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Nebraska Gov. Race: Pillen Takes Lead With Ricketts Backing

nebraska republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen speaks at the state capitol in january
Jim Pillen (Grant Schulte/AP)

John Gizzi By Monday, 09 May 2022 01:49 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

The Nebraska governor’s race is going down to the wire with the primary slated for Tuesday.

Conservative Jim Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent who has Gov. Pete Ricketts’ endorsement, now leads among likely Republican voters with 31%.

Pillen is trailed by businessman Charles Herbster at 27%, according to WPAi Intelligence Survey completed last week.

Ricketts has been a popular governor, but can’t run for a third term for governor of Nebraska.

But Ricketts has strongly backed Pillen, with the governor unleashing a seven-figure expenditure from his PAC to slam the two leading opponents.

Ricketts has spent an estimated $1 million through his Super PAC on negative ads against State Sen. Brett Lindstrom and roughly $500,000 against Herbster.

After three weeks on the airwaves, Ricketts’ broadside appear to be taking their toll. 

The same survey showed Lindstrom, a favorite of the more moderate wing of the GOP, with 16% and 8% favoring other candidates.

Herbster had initially been the front-runner, but that lead quickly eroded after he was hit with six allegations of sexual harassment, including a complaint from a Republican state senator, Julie Slama.

The multiple harassment charges against Herbster appear serious. He missed a deposition Friday in the case just after slapping Slama with a defamation lawsuit.

Former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, a Herbster backer told Newsmax, admitted that Ricketts’ media blitz had put Pillen ahead, but that the race remains open.

“It’s now neck-and-neck,” added Daub.

What may decide a tight contest are the more than 8,500 Democrats and independents who changed parties this year to vote in the Republican primary. A similar move by outsiders in 2014 helped to put Ricketts over the top by a slim 2,000 votes in his first winning bid for governor.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


John-Gizzi
The Nebraska governor’s race is going down to the wire with the primary slated for Tuesday.
nebraska, governnor, jim pillen, ricketts
312
2022-49-09
Monday, 09 May 2022 01:49 PM
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