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Former gubernatorial candidate announces he will not run for Nebraska governor in 2026
IN THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST. WE’LL TALK ABOUT AHEAD. BACK TO YOU COMMITMENT COVERAGE TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY IS JUST OVER TWO MONTHS AWAY. TONIGHT WE OFFICIALLY KNOW WHO’S RUNNING FOR NEBRASKA GOVERNOR. ONE NAME NOT ON THE LIST IS FORMER GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE CHARLES HERBSTER. HE MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT JUST A SHORT WHILE AGO. NEWSWATCH 79TH, CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF JOHN GREENWALD SHARES, WHO IS RUNNING. BY 5 P.M. ON MONDAY. ALL CANDIDATES JOCKEYING FOR POSITION ACROSS THE STATE OF NEBRASKA HAD TO HAVE THEIR PAPERWORK TURNED IN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S ELECTION DIVISION OFFICE IN LINCOLN, A NOTABLE NO SHOW ON THE LIST OF CANDIDATES. THE AGRIBUSINESS MAN CHARLES HERBSTER, WHO CHALLENGED NOW GOVERNOR JIM PILLEN FOR THE SEAT BACK IN 2022. HERBSTER HAD FUELED SPECULATION OF A POSSIBLE RUN WITH WEEKS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CRITICIZING PILLEN. MONDAY AFTERNOON, HERBSTER SHARED A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART, QUOTE, WHILE THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF VERBAL ENCOURAGEMENT AND NEARLY EVERYONE WANTED CHANGE, VERY FEW WERE WILLING TO PUBLICLY SUPPORT A CHALLENGE TO THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. HERBSTER ALSO SAID A NASTY PRIMARY COULD HURT THE PARTY, AND THAT HE BELIEVES HIS TIME AND RESOURCES WILL BE BETTER SPENT BRINGING THE NEBRASKA REPUBLICAN PARTY BACK TOGETHER. THAT MEANS PILLEN, WITH HIS RECORD $10 MILLION WAR CHEST, WILL HAVE AN EASIER GO THROUGH THE PRIMARY. BUT IT’S NOT AN UNCONTESTED FIELD. MY TRIAL WAS TAINTED BY THE STATE FROM THE START OF OPENING ARGUMENTS. JAKE TODD, WHO WAS JUST LAST WEEK CONVICTED OF 24 MISDEMEANORS STEMMING FROM IMPROPER NOTARIZATIONS, IS ASKING FOR A FULL PARDON. HE’S ALSO CONTINUING HIS GOP BID FOR GOVERNOR. EXPLAIN TO YOU IN THE MEDIA, IN THE REST OF NEBRASKA WHY MY CASE IS CRIMINAL, WHEREAS THE GOVERNOR’S $2.5 MILLION NO BID CONTRACT THAT TOOK MONEY FROM THE TAXPAYERS WAS A MERE PAPERWORK ERROR AND IS NOT DESERVING OF A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. GARY AND SHEILA FALCON ARE ALSO RUNNING AS REPUBLICANS ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, IT’S LARRY MARVIN AND FORMER STATE SENATOR LYNNE WALZ AND RICK BEARD AND JAMES CHARVAT ARE RUNNING FOR
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Former gubernatorial candidate announces he will not run for Nebraska governor in 2026
Former gubernatorial candidate and Nebraska businessman Charles Herbster announced he will not run for governor in 2026. In a statement, shared on social media Monday, Herbster said he looked long and hard at challenging incumbent Governor Jim Pillen in the Republican primary. “While there was a great deal of verbal encouragement and nearly everyone wanted change, very few were willing to publicly support a challenge to the current administration,” wrote Herbster.The Republican lost to Pillen in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. Herbster cited that race in his statement, saying a “brutal Republican primary” could affect other down-ballot races. Eight people have officially filed for governor in the 2026 primary: incumbent Jim Pillen, Republicans Sheila Korth-Focken, Gary Rogge, and Jacy Todd, Democrats Lynne Walz and Larry Marvin, and Legal Marijuana NOW candidates Rick Beard and James Charvat. The primary election is May 12.
Former gubernatorial candidate and Nebraska businessman Charles Herbster announced he will not run for governor in 2026.
In a statement, shared on social media Monday, Herbster said he looked long and hard at challenging incumbent Governor Jim Pillen in the Republican primary. “While there was a great deal of verbal encouragement and nearly everyone wanted change, very few were willing to publicly support a challenge to the current administration,” wrote Herbster.
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The Republican lost to Pillen in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. Herbster cited that race in his statement, saying a “brutal Republican primary” could affect other down-ballot races.
Eight people have officially filed for governor in the 2026 primary: incumbent Jim Pillen, Republicans Sheila Korth-Focken, Gary Rogge, and Jacy Todd, Democrats Lynne Walz and Larry Marvin, and Legal Marijuana NOW candidates Rick Beard and James Charvat.
The primary election is May 12.
