Brett Lindstrom

Lindstrom was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and raised in Omaha.[1] He graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in history, and played in five games as a walk-on backup quarterback for the Cornhuskers.[1] He then returned to Omaha and worked as a financial adviser with his father, Dan Lindstrom.[1]

Lindstrom first sought office in 2012, when he challenged Republican Rep. Lee Terry in the primary for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District and finished second with 22.8% of the vote.[1] In 2014 he won the open District 18 seat in northwestern Omaha in the Nebraska Legislature, defeating Mike Tesar with 54.9% of the vote, and he served until 2023.[1] In 2022 he ran for governor in the Republican primary, finishing third behind Jim Pillen and Charles Herbster.[1]

Lindstrom announced a run for the 2nd Congressional District seat in July 2025 and withdrew in January 2026, saying he did not want to engage with the "divisiveness of modern politics."[1] He then announced a campaign for governor as a nonpartisan candidate in July 2026 and submitted signatures to qualify on August 4, but the Secretary of State's office determined that he had too few valid signatures; his campaign submitted 5,765 signatures, of which 3,358 were validated.[1][2][3] On September 1, 2026, he filed to run for governor as the nominee of the newly recognized America First Party.[1][3] Lindstrom married Leigh Ancona in 2007, and the couple has three children.[1]