Walz outpacing decades of Democrats for Nebraska governor; GOP’s Pillen still holds major cash lead

LINCOLN — The Democratic frontrunner for Nebraska governor is outpacing all other Democrats who ran for the office in recent decades, but the Republican incumbent and other top state officeholders still hold a significant financial edge.

Former State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, a Democrat, reported raising about $172,000 in the latest round of reports covering April 1 through April 27, more than double that of incumbent Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican. She is the party’s frontrunner over fellow Democrat Larry Marvin of Fremont, a perennial candidate. 

He has filed no campaign finance report for his gubernatorial bid. The threshold before needing to form a campaign finance committee with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission is $5,000 raised, received or spent in a given year.

[Voter Guide: 2026 Primary Election Voter Guide: The candidates and the tools you need to cast your vote in Nebraska’s May 12 primary election.]

Pillen, who is seeking reelection, reported raising nearly $77,000 last month. He spent about $22,000 during that period, compared to Walz’s $68,000. 

There is still one more report for the primary, through June 16. Those reports are due June 22.

“Nebraskans are ready for change, and our campaign is proving that we’ve got the momentum,” Walz said in a social media post.

Still, Pillen holds a significant advantage: He had $9.47 million in the bank by the end of April. He raised nearly $12 million during his first three years in office, the most of any governor, and reported raising $565,000 so far in 2026. 

Walz had $650,000 cash on hand, raising $500,000 the past three years and $692,000 so far in 2026. 

A Pillen campaign spokesperson said “clickbait headlines don’t tell the real story” and noted Pillen has raised a “historic” record of more than $24.2 million since launching his campaign in 2021 from thousands of Nebraskans statewide.

“He’s the only candidate that can say that,” the campaign said. “From now until November, the governor looks forward to talking to Nebraskans eye to eye and promoting Nebraska’s conservative values.”

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Walz outpacing past Democrats

This campaign cycle is already different than 2022, the most expensive governor’s race in state history. This time around, Pillen is also benefiting from largely not having to defend himself this primary cycle, giving him more flexibility, including the possibility his campaign has discussed of possibly intervening in other races.

Walz has outpaced all Democratic gubernatorial candidates since at least 1998, according to NADC records. Republicans won the Governor’s Office in 1998 after then-Gov. Ben Nelson was term limited. Nelson, a Democrat who served between 1991 and 1999, went on to the U.S. Senate. 

Her contributions exceed the annual campaign totals of former State Sens. Carol Blood ($636,000) in 2022 and Bob Krist ($775,000) in 2018. Walz was Krist’s running mate. Walz has also raised more than former University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook had by May of 2014 ($830,000). He raised $1.41 million in the primary and $3.26 million total.

Hassebrook came within 18 percentage points of beating then-Gov. Pete Ricketts. Hassebrook was the closest Democrat since 1998, when Republican Mike Johanns won the office with 53.97% of the statewide vote.

The last time a Democratic challenger reported outraising a Republican for governor in any reporting period came in 2010. That race involved Democrat Mark Lakers and incumbent Republican Gov. Dave Heineman. Lakers later withdrew from the race amid questions over his campaign finance records. He pleaded guilty to a Class II misdemeanor of abusing public records for falsifying dozens of campaign pledges.

Pillen outpacing past republicans

The 2022 race to succeed term-limited Ricketts totaled $26.02 million raised and $25.26 million spent in just the GOP primary that included Pillen, Charles Herbster and then-State Sen. Brett Lindstrom.

Herbster raised $13.23 million, Pillen raised $9.55 million and Lindstrom raised $2.91 million. Herbster spent $12.71 million, Pillen spent $9.17 million and Lindstrom spent $3.02 million.

Pillen would go on to raise and spend more than $2 million between mid-June 2022 and the end of the year. Then-State Sen. Carol Blood raised about $191,000 in a largely noncompetitive primary and raised another $445,000 in the general election. She spent $635,000 across the 2022 election cycle.

Pillen faces five lesser-known Republicans in the May 12 primary. Just one, Gary L. Rogge of Auburn, filed a fundraising report and has an NADC committee.

Rogge has reported raising $37,500 and spending $21,100 through April. Rogge joins Sal Holguin of Omaha, Sheila J. Korth-Focken of Long Pine, Jacy Todd of York and John Walz of Hastings in seeking to take Pillen’s place as GOP nominee.

Two Legal Marijuana NOW candidates — Rick Beard of Omaha and James J. Charvat III of Valley — are also running for governor. Neither has a committee through the NADC. The last time a third-party Nebraska candidate for governor reported any fundraising was in 2002.

Lindstrom, who is now a registered nonpartisan, has cracked open the door to a nonpartisan bid for governor but has not decided. He would need to collect signatures by Aug. 3 to qualify. Before ramping up speculation again over the past week, he had closed his NADC committee for governor in mid-April.

Other constitutional officers

For Nebraska’s other constitutional officers — attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer and auditor of public accounts — Republican incumbents lead in fundraising for reelection campaigns, or, in the case of appointed Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, his first statewide election.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen is facing a GOP primary challenge from Scott Petersen of Omaha. Evnen has raised $312,000 and spent $372,000 since the start of last year, compared to Petersen’s nearly $115,000 in fundraising and $71,000 in spending.

Evnen listed about $100,000 cash on hand to Petersen’s nearly $44,000.

Democrat Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth, the frontrunner candidate in her secretary of state primary against Lee M. Cimfel of Lincoln, has raised about $9,200 and spent nearly $8,000 this year. Cimfel doesn’t have an NADC committee.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers of Lincoln has raised $834,000 since the start of last year and spent $242,000. Democrat Joceylyn Brasher of Omaha, a former assistant attorney general, has raised $154,000 and spent nearly $51,000.

Hilgers listed $1.1 million cash on hand compared to Brasher’s $103,000 by the end of April. A Democrat has not been elected to a full term as attorney general of Nebraska since the 1930s.

Spellerberg, appointed to the office last November, has raised $372,000 and spent $37,000. Democrat Daniel Ebers of Lincoln has not reported any fundraising this cycle.

State Auditor Mike Foley of Lincoln is running unopposed for what is likely to be his fourth consecutive term as state auditor. The former lieutenant governor to Ricketts has raised nearly $20,000 this cycle and spent about $13,500. He listed more than $121,000 cash on hand by the end of April.

Separately, Democratic State Sen. Wendy DeBoer and Republican Dennis McCann are seeking to pick up an Omaha seat on the Nebraska Public Service Commission from outgoing Commissioner Christian Mirch. Pillen appointed Mirch to the seat in 2023. 

DeBoer raised $48,000 and spent nearly $20,000 through April, with $53,000 cash on hand. McCann does not yet have an NADC committee.

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