Governor of Nebraska
Lynne Walz
Former Nebraska state senator (2017–2025)D
- Race
- Governor of Nebraska
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponents
- Jim Pillen (R); Brett Lindstrom (America First); Rick Beard (Legal Marijuana NOW)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes
Lynne Walz is the Democratic nominee for governor of Nebraska, running on a ticket with Ben Steffen. A former teacher and realtor from Fremont, she served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025, including as Education Committee chair, and was the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Her campaign emphasizes targeted property-tax relief for working families, public schools, affordability and economic growth.[1][2][3]
On the ballotGovernor
2026-11-03
| Jim Pillen R | incumbent |
| Lynne Walz D | challenger |
| Brett Lindstrom America First | challenger |
| Rick Beard Legal Marijuana NOW | challenger |
Running with Ben Steffen, a farmer. Won the May 2026 Democratic primary with 91.5%.
Biography
Lynne Walz is the Democratic nominee for governor of Nebraska, running on a ticket with Ben Steffen. A former teacher and realtor from Fremont, she served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025, including as Education Committee chair, and was the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Her campaign emphasizes targeted property-tax relief for working families, public schools, affordability and economic growth.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Walz grew up on her family's small hog farm outside Fremont, Nebraska, and graduated from Arlington High School in 1981.[1][3] She earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Midland Lutheran College in 1994.[1][3] She worked as a teacher at Fremont Public Schools and Archbishop Bergan High School and as a caregiver and nonprofit professional supporting people with developmental disabilities, and she is a realtor.[1][3]
Before entering the Legislature, Walz served on the Fremont Bergan school board, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce board and as president of the Fremont Board of Realtors.[1][3] She was first elected to the Legislature in 2016, defeating incumbent David Schnoor to represent District 15, which includes Fremont, and was re-elected in 2020; she was term-limited in 2025.[1] In 2021 she won election as chair of the Education Committee over incumbent Mike Groene by a 25–23 vote.[1]
In 2018 Walz was chosen as the running mate of state Sen. Bob Krist, and the Democratic ticket lost the general election to Gov. Pete Ricketts with about 41% of the vote.[1][3] She formed an exploratory committee for governor in November 2025 and won the May 12, 2026 Democratic primary over Larry Marvin.[1][3]
In their own words
Priorities
- Targeted tax relief: cut property and other taxes responsibly while keeping vital services, helping working families rather than only top earners.[4]
- Grow the economy and rural communities through business growth and investment in broadband, agriculture and small business.[4]
- Respect voter-approved measures on issues like medical marijuana, paid sick leave, minimum wage and school vouchers.[4]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Increase police funding and staffing
“We need strong schools, vibrant community spaces, strong main streets, and continued investments for police officers and firefighters to keep us safe.”[4]
On her campaign website
- Raise the minimum wage
“Nebraskans have had their voices heard on key issues, like medical marijuana, paid sick leave, minimum wage, school vouchers, and more. When the voters speak, our job as representatives is to listen.”[4]
On her campaign website
- Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
“We need to focus on building housing, creating power capacity and addressing child care costs, to name a few, that our private sector has identified barriers to growing our state.”[5]
In her response to the Nebraska Examiner 2026 voter guide (Priorities question)
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/lynne-walz
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Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Lynne Walz · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 2.Priorities · Lynne Walz for Governor · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
- 3.Lynne Walz · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-19 Reference
- 4.Priorities · Lynne Walz for Governor · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
- 5.Nebraska Governor | Voter Guide: 2026 General Election · Nebraska Examiner · 2026-10-19 News report