeking a third four-year term as the state’s top election official.
Twelve state senators and two State Board of Education members are seeking reelection to second four-year terms.
Nebraska’s primary election is May 12. The top candidates for partisan races and the top-two candidates in officially nonpartisan races will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
The full list of candidates who had filed by 5 p.m. Feb. 17, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office, is as follows:
